Today I Have Peace and Neutrality Around Food

Mike Fetherston has walked a long, humbling road through addiction and recovery. one that has included alcohol, drugs, food addiction, bulimia, and as a result, morbid obesity which plagued him for much of his life. His struggle began early. By the age of two and a half, Mike was already turning to food as a coping mechanism, saying he loved food and wanted to feel as full as he could, from as early a time as he could remember. Childhood brought emotional instability and deep discomfort, and food quickly became his escape. As his addictions grew, he eventually faced life-threatening consequences not only from substance use but also from disordered and compulsive eating. Mike found sobriety from drugs and alcohol in 2005. Three years later, in 2008, he entered his first 12-step food recovery program, beginning what he often calls the hardest journey of all. Food was harder than drugs or alcohol. He admits, wrestling with the question of whether complete abstinence from food was even possible, and often would think to himself that people who said they had it were either lying or didn’t have it as bad off as he did. For the next decade, he cycled through food addiction and eating disorder treatment programs and countless 12-step meetings. Despite his best efforts, lasting recovery eluded him. Eventually, he reached a point of total desperation, physically broken, emotionally hopeless, and eating to die. Then, in a moment he least expected, the right combination of desperation, willingness, and support came together for him. It marked the turning point toward the most profound recovery and wellness he had ever experienced. Since 2018, Mike’s recovery has not been perfect or linear. He has relapsed more than once, but each time, he has returned to the support and structure needed to realign with his recovery. He believes his life depends on maintaining abstinence, and his resilience lies in never giving up and continuing to show up and seek recovery even when hope felt out of reach. Mike believes that if recovery can happen for a Man as hopeless as he was, then it can be had by anyone. Now in his 50s, Mike is healthy, thriving, and enjoying a beautiful life with his family. He has maintained a 150-pound weight loss for many years and speaks openly about how addiction nearly took his life but recovery gave him a new one. Mike’s story is also one of service and joy. He transformed his love of food and a lifelong passion for cooking into a recovery-focused mission. Since 2020, he has led hundreds of cooking and meal-planning classes at Milestones in Recovery (https://www.milestonesprogram.org/),  known as Cooking with Mike. In these sessions, he shows that people in recovery from eating disorders and food addiction can enjoy abundant, delicious, and nourishing meals while maintaining abstinence. His philosophy is simple: recovery doesn’t mean deprivation, it means positive transformation, supported by planning and mindful preparation. In Fall of  2020, Mike enrolled in the INFACT School (https://infactschool.com/), deepening his knowledge of food addiction and treatment. That education inspired him to expand his role from recovery sponsor to certified counselor, allowing him to guide others professionally. He now encourages others who feel called to this work to pursue certification as well.