Musings

If you would have told me that I’d be giving inspirational speeches to patients at Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and EOSIS Beauterre Recovery Institute just a few years ago, I would have laughed out loud.

After 2 years of dedication and training, I hit 315 on the bench press. It's a feat that less than .1 percent of the population can perform.

One of the myths about volunteering – at least one I believed for many years – is that it’s a completely selfless endeavor. That’s patently false.

In the not-too-distant past, I couldn’t image having any fun without drinking. Now that I’m experiencing recreation with a clear mind, it’s hard for me to reconcile why I thought it was so much better while intoxicated.

My life in sobriety feels different. Time is moving slowly again. I was reborn when I got sober. I started a new life after nearly 25 years of excessive consumption spiraled into eventual unabashed alcoholism. I was 40 when I got sober. I’m 42 now. It feels as if it’s been a decade since I last drank.

By the time you’ve developed a drinking problem outside of a boozy vacation or stressful week, moderate drinking is no longer an option. If you’re struggling with alcohol, you need to hear that quitting is the best – and probably only — option. No matter how appealing the moderated drinking advertisements seem.