About Me

I still have hope.

I was ‘raised’ by parents that, to this day, are emotionally immature and suffer from addiction. I placed raised in quotations because anyone who has a similar experience knows that your parents didn’t raise you: you did. It has been a lasting theme my entire adult life as I have navigated the spaces that exist for those that suffer from the affects of addiction.

Catholicism was the theme of my childhood as well. Religion is probably what kept me out of trouble as a teenager and through my early 20’s. Later in life, as I began to form more of my own thoughts and parroted less of the ones I was taught, I became less rigid in how I viewed the world around me. Having been through Al-Anon in order to unload decades of guilt, self doubt, and anger I learned that it’s really up to each of us to learn how to love ourselves, as well as each other.

The bulk of my inner work was with the aid of sponsors and groups. I had all of their support 24 hours a day. It was there I learned the value of honest feedback about my actions and choices through sponsorship: that someone would take the time to give me the information I needed to hear whether I liked it or not. There were no religious strings attached or strict principals that I needed to adhere to - when I had an issue there was someone I could bring it to that would not only be honest but also listen to me without judgement. That was something that didn’t exist in my household or in religion as a kid.

In that time I have also served 20 years in the Army. I am a nurse, an Ironman triathlete, and an ultra-marathoner.

It is here that I want to create that same environment: honest feedback from those who have done the hard work and care enough to share it. Individuals who can tell us the things we need to hear when everything else says otherwise. I want a room full of disagreeable givers, the opposite of everything we know as family members of addicts.

I value individuality and personal beliefs; the more varied the experiences of those in the room the greater the strength and hope that can be provided. I want to provide a neutral environment where your personal beliefs are yours; you are not forced to exercise them or discuss them. The value we bring to the group in individuality is one of acceptance. We hold space for those with different personal beliefs, values, and principals than us. This is a safe space for those who come here with heavy hearts.

I still have hope.

I have hope that this space can be used to help just one person. I have hope that one person’s enduring resolve to overcome a challenge can be the catalyst of change. I have hope that this can be a place where the start of a new life begins, someone can learn to love themself again, people are willing to sit with others in the dark, and that honesty is the word of the day.

I have hope,

Mike