REDUCING THE BARRIERS TO RECOVERY
What is the committee in your mind? It’s the set of voices that chatter on a near-constant basis and have something to say and a judgment about every situation you find yourself in. It’s the set of mental patterns you’ve developed over time that leads you to over-function, be self-critical, and ignore your own needs. It’s the …
National Recovery Month just kicked off, and I reflect on that a lot. I’m cresting about 7-½ years in continuous sustained sobriety for those who like to keep track of time, and I honestly have trouble properly framing my gratitude for my life today. I feel a bit like a jackass when I say how …
Mother Mary Mother Mary Well, not that Mother Mary, another Mary who is also a mom. Mary lost her son James in 2016 to heroin; she is missing a piece of her. She has been doing whatever she can to help the next James or Jane to get access to long-term residential recovery programs. This …
In March 2018, we received a call from a man in jail in Suffolk County, NY, for a DUI. He was desperate and willing to leave his mom and brothers to do a long-term residential program. We funded his access, he is #399. #399 (of 637 people) followed suggestions, completed a program, and developed a …
I got involved with the Jake K Foundation several years ago when I had the opportunity to attend one of their dinners. I was so inspired by the courage portrayed by the people who had recovered and the success of the Foundation itself, that I knew I wanted to get involved. I am a retired …
“There is something beautiful about all scars of whatever nature. A scar means the hurt is over; the wound is closed and healed, done with.” – Harry Crews Jake was THAT guy in high school everyone came to talk to when they had a problem. Of course, the usual subjects were family issues, frienemy problems, …
What does an instant mean to you? Is it priceless? Does it have the power to stop you in your tracks? Alter life, even just for a moment? Hold you still when the earth keeps spinning? Life keeps moving, but I get stuck in the moments. Moments that mean so much. Life is always on my …
Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still Read More »
My story begins like a lot of us. I always felt different. I could fit in anywhere but never felt like I fit in. Outwardly, people told me how much potential I had, but inwardly I longed for something to fill the emptiness… the loneliness… something to fill the hole. Then came the first time. …
“If a man knows not which port he sails, no wind is favorable.” – Seneca I see this wise quote in action in the ambivalence that often plagues those affected by their own substance use disorder or the active addiction of a loved one. “Should I give them $20?”“Should I bond them out of jail?” …
The JKF rarely shows faces of people who we have helped, and I do not believe we have ever shown “before & after” photos.Why?We never want to label anyone.What anyone calls themselves is their business. Many agencies use such photos to elicit donations or followers. But, unfortunately, the long-term effect can be a label of …
