Blog

Los Angeles skyline during sunset with city buildings and sun in the background.
September 30, 2026

What Families Need While a Young Adult Builds Recovery

For families supporting young adults ages 18 and older. I think we sometimes expect a family to be ready for […]
September 24, 2026

Finding Your People in Recovery

In my 38+ years in recovery I have remained active in my recovery community, including helping other people who are […]
September 18, 2026

The Pressure to Get Your Life Back

My perspective is that someone with the type of substance use disorder that I had when I got sober should […]
August 29, 2026

How Addiction Care Learned to Think in Episodes

In the 12-Step community we talk about "what it was like, what happened and what it is like now." What […]
August 15, 2026

Recovery Requires Accountability on Both Sides of the Door

In 2021, Authority Magazine asked how I define leadership. Five years later, those principles still guide me, but my understanding […]
August 11, 2026

What Should Count as Success in Addiction Care?

I entered recovery as a transitional age youth, with my relationship with my family pretty much nonexistent after the progression […]
July 29, 2026

Young Adults in Los Angeles Need More Than a Short Recovery Window

I got sober in 1988 at the age of 19, close to death. Legally I was an adult. In almost […]
July 27, 2026

Los Angeles' 2026 Unhoused Count Reveals a System in Transition

In a recent article, David van der Velde explores what Los Angeles County's 2026 Unhoused Count really reveals beyond the […]
July 18, 2026

David van der Velde: Recovery-Supportive Housing Should Be a Real Choice

In a recent article, David van der Velde explores San Francisco's new ordinance prioritizing drug-free rules in city-funded permanent supportive […]
Two men walking together in Los Angeles at sunset.
June 30, 2026

Awakening Founder: Fewer Overdose Deaths Is Great. Now We Need a Holistic Recovery Strategy.

In a recent article he posted to LinkedIn, David van der Velde explores why Los Angeles County's encouraging decline in […]
Two men having a supportive conversation in a recovery center setting.
June 30, 2026

David Van der Velde: The Court Can Open the Door. Recovery Still Requires Readiness.

In a recent article he posted on LinkedIn, Awakening Co-Founder and Executive Director David van der Velde explores why court-mandated […]
Two men walk together on a city sidewalk at sunset in Los Angeles.
June 20, 2026

Awakening Recovery Founder: We Need to Change Our Response to Fentanyl and Meth

David van der Velde reflects on Sam Quinones' recent piece about Los Angeles, using it to argue that the city's […]
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