With this post I just want to offer you some encouragement if you are feeling like you are not moving forward. For me, the first few months—honestly, the whole first year—were really tough. I didn’t know who I was, what I enjoyed, or where I was headed. But believe me when I say, it gets better.
It Get’s Better..
I once heard someone say in a meeting that sobriety gave them their life back. For me, I feel like I truly started living once I entered recovery. Before that, I had no real life—I didn’t even know who I was. I still vividly remember my first sessions with my counselor when she asked me who I was, and I simply had no answer. Looking back, it’s pretty shocking. I had completely lost myself, and honestly, I never really knew who I was in the first place.
For me, the greatest gift that recovery has given so far is the ability to truly live. Because when I reflect on the time before recovery, I realize I wasn’t living at all—although I convinced myself I was living my best life.
Sobriety has given me the clarity to understand myself, to fully experience emotions, and to confront the issues that led me down the path of addiction in the first place. It’s not always easy. Some days are harder than others, but with each day of sobriety, I gain a deeper understanding of who I am and who I want to be.
I’ve experienced multiple periods of pure happiness so far. The first time I felt this way, I remember telling others that I had never been so happy. Just this afternoon, I had a realization: these moments of intense happiness keep getting stronger and better. It feels like each time, I’m a little bit happier than I was before.
Don’t get me wrong—I generally feel happy overall. But I still experience ups and downs. Some periods go smoothly, while others feel heavier. But that’s part of life. Without the lows, there wouldn’t be highs, and without the highs, there wouldn’t be lows.
