Stories of Sobriety: Success Stories of the Year
You need a contingency plan in place to strengthen your resolve if life in recovery ever gets tough. There’s little more challenging than fighting cravings for drugs or alcohol while you’re clinging to sobriety. One tactic you can store in your arsenal of recovery weapons is drawing inspiration from others who have successfully broken free of the addiction cycle blighting you right now in the form of stories of sobriety.
These stories of overcoming addiction detail the lives of everyday Americans with very unique journeys of recovery. You’ll see clearly that addiction doesn’t discriminate, and that anyone can become addicted.
We’ve chosen today to walk you through the lives of some everyday individuals with inspiring lessons to impart rather than focusing on famous people.
Success Stories of the Year
1) Bill M
Bill used drugs for thirty years from the age of 11.
Bill was able to lay to rest all the guilt, shame, resentment, and abuse that haunted him by addressing his childhood traumas. The therapeutic journey of confronting the adverse childhood experiences that permeated his daily life helped him to reduce their significance in his mind. That way, these ACEs no longer pervaded his negative thought patterns.
Resultantly, Bill learned to love himself and to love life. Bill developed self-worth and began volunteering, working for rehab centers to help young people like him.
Bill is now very proud of the charity work he does to support children and families affected by alcoholism and addiction.
This inspiring story shows that it’s never too late to become substance-free and that it’s perfectly possible to achieve your dreams, no matter how old you are.
2) Kate
A common thread woven throughout many success stories of addiction recovery is the role of other people in inspiring sobriety.
Kate had no interest in becoming sober until she lost everything. Hitting the proverbial rock bottom, Kate ended up living on the streets after losing her friends, her family and going to jail due to a crack cocaine addiction.
Eventually, Kate decided to take action and she committed to rehab. By the time Kate was 21, she had fought her way to long-term sobriety.
For someone so young, her journey is a story of hope for other young addicted people. Kate uses healthy coping mechanisms like writing and exercising. She now understands that her addictive behavior was rooted in negative emotions, and she now knows how to better manage them.
For Kate, 12-step programs are vital to her recovery. She says she finds huge therapeutic value in sharing stories with other people in the same situation.
Luckily, Kate found her way back before it was too late. For Kate, it was rock bottom that pushed her to seek treatment.
3) Becki N
Becki went through several treatment programs to overcome her addiction, but each time she became worse.
Having lost her home and children, Becki was living on the streets with winter rapidly approaching. Still gripped by her addiction, Becki’s primary concern was finding somewhere warm to stay. This prompted her to enter a residential treatment program.
At this point, Becki wasn’t committed to becoming substance-free, just staying warm and off the streets. To remain in treatment, though, she had to stay clean. This was initially responsible for her sobering up. When the program ended, she moved into transitional housing.
After 6 months of sobriety, Becki attended Narcotics Anonymous. At the meeting, she met many others in her situation, and she saw how they were enjoying being substance-free. She says something happened to her at that point, and her mindset shifted. Her main motivation then became staying clean rather than staying in transitional housing.
She got herself a sponsor then attended 90 meetings over 90 days. After this, Becki started to volunteer. She was eventually hired as a janitor at the treatment center where she first cleaned herself up.
Today, Becki is a trained alcohol addiction counselor. Becki went from homeless to a homeowner in five years: a true inspiration.
4) Don T
Don T started using drugs aged 13. By the time he was 26, he was completely hooked on crystal meth. Meth is one of the most addictive and powerful illegal drugs.
The problem with crystal methamphetamine treatment is that no prescribed medication can help to soothe withdrawal symptoms. Anyone addicted to crystal meth needs to go cold turkey. The remarkably addictive nature of the drug makes detoxing and staying clean challenging.
That is why Don T is a role model for anyone in recovery. He managed to stay meth-free thanks to 12-step recovery meetings with other people who are addicted to more than one substance. He attributes his success to the power of these meetings.
Don relapsed five or six times. But, each time he relapsed, he detoxed again and returned to the 12-step meetings.
Don feels that he relapsed because his spirituality was missing. Don initially rejected the concept of a higher power. Like many others before him, though, he stumbled upon a healing force that’s both intangible and unexplainable.
Don describes feeling as though he has finally seen the light and he now feels strong in his recovery. In challenging times, Don turns to prayer and meditation to keep his emotions in check.
Don says, “I’m thankful for my sobriety and it’s this gratitude that keeps me strong.”
What Comes Next
If you feel you have a problem with drink or drugs and that the time is ripe to follow in the footsteps of these stories of sobriety, you don’t need to make the journey alone.
Here at Landmark Recovery, our dedicated team specialized in helping people like you reclaim the life lost to substance abuse. To get things started, call us right away at 888-448-0302.
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We're here 24/7 to help you get the care you need to live life on your terms, without drugs or alcohol. Talk to our recovery specialists today and learn about our integrated treatment programs.
