RECOVERY STORY OF THE MONTH

My name is Mikey A., and my sobriety date is October 25, 2017. That date marks the beginning of a new life, one that I never imagined possible during the darkest days of my addiction.

Before recovery, my life was unmanageable. I was caught in a cycle that felt impossible to break — using to escape pain, shame, and emptiness, only to end up deeper in it. I lost trust, opportunities, time, and most painfully, parts of myself. I was alive, but not living. Every day was a battle, and I didn’t know if I had it in me to make it out. But I did.

I didn’t have a sudden epiphany or a perfect plan. I just had enough. Enough pain, enough destruction, enough running. On October 25, 2017, God led me to the ROCK. It was one of the hardest, rawest choices I’ve ever made, but it’s also the most important one. I’ll never forget the words Marty said to me when I walked in that door, “I thought you were dead kid”. Those words hit different and changed my life!

“I thought you were dead kid.”

Recovery hasn’t been easy. There are moments I want/wanted to give up, times I doubt/doubted myself, and days that test everything in me. But I keep showing up. I lean on support, stay as honest as possible, stayed connected, and allow myself to grow. One day at a time turned into weeks, months, and now, years. I’m not going to sit here and say I work a perfect program, because i don’t. I fall short on many aspects of life. I’m not perfect and I make mistakes on a daily, just like the next human being, but i try not to make those same mistakes over and over again.

… But I keep showing up.

Since getting sober, I’ve rebuilt my life with purpose. I’ve learned how to be present, how to face life on life’s terms, getting custody of my daughter when I was only a year and a half sober (She’s 16 now), and how to be of service to others walking their own path out of darkness. My past doesn’t define me, but it does fuel my passion to help others see what’s possible.