Recovered and Free’s story began 38 years ago when a young boy from Canada picked up an inhalant called “Rush”. Having grown up as the family bartender, booze was as normal as breathing. Unfortunately for him there was a lack of understanding of alcoholism/addiction and heaping portions of “let’s not talk about that.” A musical protégé during his teenage years aided by a voracious appetite to “party” lead to years of report cards stating, “isn’t performing to his potential.” By 19 years of age this shooting star began to fizzle out. Over the next 18 years he bounced in and out treatment centers (for profit, non-profit, and state funded), sober living houses, 12-step fellowships, hospitals, detoxes, psychiatric wards, relationships, support groups, counselors, churches, and therapists. His attempts to change his profession or places to live led him through 47 US cities across the nation in 18 years; throughout which, there were many hopeful successes followed by terrifying losses. During his darkest times death seemed an easier alternative to a life of drugs, alcohol, misery, and depression. During one of those horrors, the destruction of his family and loss of his first-born daughter he sought help, yet again, with the “only show in town”, a 12-step fellowship. A glowing young man met him at his house with no electricity, no running water, no wife, no child, no life within and gave him something he had little to no experience with…. This hope, followed by a spiritual program of action launched him into a world previously unknown, even undreamed of, to him. A life of love, forgiveness, self-sacrifice, and service, fueled by a passion to help others as he had been helped. There have been many ups and downs and not all has been smooth sailing. But his life is much better than he could have ever chosen for himself. He is now a single father to another little girl and getting to slowly rebuild the relationship with his first daughter. We want to help as many people as possible, that truly want help. Not simply to avoid consequences, but a sincere desire for a better life. Addiction and alcoholism have cost us all too much. Recovery shouldn’t have to.
