Welcome to Doesn't Wreck Me, a podcast about building a life that doesn't destroy you.

I'm Ian. This is my story.

Growing up as a military kid, losing friends, facing disease, battling addiction, finding sobriety, and becoming a father to a daughter with Down syndrome—it all taught me something: the line between a life that bends you and one that breaks you is thinner than we think.

In this episode, I walk through the arc of my journey: from age eight in military households to my thirties as a sober father and advocate. I talk about the neuroscience behind childhood trauma and nervous system dysregulation, how alcohol became my solution, why high school lies were really people-pleasing, and how hitting rock bottom in my late twenties led to the Miracle Morning, sobriety, and ultimately, the radical transformation that came from raising a special needs child.

This isn't a redemption story. It's a story about bending. About the daily choice to stay present instead of numb. About what it takes to keep building a life worth living, even when it's hard.

If you're here because something in your story mirrors mine, this one's for you.

**KEY TOPICS:**
Sobriety | Addiction Recovery | Special Needs Parenting | Down Syndrome | Nervous System Dysregulation | Trauma | The Miracle Morning | SAVERS | Anxiety | Mental Health | Advocacy | Fatherhood | Military Family | Grief | Personal Development

**RESOURCES MENTIONED:**
The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod (SAVERS framework)
Willie Jilly - "A setback is a setup for a comeback"