Help warmhearted but weary workman whip Addiction

"I got this.
Everything is OK.
I can do it by myself." - Joseph anytime in recent history

But, I have to tell you, it was all kind of a lie. OK. It was a lie.

I have always been a little.... flaky.
Some people even would call me a little flighty.
But, recently, something hasn't been right.  Everyone knows it.

I am a massage therapist by training. Recently I've gotteen same message from so many of my long time client. As I started to reach out and put into words what has been going on. As I struggled to admit what "has not been right."

With me.
With my business.
With my ability to be with other humans.
With my ability to hold a space of health and wellness for others.

You can't hold space for others if you can hold it for yourself.

My clients, my family, and my friends have all said the same thing:
"Why didn't you say something to me?!"
"Why didn't you reach out!?"

An now I feel I have a responsibility to say something.

Life is short. Too Short.

My story is complex. Here are some statitics to help you understand my life so far.

Major Depressive Disorder affects more than 16 million American adults. That's about 6.5% of the U.S. population age 18 and up.

Persistent depressive disorder a form of depression which last for more than two years. This Affects approximately 1.5 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and up.

You. Are. Not. Alone.

Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for 15 to 24-year-olds and 2nd for 24 to 35-year-olds.  On average, 1 person dies by suicide every 16.2 minutes. For each death by suicide there are 25 attempts.

You. Are. Not. Alone.

1 out of 3 girls and 1 out of 5 boys will be sexually abused before they reach age 18.

https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-child-abuse

You. Are. Not. Alone.

Addiction is a persisting disease that requires ongoing management. Individuals aren't "cured” of addictions. They learn how to manage their disease so they can lead healthy, balanced lives.

Around 22 million people age 12 and up received a diagnosis of substance dependence or abuse in 2013.

You. Are. Not. Alone.

When mental illness is present, the potential for crisis is never far from mind. Crisis episodes related to mental illness can feel incredibly overwhelming. There’s the initial shock, followed by a flood of questions—the most prominent of which is: “What can we do?”

I am not the only one.

Child. Adolescent. Adult.

These types of issues run somewhere deep inside our humanity.
Through us and through our families.
Sometimes from generation to generation.
Through our lives into our school and places of work.
And their effects run into the world we are creating.
The world we share with everyone else.

I, Joseph John Karl Workman, am the main charater of a story that is as complex, beautiful, and troubled as your own.

Six years ago, I opened West Michigan Massage Therapy, to be part of the wellness community. To help facilitate health and wellness for myself and others. Along the way, I've discovered some things, learned tons of tools and techniques, healed many old wounds. And at the same time I create some other patterns, habits and even uncovered some deeply held beliefs that are no longer working.

What I am trying to say is that: I’m now the one in need of help. And some serious help.

This campaign is my request for support AND my promise to the world that this curse that has haunted me will be the fuel for a better tomorrow. Not just for me. But for those who will need this kind of support in the future.

Once I complete my recovery work and I am able to successfully manage my own affairs again I am committed to matching the amount raised in this campaign in the name of an individual. Each year.

Please join me in this fight. Follow my journy. And let's shine a bit of light into this area of darkness that affects so many.