Information for Our Alumnae:
My Sobriety is a Badge of Honor
I have a strong family history of drug and alcohol addiction. I first came to the Res in 1995; my Aunt was an alum and she was really active in Sober Gals. I flew up from California, where I was living at the time, and spent 28 days in residential treatment. Although the program was great, I knew in my heart I was not there for the right reason – I was not there for me. After another 10 years of making the same mistakes over and over, I woke up one morning in April of 2005 to find my Mom standing in the doorway, asking me if I wanted help. That was the first day of the rest of my life.
I came back to inpatient. The first year of sobriety I went to different meetings but I have always been really connected to Sober Gals. There was a group of women who ran the meeting while I was staying at the Res and they were always so happy – no matter what. I thought if I could get just a little bit of that I would be OK. Today, four years later, those women are some of the most important people in my life, and I know that no matter what the situation, all I have to do is call and they will be there for me.
Now I tell people I am too busy to use. I have a really great job that I love, and co-workers who support my sobriety. I am very active in the Residence XII Alumnae Planning Committee and Ambassadors and have served as a Table Captain at the luncheon for the past two years. I want to give back to the people who saved my life. I also want to be involved in helping other women in recovery and taking the shame out of addiction. I wear my sobriety like a badge of honor and never miss an opportunity to talk about it.
I stay sober by keeping it the number one focus in my life; without sobriety I would have nothing. I never let my guard down and I never put myself in situations without having a plan. Someone very wise told me that I can never, ever, drink or use again. That is a relief for me because no amount of time can go by before I can ever try it again. I am an addict and that means – never, ever. I’m done with that and proud of my sobriety.
Shelli, Residence XII Alumna