Letters from Readers

A number of readers have recently been in touch with Sober 24, telling their stories and sharing their experience, strength, and hope with us. If you’d like to be in touch, too, you can “Tell Us Your Story” at www.sober24.com/E_Zine/Submissions/159/. We’d love to hear from you.

‘Five minutes before the miracle’

            When I finally crawled into AA, I was beat. I went into a rehab to detox and stayed sober for 30 days. Then I spent 6 months bouncing in and out, getting a few days or a few weeks. AA really messed up my drinking -- it wasn’t fun anymore. But, you kept telling me to keep coming back. You kept telling me to not give up 5 minutes before the miracle happened, and happen it did. What was wrong? I was trying to reason my way sober, think my way sober, figure it all out.
            When I stopped all that mental exercise and really surrendered, the miracles happened for me.

Betty

‘Life is looking up’

            I started experimenting with marijuana at 13 years old. I liked it, then liked it a lot more. I did some stupid juvenile stuff behind it, too, like borrowing a police car at age 16 from the local doughnut shop.

            I wasted about 7-8 years of my life. Spent thousands of dollars on drugs, lost really good jobs, lost touch with my family, lived an underworld lifestyle, lost my self-worth, and was going nowhere fast. Since coming back after a one night slip/run/relapse, etc., I do things a little differently, like listen and shut-up, ‘cause I don' t know jack. Life is looking up and my self-esteem is lifting up more each day.

            I'm not a drug addict today, but rather a proud recovering addict. This site has been a great influence in my recovery and, hopefully, I can help another addict, whether it be here online or at a face-to-face meeting.

Dave C.

‘Nineteen years old and sober!’

            I was very young when I started drinking, and I was very young when I was introduced to the program.

            Through my using I was homeless, promiscuous, abused, and I had lost everything that I thought was of value. But, little did I know that God was walking me through all of this for a reason. After seeing a 14-year-old die from a heroin OD, I decided to get help.

            All my life, I hung my head low and said “Sara, what’s wrong with you? You are so indescribably hopeless.”

            Today, I’m 19 years old and sober! This is my world now, a world I created! Created with nothing but God, me, and the program. I’m thankful to be sober.

Sara

‘What I had become and what I had lost’

            Alcoholism and addiction destroyed my life. I went from having a great home, a good job, and a wonderful family to being unemployed, losing my children, losing my home and living in my car. I failed at my first rehab and ended up several times in the ER with delirium tremens when I would try to quit. Everything was painful.

            What I had become and what I had lost -- it was unbearable to think about. So I drank and used whatever drugs were offered to me.

            Sober now, I have started to rebuild my life and I just got my children back three months ago. No one thought it would be possible, not even me. I now believe in miracles.

Jennifer


‘Healthy and happy’

            I have been a drug addict for more than 21 years. For a majority for those years I used absurd amounts of cocaine every night. And drank vodka and smoked weed heavily in between. By the time I reached 32, I was 300 lbs and at death’s door.

            I had been to the best rehabs on the east coast and struggled with the 12 steps, to no avail, since I was a teenager. All the rehabs I went to were based on the 12 step program. It made sense to me, but it never seemed to address the core of why I continued to use, which was that I never felt "good" sober so I got high to escape my discomfort and feel artificially "good" for a brief time.

            It felt like so long as the chemicals remained in my body I always resorted to relapsing. Even if I was sober for 3 months I would get the nausea when I thought of doing coke. And this nausea would lead to a relapse. This nausea, I believe, was caused by the traces of cocaine's chemicals remaining in my body. 

            I always knew that the answer was to fully cleanse the toxins from my system so that I didn't have the urge to use, but I never knew how to do this on my own. I searched the web and found a rehab on the big island of Hawaii. It was the miracle I was looking for. I spent several weeks there, juice fasting and eating a cleansing diet of mostly raw vegan foods. For the first time in my life I felt healthy and happy enough to resist the urge to use drugs.

            It has been 3 years since my stay at the retreat and I have maintained my sobriety and lost 85 lbs. I strongly recommend this approach to anyone struggling with addiction or dieting issues.

Sam

‘Getting better every week’

            My story starts out in a very unhappy home. I drank in my teens, like almost everyone else. What a great way to enjoy relief from the misery at home. Pain and anger were my best friends.

            At 18, I got married to a guy I barely knew. I wore my 8th grade graduation gown and a pair of clogs. I puked on my wedding night. Real romantic.

            Since then, I’ve been to hell and back many times. But, I am sober almost 8 months now, and it was because I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. The booze and drugs didn’t make me feel better anymore. I was left with my head down, ashamed of my actions. Again and again.

            It has been very interesting these past sober months. I am changing, I am happy most days, and I am proud of me. I am getting better every week.