00:00Around 100,000 Americans passed away in 2023 from a disease that almost no one understands.
00:06America is facing a record high number of addiction cases.
00:09Over 48.7 million Americans are living with substance use disorder,
00:14and millions were directly and indirectly impacted.
00:18I'm an addict. If I have a drink, I can't stop.
00:21Everyone's safety is at stake. It is an uncontrolled fire.
00:25Someone close to home offered to give us a more personal perspective on addiction.
00:30My name is Dan, and I'm an addict and alcoholic, and I have been in recovery for the last 11
00:37years.
00:38Dan started working with Beast Philanthropy as the chief creative officer almost two years ago,
00:43and during his continuous hard work to make these films, he still suffers with his addiction on a daily basis.
00:49The hardest part is remaining clean, having to constantly remind oneself like life can look so great from the outside.
01:04But it's a daily struggle, and it's forever.
01:12But that's why we say, just for today.
01:15So Dan and I, we've been working together a little bit over a year and a half.
01:20I've learned to spend so much time with him where I've completely changed my mind about what an addict is.
01:26When we heard about Phoenix, a program that uses new methods to help members return to a sober life
01:32with a high success rate of recovery where 1810 active members remain sober,
01:37I really wanted to go there with Dan to learn more about this.
01:40To be honest, before I came here, I said to Dan, like, I don't know how to feel about this.
01:45I was still very on the fence with this idea, but I think that's changed after speaking to Scott, founder
01:51of the Phoenix program.
01:52I'm Scott Strode. I'm in recovery, and I'm also the executive director and the founder of the Phoenix.
01:58Scott started the Phoenix as a result of his past struggles with alcohol and substance abuse.
02:03His experience of turning his life around was sparked from converting his bad weekend habits into a healthy, active lifestyle,
02:09surrounded by like-minded people.
02:12My own addiction story started from the environment I grew up in.
02:15Through sober events and activities, members bond over who they want to become, strong in mind and body.
02:21We realized we couldn't get to enough people that needed support,
02:24and so we opened up the chance for folks to volunteer to start Phoenix,
02:29and that's when we really grew to scale.
02:31A lot of Phoenix happens outside of buildings, out in the community,
02:35with bike rides and runs and hikes and other things.
02:38I think this, the Phoenix and places like this that exist, it's very new age.
02:42Maybe it is the way in which recovery can work.
02:46It's a beautiful thing.
02:47We sat down with Jessica and Tiffany, who turned to the Phoenix for their own recovery
02:51and now find meaning from helping others find theirs.
02:56I was really hopeless, depressed.
02:59I knew I needed help, but I hid my disease from my family.
03:04No one knew I had a problem because I didn't live at home.
03:07I was using much harder drugs.
03:09I had no more, like, reservations and addiction, and my life got really dark.
03:17It took two years of me really going on a merry-go-round of substances.
03:23I picked up heroin again and I overdosed, and my biggest fear is losing my son.
03:28I can't imagine him being without me, and I don't want to fail him.
03:34I was homeless in the streets of Boston, so I went to wake up the guy that was next to
03:40me,
03:40and he didn't move for, like, 30 seconds.
03:44In that really short frame of time, I thought to myself, like,
03:48oh my goodness, he's dead, and, like, he woke up, he was fine,
03:52but just very quickly I turned it around on myself.
03:55The final thought was I don't want to die.
03:58I can't be alone in a place and know that everything's going to be okay.
04:03I'm nowhere near strong enough to do that.
04:05You're going to have to find someone in the same position as yourself,
04:10and you guys are going to have to try to figure that out together,
04:12and that's why this program exists.
04:18I had been in treatment for so long,
04:20and I always had to say, Jessica, I'm an addict.
04:23Jessica, I'm an addict. Jessica, I'm an addict.
04:25And I felt that I would always have to be known as that,
04:29and I became really ashamed of myself.
04:31But walking into the Phoenix, and they told me,
04:34just introduce yourself however you want.
