PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. - “We cannot help you if you do not know who we are, or where we are located,” Amy Gopel said with conviction as she spoke to hundreds of Picatinny employees gathered in the installation’s Lindner Conference Center or watching virtually.
Gopel’s words were intended to convey that admitting to the need for help with substance abuse is only the first step. Persons also need specific information on what resources are available and how to access them.
As Picatinny Arsenal’s Army Substance Abuse Program Manager, and Employee Assistance Program Coordinator, Gopel has been coordinating speaking engagements from high-profile personalities and celebrities to the installation’s workforce. In her role, Gopel oversees a division focused on suicide prevention, employee assistance, readiness and resiliency, drug testing, leadership development, inclusion, and workplace cohesion.
To help spread her message, Gopel and teammate, Kristna Williams, Drug Testing Coordinator for Picatinny’s Army Substance Abuse Program, sought out a person who is well-known and could emphasize the importance of seeking assistance for overcoming substance abuse.
Jersey Shore was a popular reality show that followed the lives of eight housemates at a vacation home in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, on the Jersey Shore in seasons one, three, five, and six. The season two location was South Beach, Florida, and Florence, Italy, in season four. The season three premiere of Jersey Shore had 8.45 million viewers, making it MTV's highest-rated telecast at the time.
Mike Sorrentino, who starred on the series, describes himself as being on top of the world only to later watch his life come crumbling down before his eyes.
His presentation to Picatinny was in part of the installation’s observance of International Overdose Awareness Day, held annually on Aug. 31. Established in 2001, the day aims to reduce addiction and drug-related deaths by encouraging individuals and families to share their stories publicly.
With the show’s success came millions of dollars in revenue, endorsem*nts, and sponsorships.Sorrentino was easily recognized almost everywhere he went. But because of his newfound stardom and commitment to find new ways to push the envelope and keep fans entertained, he began to live a troubled life.
His alcohol use turned to pill use and addiction.
Speaking to the Picatinny workforce on August 29, the man known to millions as “The Situation” described a pivotal moment that would change his life forever.
After driving to Newark with a friend to score drugs, Sorrentino returned home where he got into an argument with his then girlfriend.While alone in his room he found himself about to try heroin for the first time in his life.
“If I don’t do it, I’m going to get sick,” Sorrentino said as he was going through withdrawal after an extended time without drugs in his system.
“Every hour that goes by is a ticking time bomb.I told myself, ‘If you do a little bit you will be ok.You have a high tolerance.’”
After trying the drug for the first time, Sorrentino experienced inner conflict, a push and pull situation between impulse and logic.
“As I was about to take another bump of heroin, I had a come-to-God moment.My phone rings.You can’t make this up.My phone said ‘mom’.I had the devil on one shoulder and an angel (my mother) on the other.You can’t reconcile the difference there.It was so ironic.”
Sorrentino said that his mother’s voice expressed deep concern, saying “I’m worried about you.”
“What was happening was God was saving my life.I immediately flushed the heroin, opened the door with a tear in my eye knowing I could have died in that moment.”
Now nine years sober, Sorrentino has a new lease on life.He is married to the woman who stood by his side through his addiction and the couple have three young children together.
Sorrentino is now a best-selling author. He shared many of his past struggles in his autobiography, "Reality Check: Making the Best of The Situation — How I Overcame Addiction, Loss, and Prison," which was released last fall.
After the presentation, and in coordination with Picatinny Arsenal’s Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Directorate, Sorrentino headed over to the pavilion at the Club at Picatinny for book signings and photographs with Picatinny employees.
Before the event, Picatinny employees were asked to submit the names of loved ones who succumbed to addiction and or overdose.Gopel read the list aloud at the pavilion and each employee was given a butterfly to release in their memory. As a symbol of transfiguration and hope, the graceful and elegantly winged butterfly is a living metaphor of renewal and resurrection by which the soul is said by some to transcend the physical world.
At the gathering, Officer Chelsea Whiting, of the Morris County Sheriff’s Department, and Casey Miller, of Hope One, a mobile recovery access vehicle offers critical support for persons struggling with addiction, provided training on Naloxone (also known by the brand name Narcan), which is an opioid overdose reversal medication, available either as a nasal spray or an injector.
An opioid overdose occurs when opioids have fully blocked the brain’s opioid receptors, causing a person’s breathing to slow down and ultimately stop. Naloxone works by knocking the opioids out of the receptors in the brain where they are having their effect and prevent their return. When enough naloxone is administered, breathing can return to normal, saving an individual from the brink of death.
Earlier this year Gopel became the first female employee at Picatinny Arsenal to be presented with the Stalwart Award, which was approved by the Secretary of the Army in 2003 to recognize U.S. Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM) individuals who have demonstrated the highest standards of performance, and significantly contributed to the command's success and responsibilities.
Picatinny's Army Substance Abuse Program officially opened the doors to a Picatinny Arsenal CARES (Community Awareness Resiliency Education Support) Team (PACT) Wellness Center during a resiliency fair held in coordination with Red Ribbon Week in October 2022.
PACT was created to assist in achieving personal well-being by providing a location for multi-use support services. PACT is focused on community, awareness, resiliency, education support and prevention to increase positive patterns that support healthy lifestyle choices.
Employees who believe they may have an addiction problem should contact Amy Gopel, the installation’s Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program Manager and Employee Assistance Program Coordinator, at 973-724-4357 or for a referral. All screenings are confidential.
