What a year it’s been! February of 2013 I decided it was time to take this recovery thing seriously. I checked myself into the hospital for a week and right when I got out enrolled myself into a yearlong outpatient treatment program. I knew if I wanted things to be different I had to do things differently this time around and I had to be willing to make some pretty big changes.

This last year has been a whirlwind of emotions. I guess that is to be expected when you’re changing everything you once knew. During the last year I’ve had my share of tears and pain. However, I’ve also had a great deal of happiness come my way. It’s amazing when you let go of the negative how much room you leave for the positive to find you.

As I mentioned I put myself in a yearlong treatment program. On April 3, 2014 I graduated!!. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so proud of myself and such a sense of accomplishment!!!

This year has been far from easy. I feel like I’m learning who I am all over again. Who I am, what I like to do..Etc. I invested so much time in drugs I had lost myself and knew nothing else. I still have a long ways to go. However, I know today that I am a really good person and capable of so much more than I ever gave myself credit for.

On May 19th I celebrated 8 months clean. Back in September I went through a rough patch. Almost lost my dad and went through a bad breakup. I slipped for 4 days. I learned a lot from that slip. I learned that I don’t need the drugs anymore to deal with life’s stress. That I will be OK without it. I like to say I have 15 months clean minus the 4 days that I went back out because that time I had isn’t lost.

So overall I just like to say that things do get better. My life is far from perfect, but I’ve learned how to look at life in a different light. I hope that someone out there will read this and realize there really is light at the end of the tunnel.