About the author

About the Author

I’d like to begin by sharing a bit about myself and my journey. In the context of recovery, I have always found it refreshing to work with mentors, therapists, or simply engage with a community that understands what it’s like to have lived through alcohol or substance abuse. It’s a unique experience, and if you haven’t lived through it, well, you just don’t know. I’m writing this ebook from a place of experience, with nearly 40 years of trial and error. Think of me as a peer, someone who has been there—someone intimately familiar with substance use disorder, depression, anxiety, ADHD, dyslexia, mild childhood trauma, and more recently, a range of other difficulties like long COVID and a nine-month toxic mold exposure.

However, although I have experienced all these difficulties, they do not define me. Rarely would I focus on these facts, instead I try to emphasize how these experiences have shaped me positively. I spend more time highlighting my strengths and skill set as opposed to things that may be a hindrance. But, for the sake of breaking down barriers and ensuring we are on an even playing field, I share these details to help us connect more easily.

This program is designed to support anyone seeking significant health and wellness changes, not just those recovering from substance or alcohol use. Whether you’re healing from an abusive or toxic relationship, overcoming a challenging work or school environment, or recovering from long COVID, psych medication withdrawal, or other mental or physical health challenges, the Middle Path Recovery Programs practices and principles offer tools for growth and resilience for anyone in recovery mode.

The Middle Path Recovery Project (MPRP) is a person-centered, spiritual, and holistic approach to health, wellness, and recovery. MPRP is based on the specific ideas and tools that allowed me to free myself from the suffering caused by many years of substance abuse. In this book, I will share the various tools, practices, and philosophies that brought a tremendous amount of joy and contentment to my life.

For a total of about 30 years, I suffered from the effects of substance abuse, harmful habitual tendencies, self-deprecating thoughts, a broken home, minor childhood emotional trauma, lack of confidence, lack of direction, and an overwhelming sense of feeling unwanted or less than. 

I was stuck, aimlessly disconnected from my true nature or any sense of purpose in life. Thankfully, I began to wake up and free myself from drugs and that unconscious lifestyle. Over the past 13 years, I’ve been on a quest to find answers to the causes and conditions of all that pain and suffering. I was determined to discover what caused so much pain that I needed to medicate with drugs and alcohol, leading to a shameful, self-destructive life.

My search led me to various teachers, books, seminars, and workshops. I sought therapy to help work through long standing emotional issues, and engaged in coaching programs to rebuild my communication, emotional intelligence, and coping skills. Modern neuroscience helped me understand how my unconscious habitual patterns contributed to being stuck in vicious cycles and how to create new habits. All this work provided much-needed relief from suffering and allowed me to begin to experience more joy, connection, and happiness, with significant improvements in all areas of my life.

I am definitely on a spiritual journey and have always felt drawn to the philosophy of Buddhism. I’m not an organized religion kind of person; in fact, that has been a real turn-off for me. But Buddhism is different. It’s an amazingly logical way of organizing various aspects of life to bring about more joy and happiness and less pain and suffering. There is no worshiping to do, nothing to feel guilty or ashamed about. Not to mention, it's actually a methodology that can sync up, or align with many other spiritual paths. It’s just a logical approach to life’s inevitable suffering. My journey of recovery and spiritual discovery were intertwined, and after immersing myself in as many classes and retreats as possible, living and working at different Buddhist centers, I began to see things differently. My attitude and outlook on life changed for the better. I experienced longer and longer periods of true happiness and excitement for life. I was inspired by this new way of thinking and was introduced to various teachers and teachings that finally helped me locate the causes and conditions of my suffering. 

My search for relief also took me to Nepal for a year, where I studied Buddhist philosophy, history, traditions, and culture. Throughout my training, I have undertaken numerous 7 to 14 day solitary retreats. During these retreats, I examined my mind and thoughts, coming to terms with the habitual patterns that had caused so much suffering in my life. By applying the practices and principles I learned, I was able to bring about more joy, contentment, and happiness.

I have had significant breakthroughs regarding the causes and conditions of my suffering, and thankfully, I realized that my suffering is not all that unique. Many people face similar issues and could benefit from what I have discovered. Therefore, it’s my intention to translate and share this knowledge with as many people as possible. By sharing this Middle Way with fellow beings on the path, I hope you will also experience relief from suffering, build confidence and resilience in your health and wellness journey, and learn how to create more joy, happiness, and contentment in your own life. This joy and happiness is contagious, positively affecting all the people in your life. As humans on this planet, we all seek contentment, less pain and suffering, and more joy and happiness. This is exactly what I aim to help you achieve.

To read more...Book release date: April or May 2025