Service Array:
Individual Skill Development and Enhancement
My name is Nikolas Radi, but I go by Damion, and I’m from Waukesha, Wisconsin. My parents divorced when I was four, but I was raised in loving homes where my creativity and curiosity were allowed to grow. Though curious, I preferred to examine the world from the safety of my home through educational media such as books and shows; the real world could be a difficult place for the timid, anxious child I was.
In my early teens I began developing depression, the perfect companion to my anxiety. Having few healthy outlets for my emotions and with hormones running rampant, I became a very hateful person, though I kept it locked inside. Given these conditions and a genetic propensity for addiction and alcoholism, it should have been expected that I’d develop a substance abuse disorder while I obtained my degree in Philosophy from UW Madison. I used multiple drugs and substances, with my disease progressing year by year. I eventually came into legal trouble as a result of my addiction, and soon after that I had a few brushes with death. Finally, I saw myself with some clarity and realized I did not want to die, so I began to tackle my problems: first, the active addiction; then, the legal problems; and finally, the mental health concerns that precipitated everything else. I have a drive to and feel that I have the ability to show others that many doors are still open and that they can still thrive, even if they have a criminal history, even if they had a drug problem, and even if they struggle with their mental health.
In my journey of recovery, I’ve joined multiple fellowships and followed multiple recovery programs, 12-step and not. I’ve also developed many hobbies and practices. For me, the journey to becoming a happy and effective human is threefold; I like to train my body, mind, and spirit. I have far too many hobbies and interests to share in such a small space, but to put it concisely: I have overcome my challenges through a combination of multiple methods of cultivating physical fitness, mental adaptability, and spiritual equanimity.
I hope to have the opportunity to be the kind of mentor that I struggled to find when I was getting clean and dealing with my legal problems. I don’t want to be the kind of mentor that passes on everything they’ve learned; I want to be the type of mentor who helps their mentees discover what they want to learn, and then helps them develop themselves to achieve their goals.
This individual is an Independent Contractor through Milwaukee Turners.