- Alcohol
- Friends & Family
I am not personally in recovery, but I know a few people who are. My recovery journey started back in December 2011, when I learned that one of my best friends from childhood, someone that I had dated on-and-off but had not spoken to in a few years, was in jail. I found out when I saw his mug shot and footage of him in court on the news.
At that point, I realized that all of the drugs he had been taking for fun, for social purposes, had led to a lot of destructive habits for him. That’s where it started.
I’ve seen recovery have a lot of positive effects, not only in the lives of the people in it, but also in their friends and supporters. It has made me much more aware, not only of the stigma surrounding recovery, but also of the realities of recovery.
Recovery is not the same for everyone. And, unfortunately, recovery support is not the same for everyone. Recovery can look like a lot of different things. Support can look like a lot of different things. And one is quite difficult without the other.
I can be a Hero in Recovery by listening to people. By shutting up sometimes, and not telling people what I think they should do, and just listening to them. I can help them find support, and help them find professionals. Learning, learning to listen, and being there for people, as well as not enabling them to make poor decisions. For me, that’s an easy thing.
Keep in mind the little victories. Every minute that you could’ve taken a drink, or could’ve taken a drug is an accomplishment. Every minute turns into every hour, and every hour turns into every day. Every day that you choose not to take part in it is a day that you have chosen what’s best for yourself. That’s everything you need to know.