A bottle of Old Crow whiskey is superimposed on a black-and-white photo of Ulysses S. Grant standing beside a tent, with a quote from Abraham Lincoln praising Grant's drinking.

Ulysses S. Grant: The Hammered Hero Who Saved the Union

Let’s just get the uncomfortable question out of the way: was saving the Union even the right move?

Essentially, America is a dysfunctional family at odds with itself. It always has been. Maybe the effort to preserve the Union would’ve been better spent developing a refugee program to get enslaved people out of there — rather than forcing together states that fundamentally didn’t (and still don’t) want to share a house.

We keep pretending this is a “united” country, but it’s not. It’s stratified. West Coast folks aren’t going to care which restroom trans people use, any more than Southerners are giving up Jesus or guns. In a way, the whole thing feels like the perfect alcoholic decision: “It doesn’t work and we hate each other… let’s save it!”

And the guy who pulled off that chaotic Hail Mary? He was an alcoholic.

Ulysses S. Grant wasn’t some polished, idealized figure out of a marble statue. He was a messy, complicated, painfully human man — and a severe alcoholic. He drank himself out of the army once before the Civil War. He was known to disappear into benders that had his peers worried, embarrassed, or both. And yet, when the country was literally splitting in two, he was the guy who held it together.

He led the Union Army to victory. Not because he was clean-cut or sober or even particularly diplomatic — but because he was relentless. Smart. Tough. And oddly moral in his own quiet way. Later, as President, he tried (and mostly failed) to steer Reconstruction in a more just direction. Still, he fought for Black Americans’ civil rights when it wasn’t exactly a winning political strategy.

Grant’s drinking was never a footnote — it was part of his story. His critics used it against him. His supporters tried to cover it up. But the truth is, he was a man at war with both the Confederacy and his own demons — and still managed to do something extraordinary.

And yet, ultimately, Grant lost his fight. We know now what he didn’t: that heavy drinking combined with smoking exponentially increases the likelihood of cancer. Grant died of throat cancer in his 60s — not that old — after enduring a brutal final year writing his memoirs so his family wouldn’t be left penniless. Even at the end, he was grinding it out, doing what needed to be done.

If you’ve ever felt like you were too broken, too addicted, or too far gone to make a difference, remember Ulysses S. Grant. The guy might’ve smelled like bourbon and bad decisions half the time, but he still saved the goddamn country. You’re not out of the fight.

A black-and-white photo of an early 20th-century inventor in a vest and tie pointing at a cathode-ray tube on a bulky electronic device, surrounded by vintage equipment in a wood-paneled room.

High Functioning, Still Human: Alcoholics Who Changed the World

We tend to talk about alcoholics like they’re just sad sacks at the end of the bar, cautionary tales in court-ordered group therapy, or plotlines in movies that end in DUIs or overdoses. But the truth is a hell of a lot more complicated — and more interesting. Alcoholics aren’t just heartbreaking and frustrating. They’re often brilliant. Visionary. World-changing.

Yes, addiction can wreck lives. But it doesn’t always erase potential or talent. It can certainly give pause to wonder what an alcoholic in recovery could achieve.

Fat shaming is out. We don’t say “retard” anymore — and we shouldn’t. But somehow we still toss around “drunk” or “junkie” like it’s acceptable. We still reduce people to their worst moments. We ignore the complexities of the human experience. This kind of erasure isn’t so different from how we’ve historically ignored the contributions of women, or African Americans, or anyone pushed to the margins.

Where would we be without alcoholics? No, really — think about that.

So if you’re an alcoholic feeling like a loser, the family black sheep, the fuck-up they don’t talk about at holidays? You’re in good company.

If we want to build a more compassionate, honest culture around addiction, we have to stop seeing alcoholics only through the lens of tragedy and failure. They are — we are — whole people. Capable of greatness and screw-ups, sometimes in the same hour.

So, if you’re watching TV right now? Thank an alcoholic.

Philo Farnsworth: The Drunk Who Invented TV

Before TikTok influencers, HBO dramas, or “Friends” reruns numbing the existential dread at 2 a.m., there was a kid in Idaho — 14 years old — sketching the first concept of what would become television on a plowed field. That kid was Philo Farnsworth, and yeah, he was an alcoholic. A genius one.

