{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2Fcfa19171-a449-42b0-81be-8f2a4f1b7f69","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"","title":"Healing From Addiction","description":"*A struggling writer and atheist, Jeff Jay's battle with alcoholism led him to the brink \u2014 and finally back to the God who loves him\r\n\n*\r\n\n(0:03) The narrator tells the harrowing story of Jeff Jay\u2019s near brush with death on a rickety sailboat in the dark and stormy waters of the Atlantic Ocean. A December gale nearly destroyed his ship and left him clinging to life for seven days until he was miraculously rescued by a passing dinghy.\r\n\n\n(1:09) As the narrator explains, this wasn\u2019t Jeff\u2019s darkest hour \u2014 but it was something of a metaphor for hopelessness that had enveloped his earlier life as an alcoholic.\r\n\n\n(2:25) Jeff describes his upbringing in a Catholic family living in Grosse Pointe, and the circumstances that led to his loss of faith and eventual foray into atheism. He began drinking heavily in college, eventually dropping out and hitchhiking his way around the country.\r\n\n\n(4:56) A fan of beatniks such as Jack Keroac, Jeff traveled the country seeking to emulate their lifestyle, eventually winding up in San Francisco. Although he tried his hand at writing, Jeff\u2019s struggles with alcohol led him to bounce from odd job to odd job, as well as various health issues and a battle with depression and homelessness. When a friend committed suicide, Jeff began to seriously contemplate ending his own life.\r\n\n\n(7:22) In a stroke of divine providence, a friend of Jeff\u2019s brothers happened to be visiting San Francisco and recognized Jeff living on the streets. He tracked down Jeff\u2019s family, who arranged a phone call at the flop house where he was staying.\r\n\n\n(9:36) After a conversation with his father, Jeff found himself on a plane ticket to Flint, where he was admitted to Hurley Hospital for detox. A doctor explained Jeff\u2019s condition, and taught him about the disease known as alcoholism.\r\n\n\n(11:20) Jeff began Alcoholics Anonymous, but still wasn\u2019t convinced of the program\u2019s spiritual elements. For two years, he lived at home with his parents, afraid he would relapse. Anxious and hopeless, Jeff reached a breaking point during which he could do nothing but cry out to a God in which he didn\u2019t believe.\r\n\n\n(14:35) To Jeff\u2019s surprise, God answered. And suddenly, the 12-step program in which he found himself didn\u2019t seem so daunting. He began to rebuild his life brick by brick, with the help of others in the program. Life wasn\u2019t always easy, but with Jeff\u2019s newfound faith, it was bearable.\r\n\n\n(15:44) Now years removed from AA, Jeff looks back on that period in his life with gratitude for shaping him into the man he is today. Now, he works with other families struggling with addiction, and he\u2019s finally written his book: \u201cLove First, A Family\u2019s Guide to Intervention.\u201d\r\n\n\nReporting, script and narration by Casey McCorry; production by Ron Pangborn.\r\n\n\nThis episode is sponsored by Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan. Being a mom is the most challenging and rewarding job in the world! At Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan, they make it a bit easier for moms who are feeling alone, struggling financially, or who need an extra hand to help them establish a secure and happy family. To learn more about the ways you can help moms in need visit ccsem.org/respectlife.\r\n\n\nListen to \u2018Detroit Stories\u2019 on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Fireside. Podcasts also will be posted biweekly on DetroitCatholic.com.","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/10dc5bec-991d-458f-a45b-b1f1ce7285d9/cover.jpg"}