Randy Young was born and raised in the Midwest region of the United States. After high school the author worked a variety of jobs before getting married, having a family and pursuing his A.A., B.A., M.S., and Ph. D. degrees in the areas of human services, sociology, psychology, and training & learning. The author spent nearly 35 years working in the areas of mental health and substance abuse treatment. During this time, Randy worked in nursing, social work, psychology and administration, and also enjoyed teaching as a college instructor. His primary life work has been dedicated to helping individuals learn to help themselves. In his semi-retirement Randy has enjoyed spending time with his wife, children, grandchildren and friends while engaging activities he loves such as camping, fishing, vacationing, reading and writing. Randy used to read & write as part of his job, but now enjoys writing to a broader audience in order to help more people, and to share what he has learned.