“Jason, what was the most profound piece of advice you received from Dr. Drew during Celebrity Rehab?”
“I’d have to say, the most profound piece of advice Dr. Drew gave me was to surrender to the disease, drop the ego and be willing to take guidance.”
To me, this was where it all started when it came to my most recent interview for answers.com. The website, known as “the world’s largest community for sharing questions and answers,” interviewed me and asked me all kinds of questions, ranging from my days spent on Laguna Beach to what I am doing today at Northbound.
This interview did more for me than just give me a stage to share my own testimony and continue to raise awareness about addiction as a disease. I found myself finishing up the interview and reflecting on how much has changed for me in the past year alone.
I often think back on how far I have come over the past four years since I have obtained my sobriety, but this interview had me thinking a lot about this past year. Around this time last year, I was preparing for my wedding, working at Northbound, and doing whatever I could on the side to get involved in raising awareness about addiction and recovery. The things I was doing most of though were trying to better myself.
For example, last year I was working really hard on quitting cigarettes. I was also doing things like shark diving and spending quality time with my family over the holidays and really strengthening those bonds. But as the year progressed, I started to not only continue to do those things for myself, but also shift my focus to getting more involved outside of myself to raise awareness.
I used to always talk about my vision – a vision of being able to help change lives through sharing my story and finding new ways to educate and help people struggling with addiction. Over this past year, however, my vision has become a reality. I have done a number of things – from sharing my insights on HLN and hosting Christopher Kennedy at Northbound to launching my own website and weighing in on current events in a public forum. All of this, while new to me still, is so incredibly amazing. It hasn’t been lost on me that within just one short year, I have been able to truly start living a dream of mine.
I don’t dwell on my past but do utilize it to give me motivation to continually put one foot in front of the other and carry on. I am thankful for organizations like the LA Mission and PRISM who are allowing me to carry out my dream of helping others in every way I can!
To read my interview on Answers.com, visit https://www.answers.com/search?q=Jason+wahler
Author
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Paul Alexander is the CEO, President & Founder of Northbound Treatment Network in Newport Beach, California. He believes wholeheartedly in transformational leadership, organizational health and effective, fully integrated substance use disorder and mental health treatment. With over 27 years of experience in behavioral healthcare, Paul has extensive knowledge of “in vivo” treatment modalities, clinical development, operations, strategy, marketing and financial planning. He has been widely recognized for his development of collegiate-based residential treatment programs for students in recovery and authored a research study at The University of California confirming this modality’s effectiveness.
Paul’s comprehensive professional experience, willingness to innovate, and emphasis on organizational health are vital factors in Northbound’s continued success. Paul received his Certified Addiction Treatment Specialist training at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA, and was awarded Outstanding Alumni Service Award in 2002. Paul holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology, Law and Society, Summa Cum Laude, from University of California, Irvine, and a Juris Doctorate degree from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles. Paul currently serves on The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) board. In addition, he serves on The Family Recovery Foundation board and The CarePossible board in Orange County; both organizations are committed to raising funds for family recovery and treatment for former military personnel. Paul is in recovery himself and lives in Orange County with his wife Silvana and his two young sons, Noah and Dean.
