(MUSIC PLAYING) - IT WAS HARD TO GET IN HERE AT FIRST.

I WAS SCARED AND NERVOUS AND FELT A LOT OF SHAME AROUND MY SOBRIETY.

-IT'S CLASSIFIED AS A DISEASE, BUT WE DON'T TREAT IT LIKE A DISEASE.

- THEY HAVE SEEN ME AT MY ABSOLUTE WORST, AND THEN THEY WATCHED ME CLAW MY WAY OUT OF THE HOLE.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS ON THE OTHER SIDE.

I KNOW THAT HOW I FEEL NOW IS LITERALLY 100 TIMES DIFFERENT THAN HOW I FELT SIX AND A HALF YEARS AGO.

MY NAME IS DANA KNOWLES, AND I AM A MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST AT ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS.

AND I AM IN RECOVERY FROM OPIATE AND ALCOHOL ADDICTION.

WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IS THAT IT STARTS WITH CHILDHOOD TRAUMA.

ADDICTION ISN'T SOMETHING THAT JUST HAPPENS IN A VACUUM.

AND FOR ME, IT STARTED WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL.

I WAS MOLESTED AT FIVE YEARS OLD BY THE TEENAGE SON OF A CAREGIVER.

AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME, PART OF MY EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT STOPPED.

AND I DIDN'T TELL ANYBODY, AND I DIDN'T TALK TO ANYONE ABOUT IT, SO THERE WAS NO WAY FOR ME TO GROW OUT OF THAT TRAUMA OR PROCESS IT.

THAT LACK OF EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT TURNED INTO SORT OF THIS VOID THAT I ALWAYS FELT.

AND IT MANIFESTED INTO VARIOUS LEVELS OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION.

IN MY 20S AND 30S, IT REALLY CAME OUT IN EATING DISORDERS.

I HAD ANOREXIA AND BULIMIA AND SORT OF THIS STRIVE FOR PERFECTION.

AND WHEN THAT DIDN'T SATISFY ME, IT WAS OTHER THINGS.

- THE OPPOSITE OF ADDICTION IS CONNECTION.

THAT CONNECTEDNESS TO COMMUNITY IS WHAT REALLY HELPS PEOPLE MAINTAIN LONG-TERM RECOVERY.

TO WORK WITH US, YOU CAN BE IN RECOVERY FROM ANYTHING, WHICH MEANS EVEN JUST LIFE, RIGHT?

MY RECOVERY WAS LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE'S RECOVERY , IS THAT IT'S NOT A STRAIGHT LINE.

IT WAS KIND OF ALL OVER THE PLACE.

I JUST THOUGHT THERE SHOULD BE MORE OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE.

LET'S HELP PEOPLE FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY LIKE TO DO WITHOUT THE USE OF SUBSTANCES.

BEING ABLE TO HAVE PROSOCIAL ACTIVITIES, WHERE PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY ALSO DOING SOMETHING WITH THEIR HANDS, WE'RE JUST HAVING CONVERSATIONS.

- IT'S LIKE A LITTLE FAMILY.

I KNOW THAT SOUNDS CLICHE AND CHEESY, BUT IT REALLY IS.

THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT I'VE GROWN WITH, THAT I'VE CHANGED WITH, THAT I'VE SEEN THEM GROW.

THEY'VE HELD ME UP WHILE I'VE CRIED.

THEY'VE BEEN THERE WHILE I'VE LAUGHED.

I JUST LOVE THESE PEOPLE.

I LOVE THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE DO.

AND I LOVE THE CAMARADERIE THAT WE HAVE.

- WE'RE ALL WALKS OF LIFE, DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE.

AND WE'VE ALL HAD OUR STORIES.

AND WE'RE A BIG COMMUNITY THAT HELP EACH OTHER AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER GOING THROUGH TOUGH TIMES IN LIFE, RIGHT?

WITHOUT THAT, THERE WOULD BE A STRUGGLE, AND IT WOULD BE HARD TO GET THROUGH.

- PEOPLE IN RECOVERY KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HIT ROCK BOTTOM.

PEOPLE KNOW IN RECOVERY WHAT IT'S LIKE TO START OVER FROM SCRATCH, FROM ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

I GOT OUT OF JAIL ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AND I HAD LITERALLY THE CLOTHES ON MY BACK.

