RICH'S STORY
CO-FOUNDER, 4 ACRE WOODS

I spent a long time lying to myself—about how much I was drinking, about why I was drinking, and about who it was hurting. I told myself I had it under control. That I could stop if I really wanted to. That it wasn’t that bad. The truth was, it was worse than I was willing to admit, even to myself, much less to anyone else. The truth was, I was no longer drinking because I liked being drunk. I was drinking because I didn’t know how to live sober.

​

For a while, I believed the problem might be something else. I even convinced myself, my wife, and doctors I had health conditions that explained the symptoms. But deep down, I knew the truth—I was drinking. Hiding it. And it was destroying my health, my mind, and my relationships.

​

Eventually, my drinking caught up with me in every possible way. I developed alcohol-induced atrial fibrillation. My liver took a major hit. My thinking got cloudy. I wasn’t sleeping. I lost my sense of integrity, my clarity, my peace. I lost parts of myself I didn’t think I’d ever get back.

 

The hardest part wasn’t putting the bottle down—it was facing myself without it. Getting sober didn’t happen in one moment—it happened in a series of moments where I had to finally stop defending the lie. I got honest. I accepted help. I am doing the work. And even though the road has been rocky, I’m more grounded now than I’ve been in decades. Sobriety didn’t fix everything, but it gave me the chance to fix the things I had broken. That’s all I needed.

​

That’s also part of what 4 Acre Woods is about. It’s not a program or a clinic. It’s a place to land when you’ve burned through your second and third chances. It’s a place for men over 40—guys like me—who still have something to live for, even if they don’t know what that is yet. 4 Acre Woods isn’t rehab. It’s real life—with support, accountability, and the chance to get your dignity back.

​

If you’re still lying to yourself like I was, I get it. It’s terrifying to admit what’s really going on. But it’s also the only way anything can change. If you’re not ready yet to stop running and start rebuilding, we’ll be here when you are.

​

For a long time I thought it was too late for me, now I know it’s never too late to become the man you were meant to be. It's wasn't for me, and that's how I know for sure that it is not too late for you.

​

—Rich M.