According to Faces and Voices of Recovery, over 23 million Americans are in recovery from addiction to alcohol & other drugs. That is a lot of people that go about their lives every single day, in recovery. People use a variety of methods to get clean and sober including (but of course not limited to!) formal substance abuse treatment programs, 12 step programs, individual counseling, group therapy, and sober living environments. This month for National Recovery Month, in honor of all the prevention and treatment programs, and to celebrate individual successes, I have done some brief, written interviews with individuals who are in recovery. They have all shared from their hearts; I am grateful for their willingness and participation in this project.
My name is Rob and I have been in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction for 21 years. It took me a while to gain recovery after floundering around in my 20s. I went through rehab at 24 and drank the day I got out, thinking I could drink if I didn’t do drugs. That philosophy failed me. Ultimately, I wasn’t able to hold even a basic job, my self-esteem took beating after beating, and eventually the pain allowed me to open myself to sobriety as an option.
Near the end of my active addiction struggle, I called a buddy in AA who sent his friend to take me to a meeting. Paul picked me up by DU, drove me across the city to a meeting and then to coffee and home again. I found out later that he lived very close the AA meeting and did four trans-Denver trips to get me to one meeting. He had me laughing at crazy addiction experiences and was a friend from the minute we met. I needed that!
I am a constant advocate for recovery. Partly through direct efforts in 12 Step Programs and sober living houses, and often as an example of someone living a good, healthy, prosperous life. While I am appropriately “anonymous,” I am very open about discussing addiction recovery. I remember sitting on a plane reading a book on the cycles of addiction. Once the woman next to me realized it was safe to discuss recovery, she opened up about her husband’s struggles and we talked about possible solutions, which included self-care options. If I had been secretive in my reading, we would not have had that discussion.
Rob is a successful business owner and grateful husband living near Boulder.
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or codependency issues, Contact me today to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation to talk about how we can work together or find the right person for you.
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