SO, PEOPLE IN RECOVERY HAVE FOUGHT THEIR WAY UP THROUGH ALL THE STIGMAS, THROUGH ALL THE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS ABOUT THEM.

AND THEY CONTINUE TO FIGHT EVERY SINGLE DAY.

AND THEY'RE SOME OF THE STRONGEST PEOPLE YOU'LL EVER MEET.

I DON'T THINK PEOPLE REALIZE WHY PEOPLE USE.

IT'S NOT BECAUSE IT'S FUN.

IT'S NOT BECAUSE--WELL, TOWARDS THE END, IT'S BECAUSE WE NEED IT.

BUT ADDICTION AND USE COMES FROM TRAUMA.

IT COMES FROM ABUSE.

IT COMES FROM NOT FEELING WANTED.

IT COMES FROM SOCIETY, BEING AN OUTCAST.

THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS WHERE PEOPLE START TO USE, AND I THINK PEOPLE THINK IT'S BECAUSE WE LIKE IT, AND IT'S FUN.

AND THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE.

MAJORITY OF THE TIME, IT'S NOT AT ALL.

- IT'S CLASSIFIED AS A DISEASE , BUT WE DON'T TREAT IT LIKE A DISEASE.

WE TREAT IT AS A MORAL FAILING.

AND THERE'S SO MUCH STIGMA THAT COMES FROM THAT.

- RACHEL, TO ME, IS A FRIEND, A MENTOR, A TEACHER, AND SOMEONE WHO MAKES RECOVERY FUN.

- IT'S BEAUTIFUL TO SEE PEOPLE STILL HAVE THAT CARINGNESS IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY WANT TO JUST GET BACK AND HAVE PEOPLE JUST HAVE FUN.

AND SO, THE ADDICTION TO SUBSTANCES KICKED IN WHEN I DEVELOPED A LABRAL TEAR IN MY RIGHT HIP BASICALLY FROM OVER-EXERCISE, AND I HAD TO HAVE SURGERY.

AND THEY PRESCRIBED A LOT OF OPIATE PAINKILLERS.

AND THE FIRST TIME I TOOK THEM, I THOUGHT, "THERE IT IS.

THIS IS THE THING THAT I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR MY ENTIRE LIFE."

AND I KNEW WITHIN THAT FIRST WEEK THAT I DID NOT WANT TO STOP.

AND THAT WAS 11 YEARS AGO NOW.

THINGS FOR ME GOT SO BAD THAT I COULDN'T STOP BY MYSELF.

I HAD SOME REALLY TERRIBLE MOMENTS, LIKE I STOLE DRUGS OUT OF PEOPLE'S BATHROOMS.

IN THE MOMENT, I'M THINKING, "I DON'T WANT TO FEEL THIS WAY."

BUT ALSO, IN THE MOMENT, YOU'RE THINKING, "I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET OUT OF THIS, AND THIS IS VERY FAMILIAR TO ME, SO I'M JUST GOING TO KEEP DOING WHAT I'VE ALWAYS BEEN DOING."

- HI.

WELCOME TO THE PHOENIX.

WE'RE GOING IN FIVE SECONDS.

CONNECTION IS COMMUNITY.

THREE, TWO, ONE.

YOU KNOCK THEM OUT, AND YOU PROTECT THEM.

THAT CHANGE CAN BE SCARY, BUT IT'S WRITTEN ON THE OUTSIDE WALL HERE.

HOPE IS FOUND HERE.

IT CAN BE SCARY, BUT IT'S WORTH IT.

STEP OVER TO THE SIDE.

DO YOUR SIX AIR SQUATS AND GET BACK IN THE GAME.

I AM A LITTLE BIT OVER THREE AND A HALF YEARS SOBER, AND THEN WAS TOLD ABOUT THE PHOENIX BY A THERAPIST AT DENVER WOMEN'S RECOVERY.

I WAS A LITTLE HESITANT.

THE DOOR CAN WEIGH--WE CALL IT A 5,000-POUND DOOR.

MY NAME IS MIKA MUMME.

I AM THE SENIOR COORDINATOR FOR THE PHOENIX.

IT WAS HARD TO GET IN HERE AT FIRST.

I WAS SCARED AND NERVOUS AND FELT A LOT OF SHAME AROUND MY SOBRIETY.

