- Alcohol
For TJ, getting active has played a major role in his recovery. After relapsing a few times, he made a commitment to stick with sobriety and found Phoenix Multisport in Colorado as a positive outlet for his energy. The club provides activities like rock climbing and hiking free of charge to those in recovery, helping them build a safe community while keeping busy in positive ways.
Soon enough, TJ was asking how he could help out. He’d put out shoes and gear for climbing and help navigate on hikes. Now he has a job doing construction at a climbing gym and he’s hoping it will turn into a full-time position when he’s done. For this avid outdoorsman, the future looks bright. But it wasn’t always that way.
TJ grew up in a family of heavy drinkers. Hs father sells wine for a living and his grandfather only gave up alcohol after developing several drinking-related diseases. It was a family dynamic that centered around eating and drinking.
Once he started drinking, he quickly began consuming too much too fast. It took its toll on his career and with his family and friends. DUIs and some short stints in jail for public drunkenness followed. Even in a family of pretty heavy drinkers, TJ’s habit stuck out.
“They were telling me to quit but they were having just as many problems,” he recalls. “It kind of seemed hypocritical.”
Soon, friends were suggesting he needed some help. He tried meetings, but the public speaking made him uncomfortable.
“When I feel nervous, I prefer to do active things to occupy my mind and body.” That’s where Phoenix Multisport came in.
Today, TJ is proud of the climbs he’s done. He probably wouldn’t have had the coordination and balance to do this type of activity if he was still drinking. He’s also proud of his job. He’s not sure how much of a role his family history played in his own addiction but he takes full responsibility for his past. He also knows that he has control of his future and that he can make the choice to keep it substance free.