- Drugs
- Mental Health
My name is Emily, and I’ve been in recovery for 6 months as of September 27. I believe my anxiety is what led me to substance abuse. I have bipolar disorder, and it is hard to cope with on your own. In fact I don’t have any coping skills, so I medicated myself as a coping mechanism. However abusing drugs is not the answer. I realized that I was an addict after I went to jail and had 30 days of clean time in there. Jail was a big turning point for me. I had tried several times to quit on my own, but I just couldn’t do it. I went to a community treatment center where I finally got the help and support I needed to get sober. I want everyone to know that recovery is real and possible! My life is so much better now. I am officially a runner! I just completed the Heroes in Recovery 6k in Leiper’s Fork, TN. I’m really proud of myself! I lost weight as I started working out, and best of all I have decided what I want to go to school for, and I will start as soon as I leave my current recovery facility. That would never have been possible before.
The hardest part about maintaining my recovery is my anxiety and bipolar disorder, but I will say it gets better and easier every day. One day at a time. If you are a person new to this journey or you haven’t made the decision to get help yet, let me tell you that the first step to recovery is recognizing that you are an addict and that your life has become unmanageable. You have to do that! Then it gets easier every day. Every day sober is a great accomplishment, and it’s easier than the day before.
I was given a piece of advice early on, and I would like to share it with you. Every day in recovery is a great accomplishment. The more sober days you have, the less you to want to use again because you become more proud of what you’ve done. Keep going to meetings. “Keep coming back,” as they say. It works! I am proof. I wish you every success in your journey to recovery.