I started my journey to sobriety in the first week of July. It was the beginning of summer. I had not had a sober summer in 14+ years. I always thought I had it in me to control my addiction. As addicts, we think we have gotten it all figured out. I would make plans...
So much of my life I lived with self-doubt, constantly searching outward for my value. I’d figuratively hand myself over to people in my life hoping they’d give me my worthiness. It makes me sad for that girl. Being in an unhealthy marriage and then the introduction...
When someone mentions the word Van, where does your mind go? As a child of the 70’s and self-proclaimed cartoon connoisseur, I would have to say, the iconic Scooby Doo van, AKA, the Mystery Machine. This vintage piece of 70's nostalgia was driven by the dreamy,...
It is hard for me to articulate in words just how grateful I am to be sober. It is not because sobriety made it possible for me to find a meaningful profession. Or that getting sober saved my marriage. Or even that being sober got me into the best shape of my life....
The Power of Perception I've been living with depression and anxiety for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I recall having terrible nightmares. I used to have this one recurring dream about a little girl in a sundress walking through a field of sunflowers. It was a...
Depression For $200 Announcer: "THIS IS JEOPARDY!" Announcer: "Today's contestant is a middle-aged male that works in the human services industry. He is happily married with two daughters and lives with the co-occurring conditions, substance use disorder and...
There’s something surreal about watching your youngest kid go off to college. My heart is full of conflicting emotions. The pride I feel is overwhelming, but there’s also this undercurrent of something deeper, something more complicated to describe. It’s not sadness,...
The other day, I was browsing my LinkedIn feed and came across an illustration that caught my eye. There were three glass jars, all the same size. Each jar had a black ball inside. The first jar's ball was big enough to occupy the whole jar. The second jar's ball was...
Getting sober can be tough. It took me 25 years to finally realize how much my drinking was affecting not only me but, most importantly, my family. With the help and support of my wife and a 12-step program, I was able to get the help I needed to begin my recovery...
I started my journey to sobriety in the first week of July. It was the beginning of summer. I had not had a sober summer in 14+ years. I always thought I had it in me to control my addiction. As addicts, we think we have gotten it all figured out. I would make plans...
So much of my life I lived with self-doubt, constantly searching outward for my value. I’d figuratively hand myself over to people in my life hoping they’d give me my worthiness. It makes me sad for that girl. Being in an unhealthy marriage and then the introduction...
