Stories

We have a lot of guys in this program, past and present, who have spent their whole lives watching people avoid them, myself included. But it’s all changed now. People want to be around us. People want to hear our stories. People want our help today. When I got to Recovery Point, I realized that for the first time in my life that there were people in this world that were just like me. That suffered from the same diseases that I suffer from, and having brothers around you that go through this process with you really makes it easy to stay.

Michael Robinette
Just by having faith and putting my all into it and doing what is uncomfortable, I’ve been able to have a life where I can help others that are also going through the same struggles as I am and have a family, and actually love my life and be happy about it.

Anna Holley
I have true friends today, like genuine friends that love and care about me.

Megen
I am a grateful recovering alcoholic and addict. That is not my identity today. Today, I'm a father. Today, I’m a husband. Today, I'm able to be a son to my mother and my father. I get to live life in a way that I’ve never been able to experience before.

Joe Young
I hope that anybody listening that's still suffering—if you need anything, reach out to me. This is what keeps me sober is by helping other people. I cannot keep what I have if I don't give it away.

Bernard Slater Jr.
My stepmom said, last week, “If you get through this quarantine thing without using, I’m really gonna start thinking that you might not.” And I was like, “Don’t say that!” She was like, “I cannot believe all the things that you have endured.” There really have been a lot, but my life is so awesome. I’ve put in a lot of work. I’ve never stopped.

Rachel Thaxton
It’s not gonna be just the recovery people that fix this or just the lawmakers that fix this. We’re gonna have to do it together. Some walls need to come down on every side of things. And spark some compassion out there, amongst all of us, and listen to each other. And then, you know, I really think we’ll come out of this.

Shanna McClure
I don’t always get it right, but I stay vigilant and work a program and stay involved and help people. The message is hope, and the promise is freedom. And I truly believe that. Hope is the last thing to go.

Drew Pinkney
I have a compassion for these people that are struggling, all this generation, the kids. I just want to see them get better. If I can be a light, or be an encouragement, to them, I just want to see people get better.

Edna Gooch
Everything fits inside of my recovery because when I'm doing what's right in the recovery process, all of those things just flow. I'm a better employee, I'm a better father, I'm a better husband when my focus is on my relationship with God.

Terry Danielson
The spirituality part of it’s been the biggest impact in my life, finding my own higher power, and staying connected with people who are trying to do good in the world.

Heather Shaw
The biggest thing I want to say to anyone is just don’t give up if you’ve got a loved one you’re trying to get into recovery. Just don’t give up. Love them. You may have to love them from a distance, but love them. And don’t be afraid to give them a little tough love.

Brian H.
What an honor it is to be able to say—and I tell my participants this all the time—I'm like: “I’m not going to tell you it ever gets easy, but it does get easier."

Charlotte
Life’s good, man. And I get to really be a part of it today, for the first time, and I’m not governed by this fear and anxiety.

Dano McCawley
The only barriers that I have are the ones that I put on myself. I’ve beaten so many statistics over my life and it’s all through grace.

Fran Gray
We do a lot of writing in recovery. But it serves a very, very positive purpose. The power of the pen is unmatched, okay? There's just no way around that.

Ryan Elkins
God had healed me from this, and everything I’d tried, nothing amounted to that, and I was overwhelmed with the love and the grace that I had found in forgiveness.

Cory Sargent
I never even imagined being married, but now I’m able to be a mom and be a wife and be a productive member of society and it’s because I was able to connect with people. I was able to build love for myself and experience things in a completely different reality than what I was before.

Hayley
Being involved in peer support groups—with people who knew exactly what it was like to work in a setting with access to medications—was the key for me to be able to get solid in my recovery.

Mitzi Averette
Each year, I've shared my story with my students and will continue to do so. It's a sad reality, but many of them personally know someone in active addiction. When I disclose my experience to them, they now know someone in recovery.

Nick Roberts

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Just by having faith and putting my all into it and doing what is uncomfortable, I’ve been able to have a life where I can help others that are also going through the same struggles as I am and have a family, and actually love my life and be happy about it.

I have true friends today, like genuine friends that love and care about me.

I am a grateful recovering alcoholic and addict. That is not my identity today. Today, I'm a father. Today, I’m a husband. Today, I'm able to be a son to my mother and my father. I get to live life in a way that I’ve never been able to experience before.

I hope that anybody listening that's still suffering—if you need anything, reach out to me. This is what keeps me sober is by helping other people. I cannot keep what I have if I don't give it away.

I don’t always get it right, but I stay vigilant and work a program and stay involved and help people. The message is hope, and the promise is freedom. And I truly believe that. Hope is the last thing to go.

I have a compassion for these people that are struggling, all this generation, the kids. I just want to see them get better. If I can be a light, or be an encouragement, to them, I just want to see people get better.

Everything fits inside of my recovery because when I'm doing what's right in the recovery process, all of those things just flow. I'm a better employee, I'm a better father, I'm a better husband when my focus is on my relationship with God.

The spirituality part of it’s been the biggest impact in my life, finding my own higher power, and staying connected with people who are trying to do good in the world.

The biggest thing I want to say to anyone is just don’t give up if you’ve got a loved one you’re trying to get into recovery. Just don’t give up. Love them. You may have to love them from a distance, but love them. And don’t be afraid to give them a little tough love.

What an honor it is to be able to say—and I tell my participants this all the time—I'm like: “I’m not going to tell you it ever gets easy, but it does get easier."

Life’s good, man. And I get to really be a part of it today, for the first time, and I’m not governed by this fear and anxiety.

The only barriers that I have are the ones that I put on myself. I’ve beaten so many statistics over my life and it’s all through grace.

We do a lot of writing in recovery. But it serves a very, very positive purpose. The power of the pen is unmatched, okay? There's just no way around that.

God had healed me from this, and everything I’d tried, nothing amounted to that, and I was overwhelmed with the love and the grace that I had found in forgiveness.

I never even imagined being married, but now I’m able to be a mom and be a wife and be a productive member of society and it’s because I was able to connect with people. I was able to build love for myself and experience things in a completely different reality than what I was before.

Being involved in peer support groups—with people who knew exactly what it was like to work in a setting with access to medications—was the key for me to be able to get solid in my recovery.

Each year, I've shared my story with my students and will continue to do so. It's a sad reality, but many of them personally know someone in active addiction. When I disclose my experience to them, they now know someone in recovery.

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