Michael Blanchard - Using Aesthetics in Recovery and to Give Back

Alcoholism is one of the biggest public health crises in the United States today, and it has been for generations. We know this because of the statistics and information on alcoholism and addiction that have been collected over the years, showing how alcohol and substance abuse have affected people across genders, ages, and socioeconomic statuses.   According to the CDC, six Americans a day die from alcoholism.

Michael Blanchard knows all of this firsthand.  Blanchard nearly became one of those statistics.  A successful Fortune 500 CEO and family man, Blanchard had a hidden secret - alcoholism.  It became so severe that it landed him in jail, with three DUI arrests in as many months, and drove him close to suicide.  His marriage was crumbling.  Commitment to a psychiatric hospital, followed by a three-month stay at an Arizona rehab center that specializes in treating professionals — doctors, nurses, pilots and executives — began the turnaround for Blanchard.   Then he picked up the lens, taking prize winning photos.  The result is the award winning book, Through A Sober Lens that features both his photography and inspiration on how to overcome alcoholism with advice for others  He has been described as the Ansel Adams of the Recovery World by Recovery Today Magazine (https://siteassets.pagecloud.com/recoverytoday/RecoveryTodayMagazine-Issue72-_February2021-q8f6f.pdf). 

Today, Blanchard donates profits from his book to non-profits that combat addictions and speaks around the nation about combatting alcoholism and how to do it.  He has tips on how to overcome alcoholism, as well as, how family members of alcoholics can deal with the issue. He continues with his photography that has captivated millions.