Alex Esqueda: The Opposite of Addiction is Connection

#68: When Alex Esqueda's wife dragged him to a CrossFit class one morning during the early months of his recovery, he had no concept of what CrossFit was, nor a desire to step into any gym space. Now, Alex attributes a large part of his continuous sobriety to CrossFit, especially the community and connection. After just 2 years into sobriety, Alex opened his first CrossFit affiliate gym to help others learn to appreciate and prioritize movement in their daily lives. Since day one he's made recovery the culture and personality of his gym by fostering community and always sharing his story of active addiction and recovery with members. Check out the episode to hear more of our conversation with Alex, including:

- The importance of finding community and once we start talking about addiction and sharing our stories, we help others realize they're not alone
-  The direct connection between emotion and physical health: both are just as effective and must be supported
- CrossFit as a way to release all the pent up energy and frustration that he had originally dumped into addiction
- The conversation with his wife that led him to check into a rehab facility
- His mother's wisdom that still resonates to this day: "addiction is like a switch, and once you switch it on it is very hard to switch off"
- How through research on addiction, he learned that yes, using is a choice, but a lot of the time that choice is stronger than you, and this doesn't mean you're a bad person, it means you're suffering from a disease
- At the end of the day, your life is the sum of the experiences you have with your loved ones

Check out CrossFit Decimate in Colorado Springs and Tampa!

To keep up with Alex, follow him on Instagram!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health or substance use related crisis, the following resources can provide immediate help.*

If you are experiencing a medical/mental health emergency, dial 911.

• Dial 988 for the SAMSHA Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.  Available 24/7
• Text “HOME” to 741-741 for the NAMI Crisis Text Line.  Available 24/7
• Dial 1-800-622-2255 to connect with a nearby treatment center & community resources through NCADD Hope Line. Available 24/7
• Call/text 1-844-326-5400 for The GSCA CARES Warm Line.  Answered by Certified Addiction Recovery Empowerment Specialists with lived experience of SUD.  Available any day of the year, 8:30am-11pm EST

*Note: The resources listed are provided for informational purposes only.  This list is not comprehensive and does not constitute an endorsement by The Phoenix or the Rise Recover Live Podcast.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Join the Phoenix community & sign up for classes with a single click by downloading The NewForm app! In the app, you can connect with Liz, Bryce and other listeners in The Rise Recover Live Podcast Group. Let us know what you thought about today's episode, and what you'd like to hear in future shows! We can't wait to chat with you there.

Learn more about The Phoenix, sign up for classes, or become a volunteer at https://thephoenix.org/ .

Find us on Instagram at @riserecoverlive