04:35It changed everything for me.
04:37I became really proud of myself.
04:39I wasn't ashamed.
04:41I didn't feel like I had to walk around with a scarlet letter.
04:44I did this workout, and I had confidence,
04:47that self-worth, that, like, feeling of belonging.
04:53You can feel like this without using drugs.
04:57I know I'm an addict. I know what I did.
04:59I'll never forget my past,
05:01but I don't always have to be known for that either.
05:03And the Phoenix gave me that back.
05:05I claimed my name back.
05:07That same feeling that we chased,
05:14that same feeling that I chased,
05:16for so many years,
05:19has been right here.
05:24We have an ethos here at the Phoenix,
05:26is that we're here to lift each other up.
05:28So you come in,
05:29and Phoenix is for you in the beginning,
05:31and then you realize you can use your unique gifts
05:33to help others heal on their path.
05:36And that's real community.
05:38That's how we help each other rise,
05:39is through community.
05:41It is through volunteers like Jessica and Tiffany
05:43that the Phoenix has reached
05:44and helped hundreds of thousands of people
05:46in their recovery.
05:47Through facilitating an environment built around fitness,
05:50love, and community led by like-minded people.
05:53All these people from all these different walks of life
05:56all share one common problem,
05:58and they get to help each other out
06:00with that problem every single day.
06:02And that's a beautiful thing.
06:04Through our time at Phoenix,
06:05it's become so evident
06:06that addiction could be affecting anyone around us.
06:09But luckily, there are amazing communities like Phoenix
06:12that are making successful strides
06:14in providing a solution.
06:15This program is free,
06:16but raising money is a constant struggle.
06:18One thing we're trying to raise money for right now
06:21is our digital app.
06:22Millions around the world struggling with addiction
06:25can't find the help they need.
06:27This app can change that,
06:28but we need your support to make it a reality.
06:31So with our partners from Stand Together,
06:33we wanted to help Scott and his team in any way we can.
06:35So for every person that comments on this video,
06:38together we rise.
06:39We will donate a dollar to the Phoenix program.
06:42We will also be matching every donation
06:43two to one up to $200,000.
06:45And together with Stand Together,
06:47we will be donating $50,000 directly into the fund
06:50to help fund the app.
06:51So Phoenix can reach those in need around the world.
06:54Where there's breath, there's hope.
06:55And now that's how I see the addiction crisis.
06:59Everybody that's part of it
07:00can actually be part of the solution too.
07:03Tiffany's story really inspired us
07:05and we wanted to show it.
07:06After a long road of substance abuse
07:08and through her determination and sobriety,
07:11Tiffany had found her passion.
07:14I had been doing CrossFit for two months.
07:18I was hooked.
07:19I was hooked into the community,
07:22the atmosphere, the open.
07:24I used CrossFit as my therapy.
07:27Tiffany had a natural gift for CrossFit
07:29and through all her training
07:30was finally given the opportunity
07:32to compete in a competition
07:33that only the top 40 CrossFit athletes
07:36in the world can compete at.
07:37But attending this event is expensive
07:39and she has had to find a way
07:40to fund this journey herself.
07:42We were so moved by her unwavering determination
07:44to support those around her
07:46that we felt we needed to do the same for her.
07:48The competition that you have coming up.
07:50Yeah.
07:53We're going to sponsor you.
07:54We'll pay all of the expenses for you to go.
07:57Oh my goodness.
07:58Thank you so much.
07:59That's going to be huge.
08:02I want to say thank you to Stand Together.
08:04You guys have been an incredible partner.
08:05Like us, Stand Together is dedicated
08:07to giving people the tools and opportunities
08:08to realize their full potential
08:09and whatever they value most.
08:11Thank you, Stand Together, for all of your support
08:12and thank you for your commitment to helping others.
08:14I love you.
08:15And finally, if you're struggling with addiction
08:17or know someone it is,
08:18please download the Phoenix app
08:19so that they can help you on your road to sobriety.
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