Silent Presence is a weekly podcast where people share personal stories of addiction, mental health, grief, hope and their journey moving forward. On this episode of Silent Presence, Rich Patricia speaks with...

Silent Presence is a weekly podcast where people share personal stories of addiction, mental health, grief, hope and their journey moving forward.

On this episode of Silent Presence, Rich Patricia speaks with author and public speaker, Ed Kressy about his twenty year battle with addiction and how he finds happiness in his daily life. He spent months in jail, and years in destitution. His final eleven devastating years of addiction to methamphetamine resulting in agonizing psychosis, including extreme paranoia around the FBI.

After getting clean in 2008, he discovered: Just because you're done with drugs, doesn't mean drugs are done with you. He continued to battle severe mental health challenges. In 2019 he received the Director's Community Leadership Award from FBI Director Christopher Wray. 

His inspiring transformation is the subject of his book, My Addiction & Recovery: Just Because You're Done with Drugs, Doesn't Mean Drugs Are Done with You (Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press, April 2020). His book is available by visiting his website at www.edkressy.com

Ed is currently a volunteer for the FBI and Police Department of San Francisco where he helps those who are affected by incarceration and addiction. He often volunteers many hours in California state prisons for organizations that deliver training and entrepreneurship and employment for currently and formerly incarcerated individuals.

• 03:08 – Ed talks about his upbringing and how drug addiction affects everyone
• 03:59 – Ed discusses his addiction to methamphetamine and his life as a functional addict
• 05:01 – Discussion about gratitude and the lack of gratitude during this dark period of time
• 06:12 – Talk about finding gratitude, spirituality, self-improvement and service to others
• 07:00 – The value of living after addiction
• 08:15 – Ed’s beliefs created his circumstances in life
• 08:45 – Ed’s Silent Presence and those people who played an important role in his life
• 12:03 – Kindness and the importance of empathy in life
• 13:47 – Ed talks about his experiences with the FBI, both good and bad times
• 18:04 – Ed discusses his darkest moment in his addictive life and that “Wow Moment”
• 21:43 – Experience with the 12-step program and how life changed
• 24:15 – Breaking the stigma of addiction, overcoming obstacles and living beautiful lives
• 25:20 – Ed talks about his previous arrests and bad experiences in life
• 27:45 – Drugs are a problem but not THE problem. Underlying issues leading to drug abuse
• 29:04 – Ed discusses relapsing and why recovering addicts relapse
• 31:02 – What is going through the mind of an addict
• 33:17 – Spiritual teaching saved me from suicide
• 34:47 – Ed discusses his daily practices for staying healthy and why they’re important
• 37:00 – Ed talks about himself as an author and writer
• 38:50 – Finding happiness and striving for happiness
• 40:00 – The good we put out into the world comes back to us
• 41:25 – Ed talks about the prison system and those who are incarcerated and discrimination
• 41:55 – The prisoners who Ed works with are human beings and should be treated as such
• 44:12 – Educating others provides Ed with value in life
• 45:30 – Ed talks about his life NOW
• 47:50 – How to get in touch with Ed or obtain a copy of his book

For more information about the Silent Presence Podcast visit https://silentpresencepodcast.com/

Intro/Outro music courtesy of Purple Planet Music (Dreamcatcher)