I started drinking at 14 and was a blackout drinker from the very start. Alcohol quickly became my best friend and remained my best friend for over 30 years. I’ve experienced most of the “not yets” that people talk about when they talk about rock bottoms. I’ve been hospitalized. I’ve been arrested. I’ve had the DUI. I’ve woken up with broken bones, not knowing how I got them. I’ve lost jobs. I’ve lost my career. And, most recently, I’ve been to residential treatment.

In 2018 I was at what I thought would be my all time low and decided to get serious about recovery and sobriety. I had no other choice. Alcohol was going to take everything from me if I didn’t…including my life. I started going to AA. I started binging on recovery podcasts. Through one of the podcasts I learned about an online support group and I joined that. That group and the people I have met in that group have changed my life. They are my chosen family. They are what my life was missing.

Since 2018 my days of sobriety have not been consecutive, but they have been in the majority. I know about recovery. I know about addiction. I’ve stumbled along the way (just this year I did 90 days in rehab) but I have always come out stronger. I’ve been lucky. So lucky that I now work in the recovery world, for that podcast that I binged. After losing a career I loved, I thought I would never again be passionate about what I do, but I am. I’ve never had friends like I do now. I’ve done a lot of work to get to where I am today (205 days sober) and I will continue to do the work.

Life is beautiful when you’re not drowning in alcohol. It’s not about living a life without alcohol, it’s about living a life where alcohol is no longer needed.