Stories

For anybody out there that’s struggling: You don’t have to live like that anymore. At one point in time I wanted to die. I wanted to kill myself. I tried to kill myself, and everybody kept telling me, "Your kids will be 18 one day and they deserve to have a sober parent." I’m so grateful for that today.

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.
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
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
We have to share our stories; even if it helps one, it’s worth it.

Paula Settle
I love helping people and meeting people where they’re at, whether they’re ready to enter recovery, whether they’re thinking about it, or whether they want to do it right then.

Krista W.
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
It’s what I advise a lot of parents to do: it’s just the hardest thing that you can ever do—but if you want to save their lives it’s what you’ve got to do: it’s tough love.

Lori Meadows
I think my place is in the meeting rooms. To hear somebody talk, to me, is to know that I'm not alone in this.

Kelly
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

Stories tagged with: Community

Age

Gender

Race

Faith

Highest Level of Education

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.

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.

We have to share our stories; even if it helps one, it’s worth it.

I love helping people and meeting people where they’re at, whether they’re ready to enter recovery, whether they’re thinking about it, or whether they want to do it right then.

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.

It’s what I advise a lot of parents to do: it’s just the hardest thing that you can ever do—but if you want to save their lives it’s what you’ve got to do: it’s tough love.

I think my place is in the meeting rooms. To hear somebody talk, to me, is to know that I'm not alone in this.

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.

Submit Your Story

Resources