- Alcohol
- Friends & Family
submitted by: Susanne Johnson
Lisa has no history of addiction or substance abuse, but her grandfather had an issue many years ago. She has memories of him always sitting in his chair drinking his wine, not interacting much with grand kids or other family members. It ruined his life and his relationships, and her memory might have played a role in her early decision to stay away from alcohol.
Today she is 33 years old and lives in Boise, ID. She became a social worker because she loves to help people. She saw a job opening in a small, well known company and worked her way up to be an intake coordinator. She now has 3 1/2 years helping clients on her way to sobriety.
Accountability is, for them, one of the most important things for people to reach success in sobriety and aftercare should always be part of the recovery process. Accountability can be provided through a professional program with random drug testing, regular check-ins with the aftercare provider, and tracking meeting attendance. However, you can also include accountability provided by a sponsor, a family member, a friend, or a therapist. All of this can prevent a relapse.
Lisa finds it sad that people in recovery have to deal with stigma and feel they have to justify themselves. There is no judgement where she works and she strongly believes that everybody has the right to get the help they need whether it is an eating disorder, addiction, alcoholism or any mental health issue. “You are a person and you need to be able to live your life healthy without being ashamed. You are not alone. You are not the only person going through this,” she would like to tell people who feel ashamed or isolated due to stigma, and asks them to reach out for help.
Living an active lifestyle, taking care of yourself, being active, eating well, being involved in the community, being active, and getting out and about are all components of a healthy recovery for Lisa, and she would like to encourage people to daily do so with a smile.