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· Sober since 07 / 25 / 1988

Jay Birks

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 60Since 07 / 15 / 2015

Brenda Mattson

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 41Since 07 / 24 / 2019

Justin Hobson

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 56Since 07 / 02 / 2017

Rita

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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K
Age 76Since 07 / 14 / 1994

Kathy Roberts

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 26Since 07 / 06 / 2021

Darren C

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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A
Age 38Since 07 / 17 / 2018

Alex starblanket

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 47Since 07 / 02 / 1999

Barbara

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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N
Age 43Since 07 / 25 / 2008

Nate Awad

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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M
Age 25Since 07 / 16 / 2019

Melanie

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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A
Age 32Since 07 / 19 / 2020

Anne brason

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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D
Age 64Since 07 / 17 / 1982

Duncan McClane

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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