- Alcohol
- Drugs
Submitted by: Susanne Johnson
Today Tim lives in Florida where he enjoys his life in a very active, healthy way. He is very athletic, spends a lot of time running or doing any kind of sports activity and feels this helps him a lot in his recovery. Sports help him get something accomplished, get results and get his energy out, and physical activity is part of his daily life.
It was not always this way. Tim is an alcoholic and addict who started drinking at the very young age of about twelve or thirteen while hanging around with the wrong crowd. He was always considered an intelligent child or a child with potential, but somehow he was always in trouble. His family was always very close and supported anything he was doing. When Tim was 23, his mother had a serious health condition, and he went home to be with the family. He was miserable; he had cravings, he could hardly keep it together and his alcoholism caused serious problems during this time. He knew then it was time to change his life for the better. About two weeks later, he had a discussion with his father and his uncle, and they decided he would go to treatment. A four-week-long treatment program gave him the initial tools he needed to kick the habit and get into recovery. One brief relapse followed about four months into his sobriety time, but he got this under control again after just a few days.
This year Tim celebrates five years of recovery from drugs and alcohol. Fear of going back keeps him alert and on his toes. He hasn’t even taken a Benadryl since becoming sober. He wants to be done with the old days and doesn’t want to go back to treatment. Tim has a sponsor and is in frequent contact with him. He also attends meetings, two a week at least. Tim has a girlfriend who is in recovery as well, and he is currently studying to get a position in the recovery field. Now that he is in recovery, his familial relationships have improved even though they all live in a different state. He is daily in phone contact with someone in his family and visits them as often as time and work allow.
Today he is very productive. He has a clothing company that produces recovery-themed shirts, a successful Internet marketing company and a recovery organization that helps others get what he found in recovery.
“You get whatever you want more,” is a motto he likes in life and recovery. If somebody wants to stay sober more than drunk, he or she will stay sober. Every person needs to find out if he or she wants pain more than joy. Life is all about choosing which you want more.
Tim is full of energy and has a very positive outlook on life. His recovery should inspire a lot of other young people to take back control of their lives.