Farnsworth didn’t just invent TV. He imagined it before most people even had indoor plumbing. He figured out how to transmit moving pictures electronically. The guy dreamed of sharing knowledge and images around the world — and then actually made it happen. He also spent much of his adult life fighting off depression, disappointment, and, yes, a drinking problem.

But here’s the thing: if you’ve ever watched anything on a screen — from breaking news to “The Real Housewives,” you’re witnessing the legacy of a man who wrestled with addiction.

His drinking didn’t cancel out his brilliance. And his invention didn’t cure his suffering. He was both: an innovator and a struggling human being.

It’s time we hold space for that truth. Because when we only define people by their addiction, we erase the rest of the story.

A joyful graduate in a green academic gown poses outside with a smiling group of proud family and friends after the ceremony.

Recovery Works. Expect Miracles.

A smiling graduate in a green doctoral robe waves at the camera while surrounded by a crowd under a large graduation tent.
Years ago, Laurie Dhue and I were visiting an orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. That’s where we met Andrew, a young boy whose life had been defined by uncertainty but also immense promise. Moved by his spirit and circumstances, we decided to bring him to New York and support his journey.

But we didn’t do it alone. Adopting Andrew was a collaboration with St. Francis Xavier in New York City—the greatest Catholic school in the world, in my opinion. Their partnership and unwavering commitment to education and compassion made all the difference. With their support, we were able to provide Andrew with a home and a real shot at a better future.

Today, Andrew isn’t just surviving—he’s thriving. He graduated from Georgetown University, completed medical school, and is now starting his residency. From an orphanage in Nairobi to becoming a doctor in America, his journey is nothing short of miraculous.

A smiling family stands indoors with two children, including a young boy in a white polo, gathered close and dressed for a celebration.

But here’s the truth: none of this could have happened without honesty and quality mental health care. I know from my own recovery that drunk, depressed people can’t help someone else climb life’s mountains. It was the work Laurie and I did on ourselves—getting sober, addressing our mental health, and staying honest—that allowed us to show up for Andrew fully and consistently.

A young boy in a navy blazer and striped tie poses in a clothing store, standing proudly in front of shelves filled with folded dress shirts.
A smiling young boy stands between a man and woman outdoors, wearing a New York Yankees shirt and boots, with an unfinished building and parked cars in the background.

This story isn’t just about adoption. It’s a testament to the power of recovery and the moral imperative we have to participate in the world. When we do the work of recovery, we’re not just saving our own lives—we’re making it possible to change someone else’s future, too.

Recovery works. Expect miracles.

A group of sharks swim through deep blue ocean waters, creating a sense of tension and danger in the underwater scene.

Choosing Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment: It’s Not So Simple

Navigating mental health and substance abuse treatment is like trying to order a meal in a restaurant where the menu is in a language you don’t speak, and you’re not even sure they’re serving food at all.

There are endless considerations. Do you want a residential program, outpatient, 12-step-based, harm reduction (good luck finding that)? What about insurance, what about the fit with your life, your family, your career? These are questions that demand real, honest answers, not just a slick sales pitch.

Speak to an admissions counselor, and it will feel more like you’re buying a timeshare than making a decision that will weigh heavily on you and your family. That’s the hard truth: the business of treatment can be as shady as a used car lot. A lot of people are in it for the money, not the mission. The websites are full of glossy images and promises of transformation, but they rarely tell the real story—how treatment can be a revolving door, how relapse isn’t a moral failing, and how no program, no matter how expensive, isn’t a magic bullet.

Is it all just a street corner scam? A shell game? An argument can be made that it is. Lack of training among staff, insurance fraud, an evangelical approach to AA, and the abysmal rate of success all lead to some very serious questions. Caveat emptor.

Think about the previous career of many people in the rehab industrial complex—drug dealing. Oftentimes, that’s the ethical standard being applied to their new life.

One of my favorites? There’s a program that offers petting a wolf. To be clear, there is no peer-reviewed research to support petting wolves as treatment for mental health, but the website implication is that it is. Might be an interesting metaphor or activity, but it’s not really doing anything for your recovery.

