Published November 11, 2025 | By Alyx E, Founder of Collectors MD

We underestimate how powerful we actually are. As addicts, compulsive collectors, or chronic chasers—we’ve proven that we can be relentless. We’ve found ways to stretch credit, juggle accounts, hide losses, justify purchases, and construct elaborate stories just to keep the illusion alive. That’s not stupidity—that’s resourcefulness. Misguided, yes. But it’s the same raw energy that built businesses, led movements, and fueled breakthroughs throughout history.

When I finally got honest about my own behavior, I realized something uncomfortable: I had built an entire part-time career around protecting the addiction. Every lie, every excuse, every “next time will be different” was effort—just misdirected. So what happens when you stop hiding behind that energy and start harnessing it for the greater good?

The power doesn’t disappear—it just needs direction. When we learn to harness what once fueled destruction, that same energy can build something beautiful, purposeful, and lasting.

That’s precisely what I did when I created Collectors MD. The same obsessive energy I once used to gamble, chase cards and dopamine, and protect the addiction at all costs—now drives building a movement that actually helps people heal. Every reflection, every meeting, every partnership—it all comes from that same place that once drove destruction. It’s the same wiring, just reprogrammed.

And I know I’m not alone in that transformation. Many of us have turned our chaos into creativity, our pain into purpose. The irony is, those of us who felt powerless in addiction were never weak—we were just powerful without direction. Once you find a mission that matters, the fire doesn’t burn you anymore. It lights the way forward.

We all have that switch inside us. The same drive that kept us chasing can keep us building—whether it’s recovery, community, or simply a more intentional life.

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The power was never the problem—it was the direction.

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