FINALLY, WENT BACK TO TREATMENT, SOBER LIVING, 12-STEP PROGRAM, BUT FELT LIKE I NEEDED SOMETHING ELSE.

SO, WE'RE BACK, WE TAP THAT BALL, AND WE TOSS.

I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO FIND SOMEBODY AT A MEETING WHO ALSO WANTED TO GO TO THE PHOENIX, AND I CAME TO BOXING.

THE REST IS KIND OF HISTORY.

I NEVER LEFT.

I USED TO JOKE THAT IF THEY PUT A COT UP IN THE OFFICE, I'D SLEEP HERE.

BUT YEAH, I FOUND A FAMILY HERE.

- GO!

RESET.

RACHEL, LOOK AT YOU GO.

YEAH, GO.

GO.

- THE PHOENIX IS A SOBER ACTIVE COMMUNITY.

WE'RE A NON-PROFIT NATIONWIDE.

AND REALLY, WHAT WE DO IS BUILD COMMUNITY AROUND FITNESS TO HELP RAISE EACH OTHER UP AND STAY SOBER.

YEAH, THE ONLY COST TO MEMBERSHIP IS 48-HOUR SOBRIETY.

- ONCE YOU HAVE SET DOWN YOUR DUMBBELLS, ONE OF YOUR PARTNERS IS GOING TO GRAB A MED BALL.

- I'M ABOUT TO HIT THREE YEARS OF SOBRIETY ON MAY 1.

I'M BRIANNE [INDISCERNIBLE] LUBINSKI.

- LET'S GO!

- WE'RE ALL HERE FOR THE SAME JOURNEY OF JUST BEING BETTER, A BETTER VERSION OF OURSELVES.

AND OBVIOUSLY, THE PLUS IS WE GET TO WORK OUT WHILE DOING IT.

WHEN I'M DOWN OR DEPRESSED AND I REALLY DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING, IF IT'S A TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, OR SATURDAY, I COME HERE TO THE PHOENIX AND... - KEEP THOSE MIDLINES TIGHT THROUGH THAT RING ROW.

- RACHEL [INDISCERNIBLE] LEILANI KICKS MY BUTT, AND I WALK OUT OF HERE FEELING EVEN BETTER.

- MY DRUG OF CHOICE IS ALCOHOL.

OF COURSE, THERE WERE OTHER ILLEGAL DRUGS MIXED IN HERE AND THERE.

I DEFINITELY WAS THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT IT WAS LIKE, IF IT WAS IN FRONT OF ME, I WAS GOING TO DO IT BECAUSE IT WOULD TAKE ME AWAY FROM HOW I FELT AT THAT TIME.

- IN 2019, I DECIDED TO GO SOBER IN ORDER TO BETTER MY MENTAL HEALTH AND TO JUST GET AS HEALTHY AS I CAN.

AND WHY DRINK ALCOHOL, WHICH IS A DEPRESSANT, WHEN I'M ALREADY DEPRESSED ENOUGH?

IT JUST DIDN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.

- I THINK FOR ME, PERSONALLY, IT'S A GROUNDING SPACE.

WHEN I WORK OUT, I'M NOT CONSTANTLY THINKING.

I'M LETTING MY BODY MOVE.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, YOU KNOW THAT COMING IN HERE, EVERYONE IS KIND OF AT THE SAME PLAYING FIELD.

THERE'S THIS INHERENT UNDERSTANDING THAT EVERYONE IS SOBER IN HERE, OR THEY'RE AN ALLY.

AND SO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO FEEL SHAME.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO FEEL WORRIED ABOUT YOUR SOBRIETY.

YOU CAN JUST KIND OF COME IN AND WORK OUT.

AND IT MAKES THIS PLACE EASY TO ACCESS FOR EVERYONE.

IT'S ACCESSIBLE.

- COME ON OUT.

NICE JOB.

- OF COURSE, PEOPLE DO DRUGS.

THEY NEED TO GET CLEAN FROM THAT.

I ALWAYS THOUGHT SOBER WAS SYNONYMOUS WITH ALCOHOL, AND IT'S NOT.

IT'S ALSO DRUGS.

AND I HAVE ASKED ABOUT THEIR SOBRIETY JOURNEY JUST TO LEARN, JUST TO UNDERSTAND WHAT MAKES THEM THEM AND WHO THEY ARE TODAY.

- AWESOME WORK.