Sadly, it seems that it’s a lot like the weight loss industry, where the real profit is in failure—so the industry closely holds an ineffective system. You keep coming back, and they keep taking your money.

And here’s something else to consider: the overwhelmingly vast majority of treatment options out there aren’t really treatment at all. They’re 12-step indoctrination camps, which might be okay for you—but it might not. If you don’t want to be force-fed the same dogma as everyone else, you have to dig deeper and find an approach that aligns with your needs, your beliefs, and your circumstances.

With all this said, treatment can be helpful in gaining a running start into one’s self-regulated recovery. The key is finding what’s right for you. I’m often asked, “What’s the best rehab?” My answer is always: the best rehab is the one that’s best for you.

That’s why it’s so important to take your time. Ask questions. If it feels wrong, it probably is. If it feels like a high-pressure sales call, hang up. You’re not buying a timeshare; you’re trying to find help.

If you want to explore treatment in a way that’s grounded in reality and compassion—not glossy marketing—I offer a free discovery session Let’s see if it makes sense to work together. No bullshit, no pressure. Just real talk about what might work for you.

— Joe Schrank

marijuana

Maybe It’s Not the Weed—Maybe It’s the Abstinence

Weed gets a bad rap as a “gateway drug,” but let’s turn that idea around for a second. If more than 90% of people who try abstinence end up going back to their drug of choice, maybe the real gateway is… abstinence itself.

Sounds like blasphemy coming from a social worker who’s been sober for 28 years in AA, right? But maybe forcing people into an all-or-nothing approach—where you’re either 100% clean or a total failure—sets the stage for relapse. It’s black-and-white thinking in a world that’s actually a million shades of grey. And it certainly smacks of judgment and shame, two things that never help someone find their recovery.

Einstein said we’re all geniuses, but if we ask a fish to climb a tree, we’re setting people up to fail. Maybe abstinence-only modality is asking a fish to climb a tree. Shouldn’t recovery have a broader definition than just “drug free”? Ultimately, recovery is about self-improvement, not satisfying an evangelical AA zealot.

Recovery isn’t a contest of willpower or a moral test. It’s a personal path, and for some people, that might include cannabis, harm reduction, or other tools that help keep them away from toxic and self-harming drug use.

Cali sober is a lifestyle that eliminates alcohol and other drugs but allows space for cannabis use. If you want to address issues in your life and are curious about sobriety but find abstinence too daunting, Cali sober may be an option for you. Schedule a free discovery session with me, and let’s chat. Nothing is for everyone, and Cali sober may or may not be an option for you. Let’s find what works.

Alcohol, other drugs and suicide reach record levels

Today the New York Times reported the grim reality of death in America at the hands of what amounts to ignoring mental health. I’ll be 50 this month and had the battery of tests with my doctor when one reaches that milestone. It’s not fun, they poke, they prod, they send you to various rooms for various indignities but it has to be done. As a sober guy, I have to take care of my health as an overarching plan to stay in remission from addictive disease. The prescribed screenings are for a reason and, thankfully, I am in great health. As a side note, where would my health be were I not sober and committed to exercise? Likely not good. Of course they told me I’m too fat. Heavy sigh, a constant struggle but the good news is, they know what they’re doing, they have the knowledge, values, and skills to screen for health issues as we age but there was a blaring omission. As I sat talking to the doctor, apologizing for my teenage diet, nobody ever asked “how are you?”. It’s not a criticism of my doctor or the rest of the staff, it’s an observation about healthcare in America. We forget or maybe we ignore mental and emotional health. What should have happened is the doctor should have said “ok, get dressed and head down the hall, the social worker will meet with you” and they should be screening for depression, anxiety, trauma, substance misuse, all the things that lead people to poor mental health which has a severe impact on physical health. They didn’t. It’s no wonder in an age of isolation, loneliness, shame and stigma, were in such poor mental health and here is the result. America does have an obesity crisis and an opioid crisis, we can read about that daily but we also have a mental health crisis. There are reasons people use drugs and extinguishing drug use is only part of that story. We don’t often hear that we should pay as much attention to our mental health as we do to or physical health but we should. Or maybe we should consider them all part of a comprehensive plan to stay health for as long as we can.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/07/us/deaths-drugs-suicide-record.html

Removing the Shame and Stigma Associated with Addiction Treatment

There are many hurdles to accessing help. With more than 23 million people in need of treatment and less than 2 million receiving any level of care, there is something in the way. There are many theories out there about why this is. Of all the hurdles, to negotiate, there is likely none higher than shame. Consistently, people cite stigma as a major reason that prevented them from reaching out for help. In the midst of a fever pitch crisis, losing 160 people a day to overdose, there is a moral imperative to remove the shame and stigma.

