In Recovery Since 3/3/15

I have been in recovery for 7 years and 2 months. In my recovery journey I have been to the Missouri Department of Corrections, and successfully completed the 42nd District Judicial Alternative Treatment Court. These programs absolutely saved my life, going to DOC helped get me the clean time I needed to re-enter society, and Drug Court gave me the accountability, and stability to continue my sobriety. Did I have a period at first when I didn’t use but thought I could still sell drugs sure did, but that didn’t work well for me.  During Drug court I really began to embrace recovery,  and had the desire to form my own recovery group with a friend. So 5 years ago we formed RECOVERING ADDICTS REALLY EXIST.  I chose this name, because I wanted this area to know that there are people in recovery, we do take our sobriety seriously and I wanted people to notice us!! And here we are 5 years later, I’m a very vocal person about my sobriety, I’m not ashamed nor embarrassed to tell the world that I am an addict/person who had a Substance Use Disorder that found recovery not only with God but hard work and a huge desire to help others. I became involved as well with MAAG, and that groups awareness walks and events.  By proclaiming my recovery loudly, I  do give others hope, and a desire to become clean. My life has become an open book, I will tell anyone my story, I make sure people have a way to contact me day or night as I want NO ONE to suffer the worthlessness, the hurt and pain, the total and utter chaos I carried within me, the devastation I caused in not only my life but that of my family and children as well. Now I can hold my head high, my eyes are clear, they are bright,as all of the pain, torment and chaos I felt in addiction is gone. I get involved, i stay focused and above all I share my story frequently, people need to know I struggled, I fell, but yet I got up, changed my lifestyle, my attitude, but most importantly I’ve learned to love myself again!! And once I learned that- my life changed for the better, I let people know they aren’t alone, that I can actually relate to their feelings and mostly I believe in US!