Doyin Richards

Let me keep it real — for the majority of my life I didn't like myself very much. It didn’t matter if I was on stage in front of thousands of people or winning awards - I never thought I was good enough, smart enough, likable enough, etc. That impacted me in a lot of ways, including having a serious drinking problem.

I would get hammered at least three times a week to avoid the pain of facing my numerous demons, but on the morning of September 18, 2016, I quietly decided that I would never drink alcohol again. Some people in my inner circle laughed and said I’d be drunk before the end of the week, but I knew I wasn’t turning back.

I'm proud to say that today I've celebrated 7 years of sobriety. During those 7 years I endured my dad's death, a pandemic, death threats because of my anti-racism work, an incredibly grueling surgery, a divorce - all while being a Black man in America who deals with clinical depression. Not once during that period did I take a sip of alcohol and I never will again. If I can do this, anyone can.

If you’re struggling with addiction or if you’re trying to silence the nagging feeling that you’re not good enough in unhealthy ways, please know that you’re not broken. The first step is to realize you have a problem. The second step is doing whatever it takes to solve it.

“You will never escape the demons that are chasing you unless you face them. Only then you will enjoy a life that is truly worth living.”

By the way, I’m not going to comment here on the Supreme Court ruling because I’m trying to enjoy my vacation in Portland as a Basketball Dad.

I’ll share my thoughts on my weekly newsletter that drops every Tuesday (which you all should subscribe to). And boy, do I have some thoughts.