{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2F306f6f3a-f484-435e-9004-7006ca111e6b","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"","title":"Episode 122: Coming Out Of Drugs, Alcohol, and A Near Death Experience \u2013 Ed Devitt II","description":"No one coming out story is alike. The pain, the fears, the truth, are all individual. Each with its own heart wrenching story, and heartwarming lessons to be learned. Yet, often times, what ignites the coming out story, is often tragedy\u2026fatal tragedies. In 1999, Ed Devitt II was a young teen trying to find himself after losing his oldest sister. He dove into alcohol and drugs and soon found himself being \u201cthat guy.\u201d You know, the one that everyone would say, \u201cOh yeah, that\u2019s Ed and he\u2019s high, drunk, or both!\u201d\r\nThe spiral that transpired, led to a night that would become his nightmare, but also, his coming out story, to embrace his truth, and to live the life he was intended. From fatal car crash where he was the only survivor, to traumatic brain injury and recovering alcoholic, Ed now shines a bright light on the world sharing himself, his truth, and his coming out story with the world, in the hopes that if even one person finds themselves, then his journey on this planet would have been worth it.\r\nShow Highlights\r\n\r\n* He just wanted to go back to how his life was before the crash\u2026\r\n* For a long time Ed was doing the same things and expecting different results\r\n* It\u2019s liberating when you\u2019re open enough to discuss anything\r\n* He now surrenders daily to stay away from the next drink\r\n* So many things that Ed took for granted were put right in front of his face\r\n\r\nConnect with\u00a0Ed Devitt II\r\nEd, a lifelong resident of Orange County, New York in the Hudson Valley, has the desire to carry a message of hope to all, by speaking to schools, universities, prisons, panels and groups about his crash.\u00a0 On June 10th\u00a01999 at 18 years of age, Ed was involved in a car crash crossing the Newburgh Beacon Bridge over the Hudson River.\u00a0 He sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and was unable to speak, walk, eat or drink. Rehabilitation was completed at the Helen Hayes Hospital which did not end with his discharge. He faced a long and challenging road for many years. Currently he is living a happy life in the Hudson Valley with his wife and children.\u00a0 He carries hope to others who live with this invisible injury as well as caregiver support. Through his own life experience, Ed is able to acknowledge his past for the betterment of others.\u00a0 Hundreds in the Tri-State area have heard him speak to raise awareness about Traumatic Brain Injuries and distracted driving. Ed also is an advocate with the National Council on Behavioral Health and Addictions.\r\nEd is preparing to become a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC), he is a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) advocate, speaker, and survivor; a distracted driving advocate and speaker; and the sole survivor of a fatal car crash in 1999.\r\nWebsite\u00a0\r\nTwitter\r\nFacebook\r\n<a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save addtoany_share" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=https%3A%2F%2Frickclemons.","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/4b9b6c41-474a-4fd0-a374-cbb2a7aa23a4/1400x1400_uncloseted_artwork-01-573.jpg"}