And this guy followed me out of there, out of the orientation. He started telling me about his daughters and explaining like, “If you have kids, you should stay.” And he was really annoying. 95,000 lives end prematurely every year because of alcohol. Alcohol-related causes are officially the third leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., only surpassed by tobacco, and the combination of poor diet and physical inactivity. Upon realizing I had none of my belongings the next morning, my friend and I went back to this house.

His shining example as a teetotal man and as a musician has shown me that giving up drinking can actually be enjoyable, particularly if you love life and have a serious work ethic. Above all, he has taught me that the most important thing is to enjoy the journey. Over the years, we became close friends, and I visited him at his concerts on countless occasions.

Q: As someone who has lived through both substance abuse and sobriety, why do you recommend sobriety?

By approaching the topic from the point of view of someone in recovery, the person telling the story is in a position of strength. For more books about alcoholism and addiction, check out this list of 100 must-read books about addiction. Cupcake Brown was 11 sober success stories when she was orphaned and placed into foster care. She grew up with a tragic journey, running away and becoming exposed to alcohol, drugs, and sex at a young age, and leaning on those vices to get by. But one nasty bender forced her to turn her life around.

  • The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
  • I still didn’t think I had a problem with alcohol since I had never missed a day of work and continued to excel in my profession.
  • It made my anxiety quiet down, which was something I’d failed to figure out how to do for the majority of my life.

As will be described in more detail below, recovery capital is the quantity and quality of internal and external resources that one can bring to bear on the initiation and maintenance of recovery. Tyler’s story has 4 chapters, click the playlist icon in the upper right of the screen to navigate between chapters. Freddy’s story has 7 chapters, click the playlist icon in the upper right of the screen to navigate between chapters. Mary’s story has 5 chapters, click the playlist icon in the upper right of the screen to navigate between chapters. Brianna’s story has 6 chapters, click the playlist icon in the upper right of the screen to navigate between chapters.

Here’s My Recovery Story

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. As for the future, Red Dust hopes to keep expanding the program, reaching more men across Central Australia. Red Dust director of male health and Pintupi Luritja man Jonathon Hermawan said when it came to healing, the three most important factors were employment, family and cultural identity. All three men said programs like these were critical in remote Aboriginal communities, where addiction is continuing to tighten its stranglehold.

Alcoholism Recovery Stories

My connection to Elton’s music became deeper. I saw him backstage many times but never got the opportunity to speak to him. Sadly at most of these gigs, I was blind drunk by the end of the night. The clothing business might have taken off, but I was wasting hundreds of thousands of pounds through poor decisions. Fast forward to 2014, and by then I had a full-on alcohol problem.

Real Stories from Ten Young People in Recovery

Over the next four years, 100 people were able to get sober using the techniques of the group, which was later named Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Prolific, brilliant memoirist Mary Karr shines a light on the dark years she spent descending into alcoholism and drug use as a young writer, wife, and mother. As her marriage dissolved and she struggled to find a reason to stay clean, Karr turned to Catholicism as a light at the end of the tunnel.

  • It would be a lot harder to be a teenager in recovery, getting invites to ragers.
  • They breathalyzed me and found that my blood alcohol content was .34.
  • I just didn’t feel good, and I was doing the bare minimum to get by during the day.
  • The Empathy Exams author’s stunning book juxtaposes her own relationship to addiction with stories of literary legends like Raymond Carver, and imbues it with rich cultural history.
  • He describes Kenny Chesney’s 1998 hit, «That’s Why I’m Here,» as «the single most AA meeting song I’ve ever heard,» a joyful song about recovery.

Thanks to rehab, I feel like I’m stronger now and ready to work my way back up to a career I love. I’m in recovery from both alcohol abuse and mental illness. My mental health is just as important as my physical health; in fact, the two can’t be separated.

Footer Social

Drinking was still a big part of the job, and at first it felt like I would get nowhere with the partners if I didn’t join in. I started a running club and found out that a lot of other people at work felt like I did—that they were drinking too much. My new club was successful, https://ecosoberhouse.com/ and a couple partners have even joined in some of the runs. I’ve already been promoted once since getting back, and I feel better than ever. Alcohol use disorder, sometimes still referred to as alcoholism, occurs in more than six percent of American adults.

Alcoholism Recovery Stories

If you want to hear both men and women singing about sobriety, you will find that in country music. «Rap and country are two great American genres in that they contain the most evidence of daily life, and they often are where things show up the fastest,» Frere-Jones says. He describes Kenny Chesney’s 1998 hit, «That’s Why I’m Here,» as «the single most AA meeting song I’ve ever heard,» a joyful song about recovery. They say you should never meet your heroes, but being able to thank Elton had a profound effect on me. It made me realise that being sober has improved every facet of my life.

Alcohol Addiction Personal Stories

Seeking help can seem impossible, and for some, finding support may not be easy or even possible. By this time I had been sober for three weeks and I had made plans to go for a five-day inpatient evaluation approved by the PHS director. I went to an addiction treatment facility with a program designed specifically for health care professionals. At the end of the extensive five-day evaluation, it was suggested that I stay for an extended period of time. I was told that if I did not follow the suggestions, it was likely that I would not be able to retain my license to practice medicine. Here I was in an expensive treatment center insurance wouldn’t cover, and I was not earning an income, but rather accumulating expenses as a partner in our corporation.

  • Although formal treatment may help people, recovery occurs in the community rather than in the clinic.
  • If you have an experience, a story, or someone in your life you want to recognize for their strength and willpower, please share it with us.