Monthly Recovery Story ❤️
Daina H. 5/21/2015

My sobriety date is May 21, 2015. It took me years to achieve this date and takes hard work to keep it. My life was in shambles for many years. I began using alcohol, marijuana and opiates while i was in 7th grade. During this time of my life, i was influenced by an older crowd and was a product of my environment. I had no idea what i was doing and had no business surrounding myself with these people. Months later, my drinking and using just progressed to doing it on weekdays, during and after school. I began losing relationships with family and friends, was suspended from school and feeling disconnected from life. I soon got my act together, only out of fear and consequences from my family, and tried to live the life of a normal kid.

Years later my drug use surfaced again and there was no stopping it. After just barely graduating high school, i became homeless and had no phone, car, drivers license and was mentally gone. I hated everyone who was in my life including myself. I was so miserable and insane because of where my life ended up. Panhandling, hustling and stealing from anyone or anywhere i could, became my only way of survival for years. My “home” was any abandoned building or house i could find that was warm. Nothing about my life was fun or acceptable, but yet i could not find a way out, nor did i want to try and change it.

My “home” was any abandoned building or house i could find that was warm.

I was introduced to Alcoholics Anonymous for the first time at Harbor Light but had no interest in any of it. I took nothing from that experience or many others. In and out of detoxes and treatments from Cleveland to Florida and still nothing. I would get off the streets, gain a cpl pounds, take a shower, clean up and be out the doors again. Me being an Alcoholic was absurd and not realistic, or so i told myself. I was so resistant to the help i was offered and to the education of my disease, that i just could not put more than 90 days together.

I was insanely high and knew if i did the last of what i had, i was going to die.

Finally after leaving the Jean Marie house AGAIN and going out to use it was much different than any other. I was insanely high and knew if i did the last of what i had, i was going to die. Never have i ever been afraid of death or ever thought it was going to happen to me, but i believed this and pictured my family burying me in that moment. I believe God intervened and gave me the realization that i have to stop being so selfish and try to change my life so my loved ones did not have to suffer anymore. Me being a naturally selfish person, and actually being able to care about other people, stopped me from doing that last shot i had. I believe thats why i’m alive today. I went back to the Jean Marie house and began working the 12 steps, and my life has changed tremendously. EVERYTHING good i have today–materialistic, spiritual, my character, relationships–is because of AA and the Ed Keating Center/Jean Marie House. I will forever be in debt.