Dedication: My wife Stacey.. your such an amazing woman.. thank you for standing by me in darkness and in light
Hi!
My name’s Chef Chriso,
So in a nutshell!
I’m an ex alcoholic and addict
who’s battled with addictions and mental illness for years . Having bit of a rough start to life , and after finally finding a program of recovery , I am living proof that dreams come true , from being an unemployable 27 year old addict to being here today 10 years later , a head chef and having beenpublished in a cookbook called flavours of Australia.
My childhood , I had a single mother working many jobs and two sisters. With lots of trauma and having to move state to state,living in confusion with a missing father , who would be constantly arrested for breaching dvos and abuse, having deaths via murder and drug abuse and a single mother and sisters I had known about this all before I was 10, running away from home at 15 living on the streets in was introduced to heavy drugs, another massive move with family to another state at 17, I was a chronic alcoholic , by 25 I had met my to be wife and had some children, unable to really keep down jobs, constantly arrested for drink driving and drunken behaviour. evenutually I lost my way and had become addicted to ice and alcohol. By 27 ,having another drug induced Psychosis episode , I realised enough is enough, …. We moved in with my mother and I got clean!
My to be wife had always admired celebrity chefs which made me think there’s no way she’s looking at them like that!!! I’m gonna be that man!!
I took on a chefs apprenticeship , still heavily drinking I married my wife , and got my qualification! By 35 The drink took me to the depths of hell , I was sick everyday , very lonely , and was black out drunk most days.
I knew my best friend had been in recovery and I remmeber asking him if he thought they could help me?
I somehow found myself in a room with a beautiful bunch of people who helped me recover back to life in AA.
2 years later , complete sober and being proud and happy with myself , I’m a head chef of a reataraunt in Mooloolaba and I’ve been published in an actual legit cookbook!!!!!! My kids look at me like I’m a superstar and my wife admires my perseverance. I am living proof you can change your situation .
I’m just hoping to share my story and sobriety and hope anyone struggling reads this and gets inspired to make that change!!!!!
There is help out there. And there is such a beautiful life waiting for you to grab hold!
~ Photo credit: Images provided by the storyteller.