THANKS FOR COMING TO MY CLASS.

[APPLAUSE] - I KEPT GETTING CLEAN AND THEN RELAPSING AND HIDING IT.

THIS WAS HAPPENING FOR A GOOD FIVE YEARS.

AND FINALLY, MY HUSBAND--WE HAD BEEN SEEING A THERAPIST, AND MY HUSBAND WAS LIKE, "WE'RE DONE.

YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THE HOUSE.

YOU HAVE TO GO TO TREATMENT.

AND YOU HAVE TO BE GONE FOR THREE MONTHS.

AND IF YOU DON'T FIGURE THIS OUT, YOU WON'T SEE ME AGAIN, AND YOU WON'T SEE YOUR KIDS AGAIN."

AND IT SOUNDS REALLY, REALLY HARSH.

BUT IT WAS ALSO THE BEST THING THAT'S EVER HAPPENED TO ME, AND IT WAS THE BEST DECISION HE EVER MADE FOR OUR LIVES AS A FAMILY AND FOR ME.

I WENT TO TREATMENT FOR THREE MONTHS, AND IT GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRULY FOCUS ON MYSELF.

I HAD BEEN IN TREATMENT FOR A FEW WEEKS.

I GOT A LETTER FROM MY DAUGHTER, WHO'S NOW 14, AND AT THE TIME SHE WAS 8, I THINK.

AND THE LETTER WAS BASICALLY LIKE, "MOM, I WANT YOU TO KNOW WHAT I'VE SEEN THE LAST FEW YEARS."

AND SHE DREW A PICTURE OF ME SLEEPING ON THE COUCH.

AND THEN SHE DREW A PICTURE OF HERSELF TRYING TO PARENT HER YOUNGER SIBLINGS WHO ARE TWINS.

AND THAT WAS THE TIPPING POINT.

I LITERALLY MADE IT MY MISSION, WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF SEEING THAT PICTURE, OF SAYING, "ALL RIGHT, IT STOPS RIGHT NOW, LIKE RIGHT HERE.

WE'RE NOT DOING THIS ANYMORE."

- I'D PROBABLY HAVE TO SAY THAT THE MAJORITY OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE SOME KIND OF ADDICTION.

ADDICTION'S A HUGE THING, EITHER A SELF-ADDICTION OR A FAMILY ADDICTION OR A GENERATIONAL ADDICTION.

WE'VE HAD A FEW OVERDOSES LATELY, FENTANYL OVERDOSES.

WE WERE ALL ISOLATED, BUT ONCE WE STARTED GETTING BACK TO SCHOOL, WE STARTED SEEING THAT STUFF.

IT KIND OF CREPT UP, AND IT WAS LIKE THAT.

YOU SEE IT ON THE NEWS.

YOU SEE IT.

IT'S EVERYWHERE.

IT'S AN EPIDEMIC.

IT'S REALLY TRAUMATIC.

AND SOME OF THESE KIDS HAVE LOST THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX DIFFERENT FRIENDS.

IT'S BECOMING ALMOST LIKE WHERE IT'S DESENSITIZED NOW.

WHEN I FIRST GOT HIRED HERE, I OFFERED TO START A PHOTOGRAPHY PROGRAM.

INTRODUCED THE DARK ROOM, AND I WAS ABLE TO BUILD THE STUDIO.

YOU HAVE YOUR STUDIO PORTRAIT SIDE.

YOU HAVE YOUR PRINTING SIDE.

YOU HAVE YOUR MAKING MATS SIDE.

(MUSIC PLAYING) - I DON'T KNOW, I'VE TAKEN...

THIS IS MY THIRD OR FOURTH TIME TAKING HIS CLASS.

SO, LIKE THE WHOLE YEAR I'VE BEEN IN HIS CLASS.

I THINK BRIAN IS AN AMAZING PERSON.

HE'S SO COOL.

AND HE'S HELPED ME THROUGH A LOT OF [BLEEP].

I LIKE LEARNING ABOUT FRAMING YOUR PHOTOS AND STUFF .

- I'M A VISCERAL LEARNER, HANDS-ON LEARNER, AND SO ARE THESE STUDENTS.

YOU PUT THEM BEHIND THE COMPUTER, AND IT'S NOT GOING TO REALLY TURN OUT WELL.