Check out this new film featuring Joe Schrank in the subject of reversing the stigma:
Reversing the Stigma“.

Stupidity Session.

Jeff sessions and Steve Alford (R, Kansas) show their cards.

Attorney General, Jeff Sessions hates weed. He has made that abundantly clear throughout his checkered career. The question looms: “why?”. Logic never prevails with drug policy but Sessions attitude and behavior regarding cannabis has no logicial train of thought or maybe it does? Sessions is a conservative lawyer and former senator from Alabama. He has said, “Good people don’t smoke marijuana” he has also said “marijuana to help the opiate crisis, give me a break!’ He is wrong on both statements. Good people do use cannabis, so do bad people, indifferent people, mediocre people, or as I like to call them, “people”. Millions of people use cannabis, it’s logical to surmise that in those millions is the entire bouquet of humanity. Sessions is an attorney requiring a high level of education and as an educated man, I would guess he could read simple research. The AG would do well to read, even skim, this study (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/1898878). It gives compelling and substantial evidence that states with legal and accessible cannabis have 25% fewer overdose deaths. Again, Jeff Sessions is categorically wrong is his public statements about Cannabis. As a conservative, it would be logical that Sessions would respect the states rights drums which conservatives beat. Apparently, that value doesn’t extend to things to which one has an individual moral objection. Similar to the familiar conservative refrain of “small government and fiscal responsibility” the conservative position on Cannabis is at the minimum, head scratching. There isn’t larger or more wasteful government than the drug war. So what is it about Cannabis that Sessions hates so much? Likely it’s not cannabis but the people who use cannabis that he finds so abhorrent. While legalization would align with Sessions stated conservative values, it would make it more difficult to round up black and brown people and put them in a cage. Dogged by accusations of racism his entire career, I have to believe that at the least, Sessions opposition to cannabis comes from that place. Additionally, Sessions seems to view legalization as a potential political weapon. January, 1 saw California become the worlds largest legal market, creating industry and commerce. Deeply opposed to Trump and Sessions, what better way to flick the earlobes of the state than to flex federal muscle and mandate continued criminalization of the will of the people? Running neck and neck with the avocado as the favorite flora of California, cannabis will not go gentle into the good night of The Trump and Session racism show.

Sessions policy regarding Cannabis has a ripple effect. It resurrects antiquated and debunked theories about the plant. The original criminalization of the stuff was never based in science, it was always social control. It would be like having an objection to English people and a desire to control them by making tea illegal. Kansas State senator Steve Alford, perhaps emboldened by Sessions, went full Archie Bunker in a room full of white people. The lawmaker claimed that due to the character and genetics of black folks, they simply can not tolerate marijuana and thereby arguing against legalization. Oh, where to start? Let’s say this weak character idea were true, would criminalizing stop use? Don’t people of weak character break laws? It’s hard to imagine people like this guy were called “deplorable”. In a way, we owe a debt of gratitude to the senator because he overtly said what Sessions implies and lacks the courage to state. Why not just say what you mean, Mr. Sessions? For America to look like what it does in your head, you need license to disrupt and control black people. As a side note, Sessions heralds from Alabama. The good people there deliberate if sending a credibly accused pedophile to the US senate is a good idea. They have the capacity to dismiss the most egregious form of child abuse as “Courtin’”. Alabama is welfare dependent, poorly educated, obese and for a small fee and minimal paperwork, one can legally distill grain alcohol, a flammable poison with the capacity to explode. Yes, Mr. Sessions is right, we should all be “good” people like the fine folks of Alabama waddling to Walmart for supplies to distill alcohol.

