There’s a few people responsible for the content you see on the site and our other properties and various social media pages. First and foremost is the owner and founder of the site and the person ultimately responsible for all of the content you see here today:
Mike Jacobsen (Mike J)
Mike is a published author and the chief editor and primary content creator on this site.
Having suffered with Alcohol Use Disorder himself for a number of years he now uses his spare time to help others. In ‘real life” Mike volunteers as a sober counselor for an outreach charity in the North West of England, UK, working primarily with people suffering from addiction. He has helped hundreds of people struggling with alcohol problems to get sober and get their lives back on track.
Recently, however, Mike has taken to the web in his quest to help those who are trying to get – and stay – sober. Appearing on The Fix and Healthline as a trusted source and of course with his writings here on IWNDWYT. Mike’s main goal in being an author is to help as many people as possible. He has set himself the goal of directly helping 10,000 people to break free from their alcohol abuse problem. Lofty goal for sure but one he is happy to keep cracking away at.
Mike can also be found on Twitter collating good news stories from the world of alcohol recovery. Or if all this talk of recovery has you down and you just need a laugh why not follow him on Instagram where all he does is post silly memes for those in recovery to enjoy :).
Sandra Dedeyne
Sandra Dedeyne holds an Undergraduate in Psychology in The United Kingdom. In her early thirties, she sought a career change in order to find a more meaningful and fulfilling career. Since then, she started working in the mental health and care sector while attending school, obtaining extensive experience in various mental health sectors. Her current experience ranges from working with special needs children to providing a listening ear for people with dementia and eating disorders. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in clinical psychology and is looking to specialise in mental health problems such as eating disorders, agoraphobia, chronic depression, and addiction.
As a child, Sandra witnessed addiction first-hand, as her mother struggled with alcohol addiction. She found solace in an AA support group for children of addicts, learning how to cope with an addict in her family. The experience did have a profound effect on her, leading her to help addiction sufferers by pursuing a psychology career.
While Sandra’s specialty may be addiction and psychology – which she writes about extensively for the Holistic Therapies Directory – she also writes about a wide range of interests for Operation Deep Dive and is also a reporter for the crazy world of professional wrestling!
Maria La Madrid
Maria La Madrid is part-time freelance writer and a full-time film and true crime junkie. Having previously ghost-written for WebMD and for E! online, Maria joins the team at IWNDWYT in providing insight into celebrity addictions and how we can learn from the most famous of alcohol abusers.
On days when she isn’t packed with work or school, this lawyer-in-the making balance out through blogging her serious, stern side with her light and humorous persona, a weird mix you can feel through her writing.
Reader Contributions
Some posts on the site will have the below comment added to the intro to the post. This is to denote that the piece has been written by one of our readers. When reading these posts/stories it is wise to keep in mind that the people who are submitting these stories are not trained professionals, nor are they addiction counselors, and more importantly they are not your counselors. Any advice they give should be treated with the same level of skepticism as you would give any advice given to you by a stranger in a meeting.
This is a reader story. We believe in providing our readers with a space for them to share their story however they see fit. The thoughts and views expressed are that of the author and should be treated as such. If you wish to share your own stories please see here for more information.
The author of this piece chose to remain anonymous