2 years today I made a very big and significant decision. 2 years ago I decided to get sober. My struggle with alcohol is something that I don’t talk about much. As much as I hate to admit it, I was afraid to be judged and stigmatized. I thought people would think less of me.
Addiction can result in depression and isolation. It makes a person feel trapped. It can make asking for help seem impossible. And I certainly experienced all of the aforementioned and more. But then I realized something……none of that matters. Judgments, opinions, stigma, etc. It’s all bullshit. Furthermore, as someone who was going to be a mental health professional at one point in his life, I felt an obligation to be more open about this subject. By sharing my own story, I am helping reduce some of that stigma by a little bit. And every little bit counts.
Recovery has been a journey that is strange, wonderful, inspiring, heartbreaking, boring, terrifying, and exciting. I’ve lost some friends and made some new ones along the way. It gave me a second chance at a life I never thought I would have. Sobriety taught me that asking for help and needing help is not a weakness, it’s a strength. I’ve learned the importance and value of kindness and compassion towards everyone……because you don’t know what a person may be going through.
I am through with being cool and aloof, I choose to be lame and involved. The whole “not caring” approach doesn’t work either, it turns out caring is really cool. And talking about emotions is real uncomfortable but it must be done, and it does get easier.
My choice to get sober was one of the best choices I’ve made in my life. The work never stops. But the further and further I get, it feels less and less like work.
