Inspiring Conversations with Tyler Jenkins of Tennessee Detox Center

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Tyler Jenkins.

Hi Tyler, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I grew up in Texas and spent my late teens/early 20s moving to different cities around the world, beginning with an internship at an outreach center in Atlanta in 2010. That first experience allowed me to hear life stories and how addiction/mental health turned them into someone they didn’t recognize. I identified with what they were going through, and from then on, living a life doing anything other than helping people get clean and improve their lives felt empty to me.

It became my purpose in life. I moved to Nashville on a whim in 2015, and everything since then, in both my personal and professional life, has confirmed that feeling. I’m surrounded by the most incredible and unconditional support system of those in recovery, and I have been honored to watch my husband turn his life in addiction around to become the best partner and father to our son. But there have also been a lot of hard times – overdoses and mental health issues continue to take out friends and former colleagues.

The opioid crisis isn’t stopping. Davidson County had the second-highest rate of fatal overdoses in the entire US in 2022, and I’ve been to more funerals than I ever would have imagined possible. That’s really what pushed my partners and me to create our own treatment program, Tennessee Detox Center.

The disease of addiction is baffling and incredibly hard to treat, and we’ve seen too many fall through the cracks. And honestly, even under the best circumstances, the success rates aren’t great. But we have to try because the people we love are dying.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The stigma associated with addiction and mental health is real, and no one really wants to talk about it. You used to be able to picture what an addict looks like in your mind, but the opioid crisis changed everything. It’s doctors and attorneys and soccer moms and sweet old grandma and blue-collar guys.

But as a society, we don’t want to acknowledge it because it’s incredibly uncomfortable. We’ve struggled with both local governments and people in general who still hold the old ideas and judgments towards what they feel our program will be (and who it will treat). Those stigmas take time to overcome, but we are hopeful we’ll be able to offer hope to those who need it.

As you know, we’re big fans of the Tennessee Detox Center. For our readers who might not be as familiar with the brand, what can you tell them about it?
Tennessee Detox Center is the first step towards recovery and is usually the one people are the most afraid of. We walk people through the withdrawal process while they’re supervised by our medical staff and begin the counseling process so that their mind starts to clear. Our work is about clearing the body and mind and then helping people develop a plan that helps them sustain long-term sobriety.

That usually means transferring to intensive treatment, finding a sponsor/mentor, counseling tracks, and creating a support system. Addiction is never cured overnight, and we really rely on the recovery community to show what a clean (and healing) life looks like.

We’d love to hear what you think about risk-taking.
Our team risked everything for this program. We all left our stable jobs and created this center from scratch because we believe that we can be a program that brings healing to people and makes decisions for the right reasons.

We knew that starting any kind of business was a massive risk. However, the alternative, working in centers but not being able to effect any kind of real change, wasn’t an option anymore.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tndetoxcenter.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/tndetoxcenter
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Tennessee-Detox-Center-100090161351950/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tennessee-detox-center/