YOU CAN PUT THEM BEHIND A COMPUTER AND HAVE THEM EDIT PHOTOS OR MAKE PRINTS, AND I NOTICE THAT REALLY WORKS REALLY WELL WITH THEM.

- IT'S JUST, MY EYES HURT FROM READING JUST LINE AFTER LINE ON A LAPTOP DAY AFTER DAY.

MY ENGLISH PROGRAM WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO LIKE THAT BECAUSE READING LONG STORIES ONLINE IS JUST TOUGH, ESPECIALLY FOR ME.

I KNOW SOME KIDS LIKE IT.

I KNOW SOME KIDS THRIVE LIKE THAT.

BUT IT'S NEVER BEEN ME.

AND WHEN I WAS PURELY ONLINE, I GOT NOTHING DONE.

I DIDN'T GET A SINGLE CREDIT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

- YOU KIND OF LOSE THE MOTIVATION.

LIKE, YOU'RE SITTING AT HOME, SEEING IT AS A FREEDOM TO KIND OF JUST DO WHATEVER YOU WANT.

- AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I CAME TO CPS, WAS BECAUSE AT MY OLD SCHOOL, I STRUGGLED WITH KEEPING MY MOTIVATION UP , AND THEN GETTING PUT INTO ONLINE.

AND IT'S NOT CPS' FAULT.

THAT'S WHAT EVERY SCHOOL HAD TO ADJUST TO.

BUT ESPECIALLY FOR ME, I JUST STRUGGLED.

- WE HAD THIS SPACE DOWN HERE , AND IT KIND OF BECAME A HIDING SPOT FOR STUDENTS THAT WERE-- WITH DIFFERENT TRAUMA OR ANXIETY OR JUST DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO CLASS.

I GO, I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA TO HAVE A SPACE WHERE THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE TO HIDE IN A BATHROOM OR JUST HIDE.

AND I GO, "LET'S START A LITTLE GALLERY.

LET'S MIX THE KIDS INTO THAT AND HAVE THEM LEARN A CAREER, A HOBBY, OR JUST HAVE A VOICE AND A PLATFORM."

HAVING A PLACE WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE TO FEAR ANYTHING, THEY'RE RESPECTED, THEY'RE LOVED, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING AND DO SOMETHING REALLY COOL AND CREATIVE.

- IN SO MANY WAYS, AFTER THE FACT, I FEEL LIKE IT'S A BLESSING.

BECAUSE IT FORCED ME TO LIVE MY LIFE IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WAY.

SITTING WITH ALL OF THIS AND SITTING WITH THE SHAME, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY IT CAN REALLY BE PROCESSED AND LET GO.

IF I KEEP PUTTING IT OFF AND COMPARTMENTALIZING, EVENTUALLY IT'S GOING TO COME BACK.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE CAUSES OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND PARTICULARLY ADDICTION, IT'S SUFFERING.

WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET OUT OF SUFFERING, SO WE USE A COPING SKILL LIKE ALCOHOL OR DRUGS OR WHATEVER IT IS.

SO, I DECIDED TO FIND A WAY TO END AND MITIGATE MY SUFFERING SO THAT THE COPING SKILLS AREN'T ALWAYS NECESSARY.

AND IF THEY ARE, THEY ARE FOR VERY SHORT PERIODS OF TIME.

AND WHAT I DO FOR MYSELF IS I MEDITATE TWICE A DAY.

I PRACTICE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION, AND IT'S A VERY OLD PRACTICE, BUT IT'S DESIGNED TO RELEASE STRESS FROM THE BODY AND THE NERVOUS SYSTEM.

YOU RELEASE DAILY STRESS, AND YOU RELEASE OLD STRESS AND OLD TRAUMA.

AND IN THE PROCESS OF THAT, THAT'S WHERE THE LEARNING TO SIT WITH YOUR FEELINGS COMES IN.

BECAUSE SOMETIMES WITH THESE MEDITATIONS, OLD MEMORIES AND OLD FEELINGS COME UP, AND I MIGHT START CRYING, OR I MIGHT START FIDGETING.

BUT I JUST SIT THERE, AND I SIT WITH IT.

AND WHEN I COME OUT OF IT 20 MINUTES LATER, I FEEL GREAT.

WHAT I DO WITH MY FEELINGS NOW IS I PROCESS THEM IN THE MOMENT.

