- Alcohol
- Drugs
- Faith
- Friends & Family
submitted by: Bo Brown
How long have you worked in the recovery community?
I have worked in this capacity for a little over a year. We are a drug and alcohol treatment facility. The component that sets us apart is our pain recovery program. We treat those with chronic pain problems that have become addicted to opiates. It has been very successful and we are the only facility like this in the southwest.
Are you in recovery yourself?
Yes. I just celebrated thirty years of sobriety. I got sober at age 22 from an alcohol and cocaine addiction so the recovery treatment field is very dear to my heart.
What has been the biggest positive change in your life?
The biggest change is having the feeling in your life that things are going to be good. Free of that forever impending feeling of doom and the freedom within myself to be happy.
What was the turning point in your life that led you to recovery?
I think it was a lot like most people. I was tired of that fear based self-inflicted pain of doom. I just got tired of it. I knew there was a program that I have never worked and I gave it a try. The next thing you know, I’ve been sober thirty years!
So you got sober at 22, what would you say to someone in their early twenties about getting clean?
If you have a desire to get sober, you have to jump in 100%! Just stay open-minded and willing to take action.
Do you still have struggles with ongoing recovery?
I have to say I do not have any obsession to drink or use. That’s been taken away. I do have struggles with daily life. The great thing about a 12-step program is that you are given tools to deal with many things that come up and a lot of that is really steeped in my foundation in a Higher Power and all the resources I have in the program such as friends and people that have gotten sober before me.
What are you most proud of about your life today?
It would have to be the ability to give back and pass on what was given to me. I am also proud of being able to be a good son, father, husband and family member.
Is there a piece of advice that someone gave to you that you would like to share?
Whatever stories I have made up in my head about the way things will go in the future, try to disregard those and just stay in today and do the best I can in the here and now.
What would you tell someone who is beginning their journey in recovery that feels like he or she will be unable to succeed?
I will tell that person that based on my experience, if I can do it they can do it. I would share my story briefly about the struggles I have had and hopefully that will lend them some courage and hope that they can get sober as well.
What do you get out of working in the recovery field?
I get an additional connection besides my own 12 step program; it’s a connection that I am able to help. I have a lot of passion for my work.