David Van Der Velde was featured in Thrive Global talking about the increasingly common occurrence of a mental health (MH) issue co-occurring with a substance use disorder (SUD). Co-occurring disorders…
David Van Der Velde was featured in Thrive Global talking about the growing popularity of "Dry January." The Executive Director and Co-Founder at Awakening Recovery discusses the trend and says:…
Awakening Recovery Co-Founder and Executive Director has seen many holiday seasons come and go and knows how they can challenge someone in recovery. "Substance use disorder recovery is not only…
During National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month in October, The White House made a proclamation, that in part stated, “We know that delaying substance use until after adolescence, when the…
"Regardless of the path you or your loved one take to find a long-term recovery solution from substance use disorder, compassion and forgiveness as the watchwords will help all involved…
"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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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.