The newest episode of the Midland-based podcast, The Visibility Project, explores the experiences – both good and bad – of growing up in a household with substance use disorder.
In the latest episode of The Visibility Project, host Amy Phoenix discusses the impact of living with a parent who suffers from alcoholism with Jessica VanHorn and Sam Price of the 1016 Recovery Network.
VanHorn, who grew up with a father who was an alcoholic, describes how alcohol took priority over everything during her childhood, “There was always beer in the fridge, but if I needed $5 for a field trip, I was the one taking in quarters to the school to go on the trip. It was hard.”
As the Community Engagement Manager at 1016 in Midland, VanHorn understands more about her father’s struggle with addiction and the challenging personal aspects of the disease. As a child, she was fearful of her father at times and used excuses and lies as a defense mechanism to get through it. Alcoholism often meant that her dad was unavailable as a parent.
“He missed a lot of graduations, ball games, and band concerts. It is so sad,” she said.
She also stresses that she loved her dad and that he was trying to get sober when he passed away, “I started working at a very young age. I’m determined and self-sufficient because of my dad.”
Sam Price, Executive Director of the 1016 Recovery Network, says that the organization exists to help people and families struggling with addiction, “We work to engage people in the change process, and we want to do that in an easy and friendly way.”
The 1016 Recovery Network offers substance misuse and addiction treatment and support services in eight counties throughout Central Michigan. The organization was started more than 40 years ago by a group of Midland churches.
Price said that “providing a safe space” for their clients was one of the central goals of their services and added that feeling safe is very important in the recovery process.
Reflecting on her childhood, VanHorn says she needed support from the adults around her. Still, community members often avoided her family.
“If someone had ever asked me how things were at home, it would have been good to share some of this experience, but no one asked,” said VanHorn.
To listen to more of the conversation with Jessica VanHorn and Sam Price, go to https://www.midlandfoundation.org/thevisibilityproject/ or search for The Visibility Project wherever you access podcasts.
The Visibility Project is an initiative of the Midland Area Community Foundation’s Cultural Awareness Coalition. The Visibility Project is a storytelling podcast to create a more connected, empathetic, and inclusive community by listening to and learning from individuals whose stories are too often unheard.