05/09/2026
A little over eleven years ago, I was involved in a severe car accident that nearly took my life.
I suffered multiple broken bones, including my arm, leg, and jaw. I also severed an artery in my jaw and lost a significant amount of blood. I was rushed into emergency surgery and remained unconscious for nearly a week.
What followed was a long and difficult recovery, both physically and mentally.
At the time, I was working while attending school and trying to move forward with life, but I was dealing with chronic pain, nerve damage, nightmares, anxiety, and PTSD from the accident. Like many people do, I tried to manage it on my own.
That eventually led to alcohol.
What started as a way to help me sleep slowly became dependency, and I spent years struggling with alcoholism. I’m grateful to say that today I am sober from alcohol, and aside from a few brief setbacks years ago, I have maintained my sobriety throughout most of the last eight years with the support of my wife and family.
However, the physical pain and lingering trauma eventually led me toward another dependency: kratom.
It began as a legal way to manage pain and function day to day, but over time it became something I relied on simply to feel normal.
The reason I’m sharing this is because addiction does not always look the way people expect it to.
I work hard. I have an education and a skilled trade. I coach youth sports, attend church, and do my best to be a good husband and father to my four boys. From the outside, most people would never know I’ve struggled with any of this.
But many people silently carry things they are ashamed to talk about.
Recently, I made the decision to pursue Ibogaine treatment in hopes of addressing the PTSD, trauma, and addictive patterns that have followed me for years. Unfortunately, treatment is expensive and currently out of reach financially for my family.
That is one of the reasons I created Vintage Hippie.
What started as a fun vintage-inspired t-shirt brand has become something more meaningful to me personally. Every purchase helps support my goal of getting treatment and continuing my recovery journey.
If I’m fortunate enough to go through with the treatment, I plan to openly document the process and share both the successes and challenges honestly.
I’m not sharing this for sympathy.
I’m sharing it because I know firsthand how easy it is to suffer quietly while appearing completely fine on the outside.
And if being honest about my story helps even one person feel less alone, then it’s worth posting.
https://vintagehippieus.etsy.com
