Today marks a significant milestone in my life – 9 months of sobriety. For someone like me, who has battled addiction for so long, this achievement once seemed unattainable. Breaking free from the chains of addiction felt like an impossible task, but here I am, stronger and more determined than ever.
One of the most difficult yet necessary decisions I’ve made was cutting ties with the people who fueled my bad habits. For a recovering addict, old friends—those we once got high with—become the greatest obstacles to recovery. It’s a harsh truth that to heal, we often need to distance ourselves from the very people who were once our closest companions. True recovery demands severing those toxic ties.
However, not long ago, I found myself face-to-face with the past when two friends, both struggling with their own addictions, re-entered my life in painful ways. The family of one friend reached out to me late at night, desperate for help. He had been causing chaos at home after drinking heavily. His family asked me to keep him company until the rehab team arrived to take him in. It was heartbreaking—he had already spent three years in and out of rehab, relapsing each time. This time, in his desperation, he jumped from the third floor just as the rehab team arrived. He broke his legs and suffered severe head injuries, requiring stitches and a plaster cast before being sent back to rehab.
My other friend, who had been sober for 1.5 years and actively attending AA meetings, suddenly relapsed. His father called me, sharing the news that despite having every comfort and luxury in life, boredom had driven him back to alcohol. When I asked him why, his answer cut deep—he said the monotony of life with no struggle or purpose led him to drink again.
I can genuinely empathize with both of them. I know the darkness they are trapped in because I’ve been there myself. Every time I see someone battling addiction on the streets, my heart aches for them. I want to help, but in these early stages of my recovery, I’ve learned to keep my distance. Trying to save someone who’s drowning can easily pull you under, and I can’t afford that risk right now.
The hard truth is that no doctor, medicine, or rehab can truly save an addict. Only an addict’s own will can save them. It’s a battle within, and only those who are ready to fight for their lives can come out on the other side.
Someday, I hope to be in a position to help others struggling with the same vicious cycle of addiction. But for now, I’m focusing on my own journey, grateful for the strength that has carried me this far.
…9 months of sobriety is absolutely wonderful. Keep up the great work you are putting forward 