- Alcohol
Rick, a child of the ’60s from Miami, describes himself as an alcoholic, addict, compulsive overeater and member of recovery support groups. They are all related, but he started with alcohol at the age of 13. He remembers the first time he drank with four lifelong friends. They found an older friend to get a bottle. Rick was the only one getting very drunk, very sick, but he still remembers getting the phone number he had wanted for weeks from a girl that day.
It took a long time of addiction before Rick got sober at age 46. He was a lawyer with a partner in a law firm and both were alcoholics and addicts that enabled each other in a vicious cycle. Both got in trouble because of lack of communication with clients, incoming complaints and more. They hired another lawyer to represent them in those cases, and she immediately identified them as addicts and alcoholics and told them they needed to get help. Rick met with another person, and while crying he sensed opportunities coming his way. He could not explain what he felt, but it was strong. Rick took the chance that was presented to him, but his partner held a grudge about the situation, and only seven months later, Rick buried him.
Today Rick has 17 years of continuous sobriety, and he says, “All I have in life, every relationship I have, the place I live and everything today is a result of staying in the solution.” He truly believes in 12-step programs and still goes to at least one meeting every day. He has a sponsor and sponsees and does an 11th step every morning. He says, “I’m the luckiest man on the planet today.”
He believes detox is necessary for a lot of people and that treatment is tremendously helpful for people if they have the chance to get it. Rick sees both as the start, and the real recovery begins when you go out and face the world again and go to meetings to keep recovery alive. He considers himself lucky because he can work in the treatment business, is surrounded by people who work in the facilities, can stay sober there and can go to meetings in a variety of cities all over the United States. When he travels he always plans his meetings ahead of time and sticks to his plan. Even if he is invited to an expensive and nice dinner, he will excuse himself from it because he considers the meeting in a basement of a church somewhere more important. This is how Rick has made it through long-term sobriety.