It is said that addiction is a family disease. Why is that? Because a loved one’s active addiction affects everyone in the family. Whether mentally, spiritually, or even physically the people who love the addict are devastatingly affected. During my 9 years of active alcohol addiction, I didn’t mean to hurt my loved ones, but I did. My parents, my four children (whom I adore), my brother and his wife, my sister and my former wife all experienced pain, worry, anxiety, anger, sadness, and fear and you can add a lot more to that list. They suffered from my disease, or my mental disorder if you prefer, just as much as I did.

But here is the good news! Once I recovered from my disease, my family recovered with me. Addiction is a family disease but Recovery is a family solution. My sobriety date is June 5, 2013. On that day, by the Grace of God and the Love of my family, I was able to finally press the stop button and get off the elevator that was plunging me into the depths of hell. Since then, my relationships with the people I love the most on this earth, my family, have been restored. I cannot tell you how blessed I am. I have a fire in my heart to help other people like me and their families Recover. It’s why I do what I do. I hope that this short but heartfelt blog gives someone hope and encouragement. Change is possible. Take courage and take action. My love to you all.