My Story...
Did you ever wonder as a teenager what you would do with your life? I did.
As a teenager, I experimented with alcohol and drugs. As a child, I had witnessed my mother drink alcohol, but I also had the opportunity to watch her recover and never drink again. Her transformation inspired me and helped me believe that change was possible and that I could become whatever I wanted to be.
That inspiration led me to pursue a career in nursing. Today, 41 years later, I am grateful that I chose this path. I am a baccalaureate-prepared Registered Nurse specializing in the treatment of alcohol and drug addiction. My career has included working at the Johns Hopkins Hospital Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Center in East Baltimore.
My desire to see people's lives changed, combined with my passion for addiction treatment, led me to establish McCray Lectures, LLC in 2011. Through McCray Lectures, I provide community education on alcohol, fentanyl, cocaine, nicotine, marijuana affects on mental health, and other issues related to substance use and addiction.
Making a difference in people's lives is one of the most exciting and fulfilling aspects of my life.
I am also the author of five books. My recent book, When You Pray, Something Happens, focuses on the importance of making prayer an essential part of our lives. In All Those Bottles: Alcohol, I'm Telling on You, I share some of my personal experiences with alcohol, including blacking out from drinking during my early teenage years, while educating readers about the effects and dangers of alcohol.
Mixing explores healthy relationships and the pleasures, responsibilities, and consequences associated with sexual relationships. Valuable: You're Too Good to Be Addicted offers encouragement and information for people struggling with alcohol and drug addiction, as well as support and understanding for their families and friends. Methadone: You Should Know Me by Now provides straightforward information about methadone and its role in helping people with opioid use disorder.
My commitment to education also extends to social media. Twice a month, I host Alcohol, Drugs N Us on Facebook, where I discuss substance use, addiction, treatment, and related issues. I also provide educational content through YouTube and podcasting.
None of these inspirational, educational, and community-focused activities would be possible without the love and support of my family. Family is first. I gratefully acknowledge my wife, Shawanda, and our son, Goshen, with whom I enjoy life in Baltimore, Maryland.