IF I'M FEELING ANXIETY, I WILL ASSESS IN THE MOMENT AND SAY, "ALL RIGHT, WHAT'S HAPPENING?

OK, WELL, I'M TRYING TO GET MY KIDS OUT THE DOOR, AND THEY'RE ARGUING, SO THAT'S WHY I'M FEELING THE WAY I'M FEELING.

I'M FEELING OVERWHELMED.

HOW AM I GOING TO HANDLE THIS RIGHT NOW?

OK, I'M GOING TO GET THEM IN THE CAR, AND I'M GOING TO TAKE A BREATH, AND THEN I'M GOING TO MOVE THROUGHOUT MY DAY."

THERE ARE OTHER INSTANCES WHERE I'LL FEEL ANXIETY AND I'LL BE LIKE, "WELL, NOTHING'S REALLY HAPPENING, SO THIS MUST BE SOMETHING OLD."

SO, I'LL SIT WITH IT, AND IT PASSES IN 20 MINUTES.

AND IT'S REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT THAT'S WHAT I DO.

AND THEN, IT ENABLES ME TO SORT OF RELEASE ALL OF THIS STUFF WITHOUT HOLDING ONTO IT, WITHOUT HOLDING ONTO ANGER AND RESENTMENTS AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN TEND TO HOLD ON TO.

WAGON COFFEE ROASTERS ARE A ROASTERY THAT IS LOCATED IN FREE SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY, WHICH IS THIS SPACE.

WE STARTED IN 2020 IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PANDEMIC.

- I WANTED TO OFFER A SPACE FOR WOMEN TO BE ABLE TO SHOW UP AND RECOVER AND DO IT IN A SAFE SPACE WITH OTHER WOMEN.

AGAIN, NO JUDGMENT, NO SHAME.

THIS IS HOW WE DO IT.

IT'S OFFERING HOPE.

IT'S OFFERING HEALING.

IT'S PULLING WOMEN, MEN BACK UP.

FOR WAGON, IT'S PULLING WOMEN BACK UP ONTO THE WAGON AND OFFERING SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH CHANCES.

- THE NATURAL INCLINATION OF ANY RECOVERY COMMUNITY IS TO HAVE COFFEE.

IT'S ABOUT HOSPITALITY AND IT'S ABOUT WELCOMING SOMEBODY.

IT'S ABOUT GIVING SOMEBODY SOMETHING THAT'S WARM AND LOVING AND TO BE OF SERVICE TO THEM.

- AS A LOVED ONE, WHEN WE STARTED FREE, RYAN'S LIKE, "WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IF WE STARTED THIS THING FOR ADDICTS, PEOPLE LIKE HIM."

FOR ME, AND THE RESOUNDING SOUND IN THESE ROOMS HAS BEEN, A LOT OF LOVED ONES FEEL ON THE OUTSIDE.

- I REMEMBER BEING A VERY YOUNG CHILD AND NEVER, NEVER BEING HAPPY.

I AM NOT GOING TO SELL THE STORY OF MY LIFE IS FANTASTIC, AND I LIKE IT, AND IT'S JUST WONDERFUL.

I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT.

IT'S CHALLENGING.

STAYING SOBER HAS BEEN CHALLENGING.

BUT I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO THE THINGS THAT I DO IF I WEREN'T SOBER.

- THE ADDICT, THE ALCOHOLIC, THEY GO THROUGH THEIR OWN RECOVERY, AND WE SIT ON THE OUTSIDE.

AND THEN WE WANT TO PLAY CATCH-UP TO WHAT'S GOING ON, AND HOW ARE YOU PROCESSING, AND HOW ARE YOU DOING?

SO, TO BE ABLE TO DO IT TOGETHER.

SO, RY'S BEEN IN RECOVERY FOR--HE JUST HAD NINE YEARS A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.

WOO!

IT'S BEEN A JOURNEY.

AND WE'VE BEEN TOGETHER FOR 18 YEARS.

SO, I'VE SEEN BOTH SIDES OF THE COIN.

I SOURCE COFFEE FROM SMALL LOT FARMERS AND FROM EVERYWHERE, ALL OVER THE WORLD.

- WE ARE A FOR-PROFIT COMPANY, AND WE'RE GROWING.

AND PEOPLE ARE BUYING OUR BEANS AND BUYING OUR COFFEE, AND THEY'RE GOING, "YES, OH, THIS IS ABOVE AND BEYOND COFFEE.

