From Addiction To Recovery Laura’s Story on Overcoming Addiction

My friends right now wouldn’t tolerate me drinking — it would be very strange for them. That also is a product of the way you are finally able to filter out people in your life who aren’t very supportive and aren’t very healthy for you. Those people kind of drop away as you get sober and now I’m left with the good people in my life. And that’s a continual process your whole life. A few months ago, I was asked to speak with four women, all heroin addicts newly entered into rehab, and encourage them in their recovery. We met at a restaurant near their treatment facility, along with two counselors from their program, one of my drug abuse experts, and a former client now clean and sober.

It’s not like, hey, I’m normal and I have to do this the exact same way you would if you had to do it. I think it’s important to be proud of being sober and to share your story. Just like I talk about anything else going on in my life, this is a part of me.

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For the first few weeks in sobriety, I was a whistling Dutch boy. Grief, shame, sorrow, anger, bewilderment, self-hatred and random bursts of unbridled joy. I distanced myself from my family as the truth of our codependence and their own sickness dawned on me like an unwelcome hangover. Eventually, my stepdad, who was always supportive of my sobriety, died of cancer caused by his drinking. In his final year, we were closer than ever, and I asked his forgiveness and gave it in return.

Unfortunately for Katie, this meant keeping her drinking private and away from her father’s household. She was able to operate under the false belief that she had her alcohol use under control until she found herself packing for treatment at the age of 22 following a DUI. Katie didn’t consider herself like “those other” people who needed treatment. Still, inspired by her father’s sobriety, she decided to change her life following her alcohol treatment and committed her life to volunteering at an addiction treatment facility.

Kyle’s Transformation and the Significance of Pill Take Back Day

More specifically, he expected his children not to drink, and they did what they could to respect his wishes. This book is packed full of really helpful information, advice, and relatable stories on struggle and sobriety success. Just like the meetings, some people love them and some people hate them and there’s a lot of misinformation out there about AA.

Pinkett Smith has disclosed her struggles with binge drinking. Reflecting on the connection between growing up with a parent abusing heroin, Pinkett Smith used alcohol https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/6-successfull-and-motivational-sobriety-stories/ to cope with spiritual and emotional changes of hitting rock bottom. She decided to stop drinking cold turkey, and as a result, celebrates 20 years of sobriety.

Finally Turning a Corner Toward a Better Life with Recovery

If you believe you or a loved one is suffering from drug or alcohol abuse, we can help. Call us today to learn more about our drug abuse treatment and to get started. Or click here to see more recovery stories. Though we were married, I do not believe that we were ever really intimate. If we got into an argument, the resolution typically came after weeks of not speaking to each other. I do not remember ever experiencing feelings as I do today.

• In my world, drinking was as normal as ordering pizza.
• My friends right now wouldn’t tolerate me drinking — it would be very strange for them.

When we were first dating she would have to be back home by the time the street lights came on. We carried on this long-distance relationship for over five years before we were married during the summer before my third year of medical school. While we were dating, I kept the quantity of my alcohol and most of my substance use a secret from her. In one life I was the good student and boyfriend turned fiancé, and in the other I was the unfaithful drunk pothead. When she would catch me getting high, she would be irate and I would promise to abstain, only to use as soon as I dropped her off at her parents’ house. When we were finally married, she gradually accepted my use of marijuana and alcohol as normal, even participating at times.

Tips for successful sober living

I lived for the way my body reacted when I’d take shots and feel a tingling sensation as the alcohol set in. It was exciting, and I never knew what https://ecosoberhouse.com/ the night had in store when I would drink. When the alcohol hit, it was as if I could let out a big breath I didn’t even know I’d been holding.

One of the most profound benefits of sharing your recovery story is the hope it can inspire in others. Your story is a living proof that sobriety is achievable, and it can be the catalyst for change in someone else’s life. Laura Silverman is the founder of The Sobriety Collective, a resource and blog created to celebrate recovery — especially through creativity — in all its forms. In 2007, at age 24, Laura pulled a 180 and went from being an insecure, anxious binge drinker to newly-minted sober 20-something. This scary but necessary step catapulted her into a journey of long-term recovery. She believes in the raw power of storytelling, mental health awareness.

Similarly, he has discussed his struggle with alcohol abuse starting in childhood, linking an emotional void of emptiness to blame. As a result of proactively seeking sobriety, Brand has maintained his sobriety for nearly 15 years. Lastly, Brand has written a book covering the topic of different types of addiction.

From the outside, I probably appeared condescendingly cool at times. But the view looking out was very different. The constant sense of danger wasn’t as imminent. I had my first real drink when I was 10 years old.