Spiritual Abuse & Addiction

The speaker recounts how he was sexually abused by a youth minister between the ages of 12 and 15 while growing up in a large church community in suburban Atlanta. The abuse profoundly damaged both his sense of identity and his relationship with faith, leading him to blame himself and question God for many years. As he struggled to cope with the trauma, he turned to alcohol and drugs, eventually experiencing addiction, arrests, overdoses, and broken relationships. Recovery began through therapy, support groups, and the encouragement of family members, which helped him recognize the connection between his substance use and his unresolved trauma. He later confronted his abuser, discovered that numerous other survivors existed, and worked to prevent the perpetrator from gaining access to more children. Through this process, he rebuilt his faith, found healing in honest relationships, and established the organization "Together We Heal" to provide resources, counseling, and support for survivors of childhood sexual abuse