A Man of My Word

At fourteen years old, Derrick Broze was secretly cutting himself and battling the demon of self-hatred. Within a couple of years, the attacks on his body progressed into abusing his mind with an abundance of drugs and alcohol. On this self-destructive path, he was also doing damage to nearly every young woman he encountered in an attempt to find true love. After spending the better part of his first two decades of life drowning in depression and desperately desiring to connect with his drug-addicted, imprisoned, and mostly absent dad, Derrick found himself being pulled into the same world of drug dealing and criminal activity that had ensnared his father. Before he knew it, he was hooked on crystal meth, cocaine, and Xanax-and indebted to a local drug kingpin. As he attempted to navigate the drug business and a maze of lustful relationships, he began to realize that he was not finding happiness in his drug-fueled, chaotic mess of a life. Soon enough, he would find himself arrested and continuing the 'family tradition' of spending time behind bars. It was in this space of losing his freedom that he began his journey towards healing his trauma, understanding his mental health struggles, and uncovering his spiritual path. This is Derrick’s story of learning to love himself, forgive his father, and discover his purpose. Follow the ups and downs of his journey as he struggles to become a man of his word.