Recovery, in their own words

July Archives

Recovery stories from people whose sobriety date falls in July — real accounts shared to remind anyone still struggling that they are not alone.

Jay Birks 72 7 / 25 / 1988 Featured story
Age 72

Jay Birks

Sober since

I drank and used when I didn’t want to. I sunk below my values quicker than I could lower them.

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Brenda Mattson 60 7 / 15 / 2015
Age 60

Brenda Mattson

Sober since

Excruciating. I did damage to every relationship I had. I would sit on the toilet every morning, for the better part of four years wondering how my life had become that. It hurt, but I could...

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Justin Hobson 41 7 / 24 / 2019
Age 41

Justin Hobson

Sober since

I spent over two decades caught in the chaos of addiction. Heroin and meth stole everything from me — my family, my identity, my health, and my future. I was in and out of jail, homeless in...

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Rita 56 7 / 2 / 2017
Age 56

Rita

Sober since

I lost myself thinking that life was all about partying. We grew up in alcoholic homes so we thought it was normal.

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Age 76

Kathy Roberts

Sober since

Nothing really bad happened. I didn't get a DUI. I didn't go to jail. I didn't lose anyone I loved. I was just DYING.

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Darren C 26 7 / 6 / 2021
Age 26

Darren C

Sober since

In 2013, I lost my older brother to a fatal overdose from fentanyl-laced MDMA. That sent me into an 8-year spiral which lead me to a problematic relationship with alcohol. I was in a dark pl...

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Age 38

Alex starblanket

Sober since

My experience as an alcoholic was just like any other addict. I lost all my jobs I was accepted in, I couldn't continue school, I lost my self-asteam to look after myself, I binged drank for...

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Barbara 47 6 / 31 / 1999
Age 47

Barbara

Sober since

Addiction is slavery. •Darkness to Light •Death to Life •Misery to messenger Mostly, the pictures speak for themselves. These coming from a long line-up of many, attached to and associ...

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Age 43

Nate Awad

Sober since

I was drowning in whiskey and cocaine, in and out of jail, lost my house, my truck, broken family and was living out of my car.. I was either gonna wind up in prison or kill myself!

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Age 25

Melanie

Sober since

My name’s Mel and I’m a 25 year-old recovering alcoholic. About a year and a half ago I was sitting in a bathtub on my third bottle of wine deliberating if I should kill myself. I knew the d...

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Age 32

Anne brason

Sober since

I gave up drinking in June 2018 for 18 months. Unfortunately I had a slight blip in jan after a friend committed suicide. However I’m back sober again and won’t be looking back. I was much h...

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Age 64

Duncan McClane

Sober since

Lived in a garage dealing with depression and using an drinking everyday after growing up in a home were I swore I’d never drink like my dad- getting arrested and not taking care of my healt...

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