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.

The key difference is that the obstacles are a lot easier to tackle when you’re sober. Exponentially so.

People in alcohol withdrawal are prescribed benzos to ease the symptoms. The problem is that they’re often used to treat chronic conditions