Journey & Experience
Q: Can you share a bit about your recovery journey and what brought you to Liberty?
A: What brought me to Liberty was the fact I was in jail, but was able to be released to treatment. I had looked at Liberty before when I promised my family I would go to treatment. Unfortunately, it took me sitting in jail to finally follow through on that promise.
Q: What was the most impactful part of your time at Liberty?
A: The most impactful part of my time at Liberty was definitely the residential house. The amount of love and connection I found there really inspired me to double down on recovery and take it seriously. Grinding out the groups, therapy, chores, and everything you do in residential every day gave me a foundation.
Challenges & Growth
Q: What was the biggest challenge you faced during recovery, and how did you overcome it?
A: My biggest struggle in recovery? That’s a loaded question… haha. If I had to summarize, learning how to believe in myself was the hardest part. I had to jump headfirst into something that was hard, with no skills, no confidence, no belief I could do it. Building myself up from the ground was definitely the hardest part.
Q: How has your life changed since leaving Liberty?
A: My life has changed in ways I never would have believed. I have healthy relationships for the first time in my life. I have all the people that matter to me back in my life. My family is there for me, and I am there for them now too. Mostly, I feel I have achieved peace of my own mind.
Successes & Goals
Q: What are you most proud of in your recovery journey?
A: The thing I am most proud of in my recovery is definitely myself. I have to tell myself every day, no matter what happens, that I am proud of myself. No matter how hard the day is, or what happens, at the end of the night if we are still gaining another day in recovery, we all have something to be proud of. I can say I finally am proud of the person I have become, and I have also worked my way up to becoming a General Manager of a restaurant. I’m proud of that and the connections I have with people now and the impact I can make with people.
Q: What goals are you working on now, and what motivates you to keep going?
A: The main goal I have currently is to purchase my first home. I have to keep moving forward, and do better each day. Just a little better each day. Then hopefully next year, I will have done better than the year before. Right?
Advice for Others
Q: What would you say to someone who is just starting their recovery journey?
A: Something I would say to someone just starting their journey is… “Have you suffered enough? Well, get ready, because you are going to bleed, sweat, and cry some more… but this time, I promise you it won’t be for nothing. All your blood, sweat, and tears will be for something more beautiful than you can even imagine right now. You don’t have to suffer for nothing anymore, take it seriously, keep pushing every day. Lean on the person next to you, and watch the results you will get. We are all here for you, counting on you, and believe in you.”
Q: How do you stay connected to the recovery community?
A: I stay connected with Liberty. It has a special place in my heart. It literally brought me back from the brink of death to where I am now. I would highly suggest meetings, and staying connected with those around you as I’m sure you hear often. On a side note, I have found addiction is everywhere. It’s literally everywhere, and everyone is aware of it. So being open and honest about yourself and where you are at has opened so many new friendships and deep connections in my life. It reminds me of all I have overcome and survived. You have to wear your scars as stripes in this world. That’s the only cure to shame I have found. You have found a way to survive up to this point and surviving through an addiction is becoming more and more rare. Be proud of yourself. You are right where you are supposed to be.
