A New Obsession
I’ll never forget the first time my friends and I got a case of beer and got drunk together. I loved it. I wanted more. Nothing was ever the same after that because unless there was booze and drugs involved I wanted nothing to do with it.
The booze and drugs took hold of me from day one. I never knew what would happen. . . I could hook up with a pretty girl, get in a fight or black out and wake up covered in vomit. But I still loved it. It was adventure in a bottle and all bets were off.
Addiction Out of Control
Trouble followed and stayed with me until the day I got sober. I’ve been arrested over 100 times and every single time I was drunk and/or high. I’ve had so many rock bottoms I can’t even count them.
The whole time I thought I drank because of all the problems that surrounded me. I thought I needed to drink and do drugs just to handle all of it. I thought the alcohol and drugs were my saviors when, in fact, they were what was causing all the trouble.
My disease progressed to the point that I was unemployable, homeless, friendless, strung out on heroin, stealing beer and drinking 24/7, financially, morally and spiritually bankrupt, and my kids were living with my mom and I was NOT encouraged to go see them. I still thought the substances were “getting me through it”—not causing it. I didn’t even want to think of a life without my booze and drugs. If it wasn’t for my kids I would have gladly taken my own life.
And then I hit my final rock bottom.
Motivation to Change
I went to my 6th and, god willing, last treatment center. And when I got out I did everything they told me to do. I did a meeting or 2 every day for the first 2 years, I got a sponsor. I asked for help, and I hung around the “winners,” guys with some sobriety under their belts and who were working a good program.
I did the steps and I discovered a higher power that worked for me. I cleared up the wreckage of my past and now live one day at a time guided by the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. I reconnected with my family and married a wonderful woman who is very supportive and my best friend.
I work every day and have a life I wouldn’t trade for anything. I have moments of pure joy I never knew in my addiction and I cherish this second chance I’ve been given to really live my life.
We’d like to thank Jeff B for submitting this guest post on our site. We love to hear stories of recovery!
Jeff is a carpenter/contractor who loves music, books, family, and being sober. He and his newly-wed wife are raising his 4 children just outside of Boston where he grew up.
When not working or spending time with his family, Jeff goes to meetings several times a week and tries to help other alcoholics and addicts as much as possible.
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