Mescal was born in England and moved to Santa Monica at age 8 in the height of the Dogtown Era. Mescal grew up surrounded by skate and surf culture and also gang and drug culture. All this leading to him becoming, as he describes it, “a troubled, poor, latchkey kid of the 80s”

Mescal got sober in his twenties but 18 years later found his sobriety threatened when past trauma and unresolved mental health issues could no longer be contained. With the help of friends and treatment he’s been able to wade through these challenges going to grad school for social work and finding a meaningful relationship in the process.

Mescal’s story is an important one. In it we hear about what can happen when we treat the addiction without addressing the underlying mental health pieces. His story is one of continuing to push and do the hard work even when things have felt like they should be getting easier.