- Alcohol
In 2009 I was faced with another conviction directly attributable to my drunken behavior. A judge gave me the choice of treatment or jail. I had done jail and did not like it but knew I could survive it. Going to treatment terrified me. I only wanted to get the courts off my back, figure out how I could drink the way I needed to and have everyone leave me alone.
I went to a treatment center. They explained that I had a disease, not a moral weakness. I stayed undrunk long enough to want to get truly sober. I learned that long-term sobriety is available to anyone. Once I became sober, I learned that life can be wonderful when I thought it would be awful. At the age of 58, my life is awesome. I have found a freedom beyond my wildest dreams, a joy that carries through all that I do
If you are struggling with addiction, reach out and ask for help. I thought I had to always take care of my own problems and never ask for help. “Take care of your problems” is good advice for a lot of people, but it can kill an alcoholic like me. Life does more than get better; it gets amazing!