THIS HAS MEANING TO IT."

I LOVE COFFEE.

I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT COFFEE.

I'M KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT COFFEE.

BUT IT'S PEOPLE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT I LOVE AND THAT I WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR.

- WITH RECOVERY AND ADDICTION, THERE'S SO MUCH SHAME INVOLVED.

AND THERE'S A LOT OF SELF-LOATHING.

AND I THINK ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO GET AROUND THAT IS TO TALK ABOUT IT.

AND YOU'D BE SURPRISED AT HOW MUCH SUPPORT YOU GET.

I DIDN'T THINK I WOULD GET ANY SUPPORT, BUT WHEN I SORT OF CAME OUT AND DECIDED TO JUST TELL PEOPLE, I GOT MORE LOVE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

- How are you doing?

What can I get for you?

- This is Awake.

It's an alcohol-free bottle shop and full-service bar, and also coffee shop by day.

- Do you want any sweetener?

We have honey.

- Yeah, just some honey, please.

- Yeah, totally.

3.79 for you.

- I love being able to come to a place where I don't feel like an afterthought.

Oftentimes, if I went out and I would ask for something that didn't have alcohol, it was soda water with a lime, it was a soda.

And so, coming in here, it's beautiful.

It is--What a selection I have.

And it just feels like we're respected.

- We have a lot of great offerings.

We do drag shows every month with our LGBTQ community.

We have a social justice component.

I think the big thing to realize is that alcohol is one of the most highly addictive substances in the world.

And also, our brains are just wired to be addicted.

So, I think what many people don't realize is that anyone is susceptible to alcohol becoming a problem in their lives.

- It initially started as just doing a 30-day challenge to see how I felt after, to see all of it.

And what became very obvious early on is that it was pretty life-changing from a physical and a mental health standpoint.

My sleep improved immediately.

I had had IBS for so long, and that went away immediately.

- I think a lot of it is this recognition that you don't necessarily have to label yourself an alcoholic.

You don't have to say, "I have a drinking problem" for alcohol to be a problem in your life.

And it's OK to decide not to drink it anymore.

We're using it as a coping mechanism, and we're over-using it.

And so, we live in this world right now that feels like the sky is falling.

And a lot of people are using this very highly addictive substance as their coping mechanism.

A big thing to recognize is that a lot of people are choosing to have this, what I call the early exit, where it's like they're realizing, OK, this is a Class One carcinogen.

As women, it really affects our hormones.

A lot of women in perimenopause, in particular, have a lot of trouble with drinking alcohol.

I think a big part of this is really normalizing the not drinking and that we still can have just as much fun, we're still ourselves, we have connection, we can have ritual, we can have all the things without having the actual alcohol.

- It's enough to just wake up and say, "I don't like the way I feel anymore after two glasses of wine."

That's enough.

That's enough to want to move forward into something else.

You can be completely engaged and happy and not have to have alcohol.

- YOU DON'T HAVE TO HIT ROCK BOTTOM TO MAKE SOME CHANGES.

RECOVERY IS ABSOLUTELY POSSIBLE.

IF YOU'RE STARTING TO QUESTION YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ALCOHOL OR SUBSTANCES OR GAMBLING OR WHATEVER IT IS, IT'S NOT A JUDGMENT.

IT'S NOT SAYING "I'M A BAD PERSON."

WHAT IT'S SAYING IS THAT MAYBE THIS ISN'T THE BEST THING FOR ME RIGHT NOW.

THERE'S NOT ONE WAY TO RECOVER.

AND SOMETIMES YOU CAN DO THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT THINGS AT THE SAME TIME, THAT MAYBE IT'S NOT JUST THE SILVER BULLET, WHICH I THINK WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THAT ONE THING.

AND THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE.

YOU KIND OF HAVE TO TRY LOTS OF THINGS AND DO ALL THOSE THINGS AT THE SAME TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WORKS FOR YOU.

I THINK WHAT TENDS TO HAPPEN IN OUR SOCIETY IS, WE HAVE THIS SENSE OF INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY, WHICH IS REALLY GOOD.

BUT WHAT WE MISS IS THAT THERE'S ALSO A COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY.

WHEN SOMEONE BECOMES ADDICTED, WE LOOK AT THEM LIKE SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH THEM, INSTEAD OF SAYING, "OK, YOU NEED TO FIX YOUR PROBLEM, BUT WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP YOU, TOO?"

