My book The Picture That Saved My Life is officially in the Classroom section. It isn’t just a story… it’s a journey through trauma, fatherhood, PTSD, love, loss, and the fight to stay standing when life tries to take your knees out. If I’m still here after everything, you can survive as well. I didn’t write this for sympathy. I wrote it so someone sitting in the dark might finally feel seen. So someone who thinks they’re alone might realize they aren’t. I would love your feedback what hits, what helps, what sparks something inside you. Take a read when you can. Sit with it. And if it resonates and let me know. Because this isn’t just my story anymore… It’s ours. And by sharing it, we give others permission to share theirs too. Let’s keep doing what we do best here — supporting, healing, and lifting each other up. Drop a comment if you’re going to give it a read 👇 Your words matter more than you know.

I got past that stuck point sooner than many & was able to move past it quicker because of my addictions history. Don't get me wrong, there are lingering after effects, there always will be. I sat in AA meeting after AA meeting hearing the same people living in their past and never seeming to move forward. I vowed that I didn't want to get caught in that rut & made a concerted effort to move along. I'm sober more than 30 years now. Fast forward about 22 years and I found myself in the same place but as a broken medic. I saw too many colleagues crash, burn or die and vowed that I wouldn't become another statistic the system left behind. Thankfully I had a great partner who helped point me in the right direction without judgement. First I got help. Professional help. That was the biggest hurdle, let's end the stigma. Then it was a life-style change. I found myself new interests, hobbies & friends who had neither an affiliation with emergency services nor a curiosity/fascination with it. Essentially I found an identity and a greater purpose that wasn't tied to the uniform. It was hard because for so many years I WAS the uniform. Even with the changes I still retired 3 years early on a reduced pension, but it was about survival. The nightmares stopped 2 years later but the ghosts from 35 years will linger for the rest of my life, I understand that and have accepted it. There are still some anxiety, hypervigilance, trust issues and cynicism but I'm conscious of it daily and work against it's influence. Like Richard said, "My story isn’t perfect. It’s messy, painful, and at times, nearly ended. But it’s real — and it’s proof that you can survive." I guess the bottom line for me was learning "serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference ".