I'm honored to have Michael Anthony on SHLTMM. His life journey has been anything but easy or what we would call "normal." He's endured so much and yet today he's helping others turn their lives around. Donna, Michael's mother, was generationally addicted to drugs and alcohol which does not generally bode well for any children in the household. The six marriages and not one stable male father figure added to the chaos. Yet, after many years, Michael decided to take control of his life. He's living proof that you can move on from your past, you can take control of your life, if you are willing to "choose yourself" over all the other distractions/addictions/choices that are present in your life.
Micheal's been working on his own personal healing journey for a minimum of fifteen years.
"I walked into therapy for the first time when I was seven years old because someone had molested me," reflects Michael. Michael's been working at changing his life trajectory. It's taken years of being committed to changing his past experiences to better his future. Michael is now offering help to others. (All information is below regarding his website, free weekly meet-ups, and his social media links, etc.)
This is probably the best advice anyone could give someone with addiction and abuse issues. Michael is sincere when he says "you've got to just make a decision whether or not you're going to walk this path. If you're tired of your life being a disaster, you're tired of all the things you're going through you're tired of feeling like a victim, and again I'm not taking anyone's victimhood away, I get it, but at some point you got to decide whether or not you're going to take control of your life. And that's the hardest thing that you're going to have to do in this life- is choose yourself."
"Hurt people hurt people" Michael repeats. His mother, Donna, was not well and had suffered a life full of abuse, drugs and alcohol, so she was unable to "change the arc of her own life." She tried over and over again to get help. She was in and out of facilities. Said she was going to AA meeting just for Michael's sake and she just couldn't beat it. According to Michael, "she chose drugs and alcohol over her children and she ultimately destroyed everything that she touched."
Michael never had his biological father in his life. But what he did have were abusive step fathers which of course, did not help the situation.
This story that Michael shares is very personal. He mentioned that he hasn't really had many of these kinds of open conversation, specifically about his mother, so I appreciate Michael trusting me with his story.
It's not an easy journey. "Michael often has to explain that "I don't think people know how hard this work is, to change the arc of your life." There are lots of scars, but there is hope. And it is possible to design your own destiny.
Michael Unbroken
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