- Alcohol
My sobriety day was September 5th, 2006—the day my best friend saved my life. Alcohol had taken over my life; it consumed my every thought and controlled my every move. I had given up everything that was important to me in life: my honesty, my integrity, my financial responsibility, and most importantly, my daughter, who was only six years old at the time. I let my family take her away; in my alcoholic mind, I thought, “Now I don’t have to find a babysitter so I can go to the bar.” I cannot believe I even thought that way at one point—my daughter is my whole world!
My best friend showed up at my house at about 5 a.m. that morning. It was still dark and I was still drunk, having closed down the bar and driven home drunk once again. She walked into my room, demanded that I get up and not ask questions. As she was going through my dresser drawers throwing my clothes into a bag, I was trying to figure out what was going on. She again told me to get up, get dressed and get in the car. She told me that she couldn’t watch me do this anymore and she was taking me to get help. In the back of my mind, I knew she was right, and I was exhausted from living this life—but I absolutely could not stop it on my own. Alcohol had taken over completely. I was incapable of stopping. I resisted somewhat, but eventually I went along with her. She drove me about an hour from home to an inpatient rehab center. I’ve never been so scared or ashamed in all my life.
Fast forward 22 days. I was never more scared to LEAVE inpatient treatment. I learned so much; I grew so much, and I didn’t want to go back out into the world where I was not surrounded by love, support and encouragement from my counselors and fellow recovering alcoholics. What they say is true: when you get to treatment you are scared and just want to leave, then when it’s time to leave you are scared and want to stay! I moved on from inpatient rehab to an intensive outpatient program run by the same facility. I went to 90 meetings in 90 days, I got a sponsor and I worked the steps. It ended up not being so scary outside of inpatient treatment. They had given me a solid foundation to continue building on my sobriety and living my new life.
I just celebrated my 6th sobriety birthday on September 5th, 2012. If it wasn’t for my best friend doing what she did six years ago, I can’t imagine where I would be. If it wasn’t for the counselors at inpatient and outpatient treatment to not only teach me about my disease but to teach my family, I don’t think I would have been so successful in my recovery. Today I have a well-educated, highly involved support system in my friends and family.
So every year on my sobriety birthday, my best friend and I go together to an AA meeting, then my family and friends get together and we have a great birthday celebration. This birthday will always mean way more to me than my belly button birthday. I work extra hard every day to have another sobriety birthday each year. It’s hard work, some days more than others, but it’s oh-so worth it. Today I am present in the moment, I have my daughter back, I advocate for her, I have a career, a car, a nice place to live, and I am sober!
Keep coming back, it works!
Christi
P.S. – Thank you, Jennifer, for saving me, and thank you Mom and Dad for always loving me and supporting me along the way.