Addiction Recovery Memoir and Sober Skateboarding

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Talk Recovery airs live every Thursday from noon to 1 PM PST on Facebook Live and 100.5 FM Vancouver CFRO.  You can join us live here https://www.facebook.com/TalkRecoveryVancouver

In this episode of Talk Recovery Radio

Guest 1: James Brown, Author of “Apology to the Young Addict: A Memoir”

Opening with the tragic tale of an elderly couple consumed by opioid addiction and moving through the horrors of a Las Vegas massacre to the loss of a beloved sponsor, these essays draw on Brown’s personal journey to illustrate how an individual life, in all its messiness and charm, can offer a blueprint for healing. From writing about finding a new path in life while raising three sons, to making peace with the family whose ghosts have haunted him, and helping the next generation of addicts overcome their disease, this haunting and hopeful book is a reinvention of the recovery story and a lasting testimony from the master of the modern memoir.

James Brown says he has been using drugs and alcohol since he was nine years old. Writing was always a passion for James since he was in his twenties, so he continued to write throughout his addiction. James uses the term, functioning addict when he speaks about when he was using drugs and alcohol.  He explains when he turned about 35 years old the drugs, alcohol and addiction took over and when that happened, he stopped writing for 9 years. When James stopped using and got some sober time behind him he was able to pick up where he left off and began to write again. James says that he hoped after he wrote the book, when people read it, they can relate with his story and get something out of it where it can help them with their recovery journey.

Guest 2: Curt Eichelberger, Founder of Skate Straight Dallas Texas 

Curt is the founder of Skate Straight, Curt is in recovery himself after 33 years of addiction and alcoholism he found recovery through a faith-based treatment center. Curt says he did not grow up religious and found a really hard time relating to the content of the addiction treatment program. Curt found when he went to recovery based meetings he felt as he was having a really hard time fitting in and he felt there was a way that there could be something different for people like him to like. Curt grew up skateboarding and in the punk rock scene and he felt like there had to be something related to people in recovery and skateboarding and in the punk rock scene.

Curt and his friend who is a pro skateboarder started thinking of ideas where they could merge skateboarding and recovery together after losing a friend to alcoholism right after Curt got out of rehab and Skate Straight was born from there. Skate straight is based in Smart recovery, it is a support group that is open to anyone whatever pathway to recovery you are in. It is a support group to support each other, and inspire each other to change and be better.  It is a completely sober skate park where no drugs or alcohol is allowed in as it is private, there is an hour long recovery meeting then after that everyone skateboards and spends time with each other.

Skate Straight has a store full of recovery merchandise, all the proceeds from the store goes back into the recovery group to help people recover from addiction. Click here to visit their store.

Skate Straight Social Media:   Facebook    Instagram

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Talk Recovery airs live every Thursday at noon on 100.5 FM, Vancouver Coop Radio. The Last Door produces this weekly radio show discussing the many pathways to addiction recovery. To end stigma we must continue to talk about recovery. Talk Recovery is in its 7th Season, Hundreds of guests, thousands of listeners, thank you. Show ideas? Email community@lastdoor.org

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