Call me “Don.” For a long time I’ve identified as an addict, alcoholic, and polysubstance abuser. I abuse substances and engage in addictive behaviors to the extent that they compromise my wellbeing in significant ways. I’ve had many attempts at sobriety and abstinence, but none have stuck, in part because I’ve never fully identified with the aforementioned identifiers, each of which is laden with baggage, inside and out.

I created The Found Weekend to redefine this debilitating issue that so many people share. My hope is to create a safe space for those who want to explore their abstinence from self-destruction, and their recovery, in a free and openminded way, independent of the prevailing ideologies surrounding addiction.

The Found Weekend aims not to identify itself in any way other than to help us better understand why some of us pursue oblivion at great personal cost, and to help people- myself included- live the lives they want to live. This place isn’t fixed, and will thrive on evolution and development.

I’m starting The Found Weekend with three core elements:

• Original Writing (essays and ideas that I hope will help, or at least inspire food for thought, conversation, and debate).
• External Resources (a compilation of materials that I and others have found useful, to take or leave).
• Direct Communication (emailing me at thefoundweekend@gmail.com whenever you need someone to talk to).

I say this as much for you as I do for me: you’re not alone. No matter what circumstances you find yourself in, they can and will get better. All I ask from you is an earnest commitment to recovery, in whatever way that word resonates with you.

Thanks for taking part.