Doug Atkinson

I wanted to get away from the drugs and alcohol that were so pervasive at my boarding school. I had also begun to form poor habits with how I spent my time. I was mostly doing what I wanted, when I wanted — playing video games for hours at a time, watching movies or just getting drunk and playing pool. Life didn’t excite me, and I hated my classes, but I thought I was having fun. At LaL I began to see that I really wasn’t doing what I wanted with my life. I am now connecting with my real passions. I am realizing that what I do now creates my future. I have committed to no drugs for life and no alcohol for one year, and I am challenging myself to let go of all the ways I escape. I am committed to living a more constructive life and I am learning that may mean going against what I view as “fun.” Interestingly, life has become far more exciting in the process.