Growing up, Thomas' troubles started early on, getting in many fights with other kids, sometimes seriously injuring them. He would steal from his dad to buy baseball cards, and at the age of 7, he was already hiding his stealing from his friends and family. His dad was always taking him to Mets & Jets games, buying him stuff, and living lavishly in the eyes of a kid. But behind closed doors, there was more going on. He learned that his dad's business was a front for illegal activity, and his parents would fight often. One time they stopped talking for 6 months, and as an only child, Thomas remembers this being very traumatic. When his parents eventually divorced, this was the catalyst for his drug and alcohol abuse to come.
It started with stealing cigarettes from his cousin and drinking to mask his insecurities and so he could talk with girls & other friends. He quit his hockey team because he just wanted to drink & hang out. In college, he was a smart student, but didn't go to class, and used his parent’s divorce as a reason for not going. He was given a deal to get a 3.4 GPA and eventually graduated with the Dean's Scholarship helping him along the way. After college, he got a job as a bartender at an Irish Pub in his New York neighborhood. He eventually got an additional job offer to be a 'bookie', gambling and keeping track of bets.
One night, he decides to try ecstasy and ends up doing it 7 times that same night. After that, he started using cocaine as well. This quickly spiraled out of control by taking up to an 8 ball of coke every night, leading to various issues including DT shakes. His aunt told him his skin was gray and he realized he had to see a doctor. After a quick stint with prescription drugs, he was admitted to a psych ward. He started going to the AA meetings in his hospital. It helped at first but didn't really connect with him fully at the time. Soon after, he was back on the streets using drugs again, but this time he almost committed suicide. He was smoking crack, collecting cans, and sniffing heroin every day. He finally reached out for help and was able to seriously and earnestly commit to rehab. He would do well for a while, but got addicted to Vicodin for another 8 years, and went into rehab again for the 3rd time.
Thomas was always a fan of memoirs, mafia stories & real-life depictions of actual events put into writing. When Thomas got out of his most recent treatment, his mentor told him to put it all down... describing how his life was now & how it used to be manageable before alcohol and drugs came into the picture. It sparked something in him & inspired him to speak at meetings and get more involved in the recovery process by sharing his story. At the time, He was working on a garbage truck in New York and shared one of his stories with a co-worker, who inspired him to become an author. 3 years later, his first book "That's What Junkies Do" was officially published. To more on his book and to follow Thomas on social media go to https://linktr.ee/TommyFigs This is Thomas Figlioli in his own words, on Knockin' Doorz Down.
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