From addiction hell to riding the vibes of sobriety

Cooper’s Song

Drugs are killing kids and young adults at an alarming rate and nobody seems to be talking about it.

Maybe it’s shame or possibly fear. Whatever the reason, we should be treating it like it matters. Because for those parents who have lost a kid it is the most important issue of our time.

Fentanyl is the number one cause of death for Americans ages 18-45. Surpassing suicide, COVID-19, and car accident-related deaths. And that’s just Fentanyl. It’s higher when you take into account other drugs.

There were over 107k drug-related deaths in 2021. As a basis of comparison, there have been less than 72k COVID-19-related deaths for Americans ages 18-49…since its inception.

Let that sink in.

Those are the numbers, which should scare all of us into taking action.

This is a true story to bring the epidemic to life.

Cooper Eisenmann was a junior in high school when he first experimented – like so many kids do nowadays – with hard drugs. Unfortunately for Cooper, he was immediately hooked and unable to stop until the day he was forced into recovery. What’s sad is that Cooper’s journey is not unique.

Cooper’s story has a happy ending, which for most, is not guaranteed, not by a long shot (opioid addiction has a 1-2% recovery rate). Cooper was able to break free of his drug dependency with a bit of luck, an incredible program, and the right people showing up when he needed them the most.

Today, Cooper is singing his song…he has a beautiful wife and kids, great relationships with friends and family, and a career that doesn’t feel like work.

Even though I’ve been around addiction all my life, I was blown away with the rawness and candor of Cooper’s story and how it took one time trying OxyContin for him to be hooked.

Take a listen to my interview with Cooper, especially if you’re a parent with middle or high school kids. It reminded me that addiction doesn’t discriminate. It’s blind to race, religion, and economic status.

If you enjoyed, please give the podcast a rating on Apple Podcasts. Feel free to skip if you didn’t!

You can also forward this newsletter to your family and friends. I am looking to grow this community of ordinary people overcoming extraordinary obstacles to live the life they were meant to live.

I have several interviews lined up over the next month, however, I’m on the hunt for more. If you have a kick-ass story that you want to share or know someone who does, hit me up. I’m at [email protected]. Or call or text me at 415.846.7948.

Noodle on…

So many questions to contemplate when it comes to addiction. Here are a few to think about if you have kids…

• Does your family have a history of substance abuse that makes your kids a target?

• How are your kids dealing with the pressure of being a kid?

• What are you doing as a parent to build a relationship with your kids so that they are comfortable talking to you about what’s not right in their life (even before they have an opportunity to experiment with drugs)?

• How can you make the impact of experimenting with drugs real for your kids? And I’m not talking about the non-relatable programs in school.

• What’s the go-to drugs at your kids’ school? And don’t think for a moment that drugs aren’t a thing at your kids’ school.

• Are you familiar with the red flags to identify possible drug use? Learning to spot the signs early may save your kids’ life.

• What could be working against you in seeing the truth?

Bonus material

If you know someone who is in the throws of addiction and need inspiration, follow Cooper on Instagram. He is one of the lucky ones who has come out on the other side and is living life on his terms.