Best of luck Mr. Sessions with your ill conceived crusade. Cannabis, like guacamole and surfing are here to stay and the political clout and money of California, say so. As for Alford, well, I kind of like people like him. He’s one of those offensive idiots that incites eye rolling by the younger generation at Thanksgiving dinner. I can easily imagine a chess game to see what exactly I could get him to say, apparently, that’s not hard. Stick with wheat senator, leave Cannabis to us.

“A New High” Proves AA Is Not The Only Road to Recovery

When most Americans think of addiction and overcoming it, Alcoholics Anonymous, more commonly known as AA comes to mind. For most of the country, AA is often seen as the punch line of a joke and conjures up images of a meeting in a church basement with a circle of chairs and complimentary coffee in paper cups. But as the new documentary “A New High” shows, there’s a new recovery program that’s hoping to give AA a run for their money.

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“A New High” is a documentary exploring the idea of rehab in a non-traditional way. The film chronicles the lives ofthose addled by addiction, some with shattered lives who have had multiple unsuccessful attempts to rebuild their lives and themselves. These people have found themselves in the care of Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission and dynamic former Army ranger, Mike Johnson. Johnson recruits a group of addicts to climb the 14,400-foot Mount Rainer, in hopes that the climbing of the physical mountain will help them to be able to climb and overcome their own personal mountains within.

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“This climbing thing, it gives them a chance to write a new story, a story of success, a story of hard work, the chance to be part of the team,” says Johnson. “It’s up the mountain, or it’s down into the grave.”

Johnson isn’t exaggerating the severity of the situation these people are in.

“The only thing that’s going to happen if I ever relapse is death,” said one of the climbers. “It’s not the way I was raised, it’s not who I am.”

Johnson’s program is so exciting, because it is potentially offering new opportunities to addicts who feel that rehab at AA may not be the right path for them. A growing movement is mounting, rejecting the idea that AA is the only road to recovery and millennials might be the leaders of this charge.

Recovery That’s Outside The Box

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Creative, entrepreneurial, and accepting, millennials have made the gay/straight question about as exciting as left-handed or right-handed. They are playing jazz with tired definitions and assigned boxes and they seem to be doing the same with recovery.

According to AA there are 2,040,629 active members worldwide. In the grand scheme of a problem like addiction that number seems low. According to a study done in 2014 by the New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Service (OASAS), there are 23.5 million Americans who describe themselves as being “in recovery”. That’s roughly 10% of the American population and 21 million more than AA’s global membership. That proves that AA must not be the only treatment available.

“You just feel so different from everyone else,” said another one of the climbers. “I just never did anything like this, I never thought I could.”

But this documentary begs the question; can an alternative program like this one work? Dr. Scott Bienenfeld, MD, a psychiatrist specializing in addiction says he thinks it can.

“Setting a goal to reach the summit of a mountain would require many of the things we suggest for people attempting to stabilize an addiction,” says Dr. Bienenfeld. “Vigorous physical activity, commitment, accountability and above all, peer support are all necessary requirements.”

Dr. Bienenfeld, who founded Rebound Brooklyn, a medical recovery program for people with substance abuse problems and addiction treatment, goes on to explain more about why AA’s success varies depending on the person.

“The reason AA works for some people is because they are doing something with other people and without intoxication,” says Dr. Bienenfeld. “Being a part of a team, training, goal setting and reaching those goals with other sober people is the kind of mutual help that can keep someone clean.”

Be a part of something bigger

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It appears that the reoccurring theme and key when it comes to recovery is to feel like you are a part of something bigger than you. Reading a book in a church basement doesn’t seem to have a monopoly on active participation.

“AA is a great organization but it only works if it works for you,” says Dr. Bienenfeld. “If it doesn’t work, find something else that does.”

With the millions of American families, individuals and communities decimated by addiction when it rears its ugly head, certainly mountain climbing can’t be the solution to a complex and ancient problem. The take away from the film is inspiration, but Johnson sums it up the best:

“I choose joy. I’ve never found myself able to give up on anybody, because I believe in change. Because I saw it. You can do this and if you do, you will never be the same.”

A NEW HIGH will be screened on Saturday, Nov 14, at 9:15pm as part of DOC NYC at the IFC theater. Tickets available at www.docnyc.net.

This post originally appeared on MillennialMagazine.com