You’re running on empty. Not motivation. Not inspiration. Just a remnant of willingness that might be gone by morning.
You’ve made promises before. You’ve tried to start over before. And underneath it all sits the question you may be afraid to say out loud: Is change even possible for someone like me?
Run Into the Arms: Finding Purpose in the Pain is Benjamin Dobbs’ answer.
Through an honest account of addiction, homelessness, faith, and recovery, Benjamin reminds readers that they don’t have to have everything figured out to take the first step. Sometimes, a small amount of willingness is enough to begin moving toward a different future.
The Story
In 2010, Benjamin Dobbs sat in an alley near the beach in Lake Worth, Florida. He had been running since he was 13. He had encountered Jesus in 2007, but eventually walked away from his faith.
What followed was a turning point he never could have anticipated: 34 days of calling a recovery program that repeatedly told him there were no available beds. A prayer room on his first night. An ultimatum handed to God. A purse full of pain pills on a kitchen counter just hours before intake. And the long, unglamorous work of surrender that followed.
Benjamin doesn’t tidy up the difficult parts of his story or pretend recovery was easy. He shares the reality of what it took to begin again, while showing readers that even the darkest chapters don’t have to determine how the story ends.
He doesn’t leave you in the alley, either.
What You’ll Learn
Through his personal experiences and the lessons he gained along the way, Benjamin explores:
How to act on willingness alone when motivation and hope feel out of reach.
How to find a glimpse of light within your darkest memories and build on it.
Why victim, entitlement, and street mentalities can outlast substance use, and how to begin moving beyond them.
The difference between half measures and full commitment.
Why resisting the process can stand in the way of meaningful growth.
How to forgive people who could not give you what you needed.
How to become an absorber: someone willing to carry pain so others don’t have to.
Who This Book Is For
Run Into the Arms is for anyone who has struggled with the past, questioned their future, or wondered whether meaningful change is still possible.
It may especially resonate with:
Anyone who feels beyond saving
Those who have lost hope or believe their past has defined their future.
Families and friends
People who love someone struggling with addiction or other challenges and want a deeper understanding of the journey.
People in recovery
Those looking for a deeper sense of purpose beyond getting sober.
Pastors, counselors, and treatment professionals
People who walk alongside others through difficult seasons and want to better understand the power of willingness, faith, and compassion.
About the Author
Benjamin Dobbs is an author, speaker, minister, and behavioral healthcare leader whose life was transformed through recovery and faith. After 19 years of addiction and a year of homelessness, he entered the Faith Farm program on November 12, 2010. Completing the program was the first thing he had ever finished.
He went on to earn his GED, associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees, serve as a minister and pastor, and hold 14 different roles in behavioral healthcare. Today, he is the founder of TRUE Consulting Services and T.R.U.E. Addiction & Behavioral Health in Tennessee.
Through his writing, speaking, ministry, and professional work, Benjamin shares a message rooted in one central belief: no one should be defined by their past, and a different future is possible.
Endorsements and early reader testimonials will appear here
Help Is Available
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, mental health challenges, or thoughts of suicide, support is available. You don’t have to face it alone.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988 for free, confidential support.
SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357 for free, confidential information and referrals for mental health and substance use treatment.
Taking the first step toward help can feel difficult, but you don’t have to take it alone.
