MERCY LEAGUE

Franco-American, Musician, Peer Support Specialist, Recovery Coach, SMART Recovery Facilitator, and Harm Reduction Specialist.

I grew up with two parents who were therapists, so from the get-go, I was in for a rough ride! My dad was also a practicing M.D. I experienced sexual trauma at 4 years old. In my early teens, I learned some martial arts. I inhaled cigarette smoke when I was 11 and had my first alcohol blackout when I was 13. In my teens, I also learned how to play the guitar. My parents never really said much about my drinking, and I never realized how much of an alcohol use disorder I had until much later in life.

I was a musician for hire in Paris for 14 years. In the' 80s/early '90s, I explored all the aspects of alcohol, heroin, and cocaine, separate or together. The latter got me in the psych ward in a padded room with my bed bolted to the floor. There was no furniture; I had one gown and one sheet. After 7 days and 7 nights of heavy use with my girlfriend, I ended up hanging out from my bathroom window on the 6th floor, nude, in November. "They" were after me. Drug-induced psychosis is real, and I can guarantee the hallucinations are also. I then left town for the countryside of France, where I am originally from. I did lots of martial arts there for 5 years. I took many prescription pills I would write for myself using forged prescriptions. I learned how to do that at a young age by watching my dad and signing fake excuse notes for when I was jumping high school.

I moved to the States in 1997 with the same girlfriend, who had become my spouse, along with my 16-year-old daughter. More alcohol and drugs, divorce, remarrying, and Martial arts of different styles, and then ended up in the Peacock Academy of Jeet Kun Do. The Sifu was a sergeant in the Jacksonville Police Department working as an instructor at the police academy.

Many of the people coming to the dojo were cops and bounty hunters. It did not matter who we were when we trained together: cop, Joe Blow, MMA guys. There was camaraderie and lots of mutual respect. I mentioned this because I firmly believe that we have to work along with law enforcement people. After all, they are people, and we all face such hardship. We have to come to understand that all hands on deck are necessary. I also believe in compromise.

Many stories from my using days include dangerous activities and taught me that I would do anything to get the next hit. I was married three times and involved in a parallel underground world. Addiction is powerful.

In 2005, I moved to Asheville and have been in long-term recovery since 2006. I had a liver transplant in 2013 because of Hep C-induced liver cancer. Things went south quickly after the transplant, and I became terminal within 6 months to live. I had to write my advanced directives and have my family at my bedside. I almost died, but something happened, and here I am back to life. A few years later, I survived a suicide attempt and have been managing my depression better. When I was growing up, my therapist parents would consider depression ridiculous and unnecessary for their patients and absolutely out of the question for my siblings and me. Then, 4 years ago, I had a heart attack and a quadruple bypass. It was stress-related. Last year, I cracked 4 vertebrae and had to have back surgery. Over the years, I have realized how much my mind directly impacts my health and body. Understanding the psychosomatic impacts of how I live my life does not mean I can suddenly stop it from happening to me; I have to work on it.

Through Counterflow, I am currently working with Mercy League at Haywood St, where we prioritize the peace of body, mind, and spirit through engagement in personal relationships. This is true whether we work with unhoused friends, staff, colleagues, or volunteers.

MERCY LEAGUE

Franco-American, Musician, Peer Support Specialist, Recovery Coach, SMART Recovery Facilitator, and Harm Reduction Specialist.

I grew up with two parents who were therapists, so from the get-go, I was in for a rough ride! My dad was also a practicing M.D. I experienced sexual trauma at 4 years old. In my early teens, I learned some martial arts. I inhaled cigarette smoke when I was 11 and had my first alcohol blackout when I was 13. In my teens, I also learned how to play the guitar. My parents never really said much about my drinking, and I never realized how much of an alcohol use disorder I had until much later in life.

I was a musician for hire in Paris for 14 years. In the' 80s/early '90s, I explored all the aspects of alcohol, heroin, and cocaine, separate or together. The latter got me in the psych ward in a padded room with my bed bolted to the floor. There was no furniture; I had one gown and one sheet. After 7 days and 7 nights of heavy use with my girlfriend, I ended up hanging out from my bathroom window on the 6th floor, nude, in November. "They" were after me. Drug-induced psychosis is real, and I can guarantee the hallucinations are also. I then left town for the countryside of France, where I am originally from. I did lots of martial arts there for 5 years. I took many prescription pills I would write for myself using forged prescriptions. I learned how to do that at a young age by watching my dad and signing fake excuse notes for when I was jumping high school.

I moved to the States in 1997 with the same girlfriend, who had become my spouse, along with my 16-year-old daughter. More alcohol and drugs, divorce, remarrying, and Martial arts of different styles, and then ended up in the Peacock Academy of Jeet Kun Do. The Sifu was a sergeant in the Jacksonville Police Department working as an instructor at the police academy.

Many of the people coming to the dojo were cops and bounty hunters. It did not matter who we were when we trained together: cop, Joe Blow, MMA guys. There was camaraderie and lots of mutual respect. I mentioned this because I firmly believe that we have to work along with law enforcement people. After all, they are people, and we all face such hardship. We have to come to understand that all hands on deck are necessary. I also believe in compromise.

Many stories from my using days include dangerous activities and taught me that I would do anything to get the next hit. I was married three times and involved in a parallel underground world. Addiction is powerful.

In 2005, I moved to Asheville and have been in long-term recovery since 2006. I had a liver transplant in 2013 because of Hep C-induced liver cancer. Things went south quickly after the transplant, and I became terminal within 6 months to live. I had to write my advanced directives and have my family at my bedside. I almost died, but something happened, and here I am back to life. A few years later, I survived a suicide attempt and have been managing my depression better. When I was growing up, my therapist parents would consider depression ridiculous and unnecessary for their patients and absolutely out of the question for my siblings and me. Then, 4 years ago, I had a heart attack and a quadruple bypass. It was stress-related. Last year, I cracked 4 vertebrae and had to have back surgery. Over the years, I have realized how much my mind directly impacts my health and body. Understanding the psychosomatic impacts of how I live my life does not mean I can suddenly stop it from happening to me; I have to work on it.

Through Counterflow, I am currently working with Mercy League at Haywood St, where we prioritize the peace of body, mind, and spirit through engagement in personal relationships. This is true whether we work with unhoused friends, staff, colleagues, or volunteers.