New Article About The Evolution Of Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery
"Change is the watchword of long-term recovery from AUD/SUD. Whatever stage of change in your recovery that you’re in, I hope you find the willingness to continue to change in…
The Hero’s Journey and Addiction Recovery
Awakening Recovery's Executive Director and Co-Founder David Van Der Velde recently published a thought-provoking essay on how recovery from a substance use disorder is like a "Hero's Journey" paradigm. Those…
Photo Credit: Hunter French / for NBC News
Adverse Childhood Experiences as it Relates to Addiction Recovery
About half of those that experience a substance or alcohol use disorder (SUD and AUD respectively) also known as drug addiction and alcoholism, experience a co-occurring mental health disorder. Additionally, up to…
The Stigma of Faith in Addiction Recovery
Growing up I was a seeker and had a sense of a Higher Power that today I choose to call God. As I experienced my childhood and adolescent years, however,…
Photo Credit: Addiction Freedom Now
The Role of Friends And Family in Early Recovery
The American Medical Association defines alcoholism as a disease and the National Institute of Health (NIH) defines Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) as a complex disease, yet there is still much…
Photo Credit: csp_focalpoint
Pharmaceuticals Alone Are Not The Answer To Achieve Long-Term Recovery From Opioid Addiction
By David van der Velde
Photo Credit: © 2020 Sally Deng for Human Rights Watch
Why We Should Prioritize Alternatives to Incarceration for People Struggling With Addiction & Mental Health Issues
By David van der Velde
David got clean and sober in 1988 at the age of 19, close to death from his own struggles with drug addiction and alcoholism. Now 32+ years clean and sober, he has been consistently active in his recovery community by mentoring others, serves on recovery and youth related non-profit Boards such as LifeWorks and the West Hollywood Recovery Center, and serves on panels at institutions speaking from his own experience about recovery.
Joelene Knight, is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Grace Recovery, a sub-acute and residential treatment program located in Hollywood, California, as well as a Board Member at Awakening Recovery, a unique life-saving nonprofit that specializes in recovery homes with a long-term, 12-Step addiction solution that creates a lasting change in core beliefs and behaviors.