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two months ago in psych ward
I graduated from IOP today. I have almost 9 months clean and sober as well.
I've been going to a lot of different meetings lately and I just got my 6 months chip from AA last night. I will get my 6 months tag from NA on Monday. This is the longest I have ever been sober by choice. The sober living program I'm in is the best decision I have ever made. I get more support here than I ever have from anywhere else.
Some know me from previous accounts. I like to write, and this time I'm going to put myself out there to everyone. It is frowned upon by 12 step programs, but I am publicly admitting that I am an alcoholic and dope fiend. I started consuming alcohol at a young age. Pretty much as soon as I could pour whiskey into a glass. Now here I am at 48 years old, getting my life back in order. For years all I did was drink, but I discovered Marijuana and other drugs as a teenager. Over a 5 year span I tried every drug that was on the streets. I was in a small town, but we had everything available. At the end of the 5 year span, I found myself sitting in a juvenile prison facility. For 6 months, I was sober in the facility. As soon as I was released, I was right back on alcohol. I stuck with strictly alcohol for over 32 years, but it didn't mean that I had sobriety, only that I wasn't using illegal drugs. In the summer of 2022, I was reintRoduceD to my old friend cocaine. And by August of 2022 I was using drugs I hadn't done before. You see, at the time of my incarceration, Crystal meth was a brand new drug. By August of 2022, meth was available everywhere, and I was becoming addicted. I would have sold my soul if it meant getting meth. I was homeless and literally living under a bridge and the meth helped me forget my circumstances. I was moved to a shelter in another city, but meth was just as available in the homeless shelter as it was on the street. So I was still using. I also had Crack cocaine readily available. After spending over a month in the shelter, I heard an announcement that would change my life for the better. It was said that something called Fresh Start was in the chapel, and I chose to ask for more information. I walked in and sat down to be informed that it is a sober living program. I agreed to give it a chance, and I was placed in an actual house with a bed for me, and people willing to make sure I have things I need. Things like food, cigarettes, and support to help me get and stay sober. I can proudly say that I am currently beyond 30 days of sobriety. I can't say that it has been an easy journey, but I feel better than I can ever remember feeling in my life. I will be keeping this page updated as I make this journey. I hope that might inspire even one person to choose sobriety over jail, death, or institutions. I invite anyone who reads this to message me if you're struggling with addiction, but to also seek out AA or NA meetings in your own areas. There is strength in unity, and together we can help each other beat the addiction. I'm not a professional, but I am still in the trenches battling this disease with anyone else who is ready to put in the effort to live a sober life.