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Jeffery’s Journey to Ria Health

Written By: Jeffery D. Whitfield, CSAC
Updated: August 31, 2022

Video Transcription

My father once told me that one thing that he wished he had done was stop drinking before his father passed away. (I was actually named after my grandfather.) My daddy told me that he had a dream one day—a dream that his father came to him and told him that drinking would one day kill him.

And so he woke up the next day after that dream. And he walked past this bottle of whiskey (I believe it was). He walked past his bottle of whiskey and shook his head and said, “No, I’m not gonna drink that.” And I tell people that story about my daddy, because he had struggled for so many years to control his drinking.

Both his parents had died by the time he actually stopped. I was his last child and was about five years old, I believe. My older siblings did not have a sober father, yet I got to enjoy him without his drinking. And so I look at that story, I look at his life, and I wonder, “How many people struggle so hard to get to that place?” 

I’m so grateful for Ria Health, and I’m so grateful for places out there that have counselors and intake people—even the janitors that work in the brick-and-mortar places—who are there to help people get to this place of just being able to get better. 

If it were not for the people that are in these buildings, and the people that are on these phone lines—and the virtual world that we live in now, through Ria Health, that helps people get to the place of living a better life—none of this would be possible. 

I’m so happy to be a part of this team. And I believe in the mission of Ria Health to make better lives for the people that are striving to have a better relationship with alcohol.

Written By:

Jeffery D. Whitfield, CSAC
Certified clinical supervisor and substance abuse counselor with over 10 years’ experience in both individual and group settings—including crisis management, family education, and community contexts. US Army veteran, BS in Human Development and Family Studies, currently pursuing a Masters in Social Work. Volunteer youth group leader, involved with local anti-racism book club and Montessori Governance Board EDI committee in spare time. Passionate about equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Reviewed By:

Bruce Hodges
In a career that includes writing, editing, communication and fundraising consulting, Bruce Hodges has created and edited text for online and print publications, including proposals, press releases, and podium remarks. Among many other interests, he explores poetry and essays, and writes articles for The Strad magazine (London) and WRTI public radio (Philadelphia). “As a lifelong advocate for innovative causes, I think of friends no longer with us who struggled with alcohol. If they had access to the revolutionary science behind Ria Health, some of them might be alive today.”
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