- Alcohol
Hello! My name is Russ, and I am an alcoholic living in recovery. I had been drinking since I was around fifteen. I am from an average middle-class family and am the eldest of two children. My parents fought a lot when I was young. My father was probably an alcoholic, but he never admitted it. He stopped drinking when I was about sixteen due to “health reasons.” I never really got along with my parents and moved out when I was nineteen.
I had a good job for almost 20 years. I loved to party and have fun, and my drinking never got in my way back then. In my very early twenties I played with cocaine for about a year, but I was able to give it up cold turkey. For many years alcohol was never a “problem” for me either. I was functional. I was married with a good job, a beautiful daughter, a great house and a wonderful life until my alcohol addiction took full control.
My family was gone, and my house was gone. My hips were gone, as I had to have both replaced due to severe degenerative arthritis. My life was all but gone. I surrendered after hitting my rock bottom and becoming homeless, suicidal and in extremely poor health. I spent 2 weeks in psychiatric treatment, 28 days in an inpatient rehab program and 16 months in a therapeutic community.
I am proud to have 23 months and 4 days clean and sober. It was in no way easy, but it was well worth the fight. I had to look at myself, start working on myself and work the steps. Then and only then was I able to start to build a new life.
Let go, and let God. That’s what I did, and it worked. I enrolled in school to become a certified alcohol and substance abuse counselor. I graduated on December 17, 2013, and many doors are opening for me now. I also created and manage a recovery page on Facebook that is reaching many people. It is wonderful to know that God has given me a chance to help others with their addictions. I am so grateful for the new life that I am working on. I know that living in recovery is a lifelong process that is worth the hard work. I am not where I want to be yet, but it’s better than where I was. This is my recovery process: helping myself by helping others. Find your process. If it works, work it!