Recovery Articles

Presented By All Touch Case A lot of people still hear the name “Collectors MD” and assume this work only applies to sports cards or collectibles. On the surface, that makes sense. That’s where the conversation started and the world many of us came from. But the deeper we’ve gotten into this work, the clearer it’s become that this was never just about cards. At its core, it’s about patterns. More specifically, it’s about environments

Presented By All Touch Case The first Gamblers Anonymous meeting I ever attended was in November of 2022. I walked in, sat down with a group of complete strangers, and for the first time in my life, I told the truth about what was really going on. It was intimidating, but also strangely therapeutic. I’ve always been a strong communicator, so I leaned into that. I told my story with conviction, with emotion, with detail.

Presented By All Touch Case In the early stages of recovery, we tend to overlook the people standing just outside the blast radius. Everyone understands the dangers of secondhand smoking. You don’t have to be the one holding the cigarette to feel the effects. You don’t have to inhale directly to carry the consequences. The damage spreads anyway – quietly, indirectly, and often without consent. The same dynamic plays out in other forms of addiction.

Presented By All Touch Case Not forgiving ourselves can feel like protection. We hold onto the past like a warning sign, convinced that letting it go might mean forgetting what it cost us. Underneath that is a deeper belief that forgiveness equals erasure. So instead of processing the pain, we preserve it. We carry it forward as if holding onto it is what keeps us from repeating the behavior. We tell ourselves guilt is useful.

Presented By All Touch Case One of the most dangerous parts of recovery is that complacency rarely feels dangerous when it creeps in. There’s no dramatic crash or obvious warning sign. It builds through small shifts in mindset, routine, and honesty. A few things start to slip. Structure loosens. And the more disciplined version of you begins to fade before you even realize it. Progress in recovery can create comfort, and comfort can blur awareness.

Why is self-forgiveness so difficult? And how can we expect others to forgive us if we cannot forgive ourselves? These are questions that have been sitting heavily on my mind lately. I am a little over a year removed from finally coming to terms with my addiction to sports cards. Over that time, the damage became painfully clear. I lost my wife, my house, my car, my savings, my retirement, and much of the credibility

Every March, Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM) invites us to pause and take a closer look at behaviors that often hide in plain sight. The goal isn’t to shame people or cancel activities that bring joy. It’s to raise awareness about the risks, the warning signs, and the support systems that exist for those who need them. The 2026 theme, “Caring Communities, Stronger Futures”, reminds us that awareness and accountability don’t happen in isolation. They happen when communities are willing

The concept of intentional collecting has become a central pillar of the work we’re doing at Collectors MD, offering collectors a healthier framework for engaging with the hobby. Seeing more people talk openly about setting limits, collecting mindfully, and prioritizing enjoyment over endless chasing makes me genuinely optimistic about where things are headed within our community. Intentional collecting is our version of harm reduction, the same framework often discussed in traditional recovery communities. Harm reduction has helped tens of millions

In today’s hobby, we’re seeing a phrase pop up more and more:“crashing out”. It usually refers to moments where frustration, pressure, or emotional overwhelm spills over in very public ways. Sellers breaking things on stream. Cracking slabs. Bending cards. Reacting when something sells far below expectations. And almost instantly, social media reacts like a hive mind – amplifying the moment, criticizing it, dissecting it. From the outside, it can be easy to reduce these moments to spectacle or judgment. But

Recovery has a way of creating open space. When one behavior is removed or slowed down, something else often rushes in to fill the gap. Sometimes that replacement looks healthier on the surface – more acceptable, more productive, more socially reinforced. But that doesn’t always mean it’s harmless. Social media is one of the most common places dopamine relocates. Likes, views, comments, followers, engagements – they deliver fast feedback and instant gratification. The brain doesn’t

This week began with heartbreaking news, and it’s understandable if it’s been sitting with you since. A 25-year-old NFL player, Rondale Moore, died by suicide. Young. Talented. Successful by every external measure. And still hurting enough that the pain became unbearable. Stories like this shake people because they challenge a belief many of us quietly carry. That money fixes things. That success protects you. That fame insulates you from depression, anxiety, loss, or despair. Those

Rage is an emotion that, when people see it surface, they often immediately label the person as a villain. But rage is just as natural as any other emotion. We are human. We love. We cry. We laugh. We grieve. We get angry. And sometimes, that anger turns into rage. I’ve felt rage at my own stupidity during the days I threw money at card breaks. Rage at myself for believing the next rip would