Escaping dealing with the reality of life through substance abuse overturned his life. From a former NFL player to a an advocate for mental health. Digging into the importance of processing your emotions and taking out time for your mental well-being. Meet Mike Gibson.

About Mike Gibson:
Mike Gibson earned a scholarship to Cal-Berkeley for football and played for 2 years before he got drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2008. He played a total of 6 years in the NFL (Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals). 

In his 3rd year, he suffered an injury and shortly after got addicted to prescription painkillers. He started at 5 mg of Vicodin and by the time he finished his career, he was taking a minimum of 300 mg of OxyContin daily. 

After he retired, Mike became a sheriff's deputy, completing his credentials as class president, abusing OxyContin and Adderall the entire duration. He was a deputy for under a year before getting asked to resign for his unhealthy habits. 

This setback turned Mike to becoming addicted to stronger substances such as heroin and meth. After going in and out of rehab 6 times, in his last session, Mike made a breakthrough and has been sober for 5 years. He has worked in treatment centers as an addiction counselor for the entire 5 years he has been sober. 

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