This is Ashley Stone and you're listening to the Comeback Podcast.

Kyle! Kyle so excited to have you on the podcast. I've like known bits and

pieces about your story and obviously we know each other have rubbed shoulders through like work stuff.

I love stories that our addiction recovery came back to church because obviously that's my story but because I feel like the

transformation is so profound I mean the transformation in your life like the transformation in your heart and just all the things like when there's addiction involved and you can be in some of the most dark places.

So I'm just I'm excited to have you on and to hear your stories. Why don't you start by just kind of introducing yourself kind of what you do for work, maybe tell us about your family or whatever. So we have some context before you jump in so my name is Kyle Hickman I am a

licensed clinical social worker I've had my LCSW for just over or around a year

actually and it's through my journey that kind of

actually led me to this profession. I grew up in Oklahoma until I was 11 I've been a

member all my life.

I am the youngest of six kids.

My father was a convert.

The church was a huge part of his life.

Unfortunately, when I was 11, he passed away.

He was diagnosed with mesothelioma

when I was eight years old.

And so from 8 to to 11 there was a period of time where he and my mom were just kind of

absent doing treatments like in Boston Houston different places because it was so new.

So we had a lot of family members and family friends stepping up

to kind of hold down the household.

And I didn't really like understand everything at the time.

So they said he passed away when I was 11 and at that point I didn't really like understand either.

...