Something I am Proud Of:

There have been countless times where I felt like I just couldn’t “do life”. In my most recent series of episodes, I quit my job that I once loved, I showered 3 times a month on average, I wore the same clothes I slept in over and over, I basically only ate freezer food, I only met up with 4 friends in a whole year (and everytime, I had to be drunk in order to do it), I eventually was drinking a handle of gin in 3 days, I had to throw away dishes because I let them sit in the sink for so long that mold began to grow on them, and I just could not see any light at the end of the tunnel.

I was fully welcoming death because I wasn’t living. Being honest with my therapist and my family turned everything around. I moved in with my parents temporarily, I got sober, I did a couple medication adjustments, started seeing a substance abuse counselor once a week and a mental health counselor every other week, and just trusted the process…because what else did I have to lose?

I’m now 10 months sober, I’m cooking meals, I’m brushing my teeth, I’m connecting with people nearly every day, I’m back living on my own, I landed my dream job as a home health physical therapist assistant, and I have HOPE for my future….. I never thought I would get out of the hole I was in. Quitting drinking is probably what saved me. It was messing with my medication and not allowing me to be stable; thus, my whole life was thrown off and unmanageable

Message for Newly Diagnosed:

You can get through this. Reach out to your doctor and people you can trust. If you can’t trust anyone just keep coming back here for support. Don’t give up. I know it feels like the only option, but trust me there is a way to live again.