- THIS IS LEVI.

PAWSITIVE RECOVERY IS PRETTY MUCH THE MAIN REASON WHY I'M SOBER TODAY.

IF I DIDN'T HAVE THEM, I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE HIM TO THE SHELTER, AND I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SEE HIM AGAIN.

AND I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE DONE VERY WELL WITH RECOVERY.

I WOULD HAVE PROBABLY RELAPSED AGAIN.

THESE ARE MY LITTLE PANTHERS.

- THIS IS A NEED THAT I THINK HAS NEEDED TO BE FILLED FOR A LONG TIME.

ONE OF THE MAJOR HURDLES THAT KEEP PEOPLE OUT OF TREATMENT IS THEIR ANIMALS.

PAWSITIVE RECOVERY TAKES IN ANIMALS FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING IN TO REHAB OR TREATMENT CENTERS.

OUR FOSTER PROGRAM IS MADE UP OF PEOPLE THAT ARE IN LONG-TERM RECOVERY THEMSELVES.

THEY SIGN UP TO BE A FOSTER THROUGH OUR PROGRAM, AND THEN THEY OPEN THEIR HOMES AND THEIR HEARTS TO PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING INTO TREATMENT FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS SO THAT THEY CAN FOCUS ON THEMSELVES AND GET THE HELP THAT THEY NEED WHILE THEIR ANIMALS ARE IN OUR CARE.

- CURRENTLY, I'M IN SOBER LIVING.

I'VE BEEN THERE ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF.

AND PRIOR TO THAT, WE WERE LIVING IN HOTELS.

IT GIVES THEM A PLACE WHERE I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THEM.

I KNOW THEY'RE IN GOOD HANDS.

AND SERENA'S GREAT, GIVES ME UPDATES .

AND SO, I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THEM AND HAVE THAT BE AN ISSUE WITH MY RECOVERY, SO I CAN FOCUS ON MYSELF.

- COME.

- WE GIVE PEOPLE A NEW LEASH ON LIFE, LIKE WE LIKE TO SAY, BY HELPING THEM RECOVER FROM ADDICTION, TRAUMA, AND ABUSE.

WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE AND SUPPLIES AND MOSTLY JUST A LOVING PLACE FOR THEM TO GO WHILE THEIR HUMANS GET TREATMENT.

- I WAS AN EX-HEROIN AND METH USER.

AND I'VE BEEN IN RECOVERY FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS.

- I AM IN RECOVERY MYSELF.

AND MY LIFE HAS BEEN FILLED WITH A LOT OF TRAUMA.

SO, I KNOW ABOUT ABUSE AND DRUG USE AND ALCOHOLISM FROM MY FAMILY.

AND IT UNFORTUNATELY CARRIED OVER INTO MY LIFE .

I GOT SOBER A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.

AND I KNOW THAT ALL THE WAY THROUGH MY ACTIVE ADDICTION, MY ANIMALS HAVE BEEN THERE FOR ME NO MATTER WHAT.

OUR BIGGEST NEED RIGHT NOW IS WE NEED FOSTERS.

WE NEED PEOPLE THAT ARE EITHER IN RECOVERY OR JUST PASSIONATE ABOUT HUMANS AND ANIMALS TO CONTACT US.

AND IF THEY'RE AVAILABLE TO FOSTER FOR US, THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE NEED.

- MY KIDS ARE, AND MY FAMILY ARE, WHAT STARTED ME ON THE PATH.

AND NOW IT'S FOR MYSELF.

I AM THE MOM.

I'M THE PRIMARY CAREGIVER.

IF I DON'T TAKE CARE OF MYSELF AND GET ENOUGH SLEEP AND MEDITATE AND EAT RIGHT AND LAUGH WITH FRIENDS, NO ONE IN MY FAMILY IS GOING TO BE HEALTHY.

IT WARMS MY HEART TO KNOW THAT THEY HAVE SEEN ME AT MY ABSOLUTE WORST, AND THEN THEY WATCHED ME CLAW MY WAY OUT OF THE HOLE.

THEY SEE ME NOW TAKING CARE OF MYSELF, AND I HOPE THAT THAT MODELS SOMETHING POSITIVE FOR THEM AS THEY GROW INTO THEIR LIVES.