I’m Belinda (or Belle, depending on how much coffee I’ve had). Plot twist: I’m a substance use disorder counselor, a recovering addict, and a reluctant optimist who’s seen both sides of the struggle. If you’d met me a decade ago, the odds of me writing a blog about recovery were about as good as me running a marathon. But here we are, and somehow life on this side of the barstool is better than anything I ever imagined.
This space is for anyone who’s tired of the shame and silence that still cling to addiction. It’s for people in recovery, people thinking about recovery, the family members who love them, and the professionals in the trenches who know that sometimes the only way to get through a day is with a dark joke and a deep breath. If you’re looking for honesty, you’re in the right place. If you’re looking for perfection…well, you might want to keep scrolling.
My approach to recovery is rooted in empathy, a stubborn refusal to give up on people, and a healthy respect for the absurdity of life. I’ve worked as an EMT, I’m a counselor at the Family Health Center of Marshfield’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Recovery Center, and I coach with IGNTD, an online addiction platform that doesn’t believe in one-size-fits-all anything. I believe recovery is deeply personal, sometimes messy, and always worth it.
Home base? Northern Wisconsin, with my partner (the rock of our family), two incredible boys (one rocking the autism spectrum), a weirdly lovable dog called Baby Dog, and a cat named Steve. Our house is often loud, occasionally chaotic, and always real. The addiction crisis doesn’t skip pretty places, and I’m living proof that you can build a life worth loving even when it gets messy.
Here, you’ll find stories that are painfully honest, sometimes darkly funny, and always grounded in reality. I post at least twice a month—sometimes more when inspiration (or frustration) strikes. Everything’s free for now; eventually, I’ll offer some extras for paid subscribers, but right now, I just want to build a space where people can talk about the hard stuff without judgment.
Bring your stories, your questions, your victories, your rough days, and your best dark jokes. If you’re a pro in the field, I want to hear from you too—let’s swap stories, ideas, and maybe even change a few minds together.
This isn’t a perfectly curated recovery fairy tale. It’s just real life. And you’re welcome here.
So grab a chair, hit subscribe, and let’s get real—together.