“I began to speed toward the rail. Right before I hit it, I heard a sniffle. ‘This is not how it ends.’ I knew I had a purpose to live for.”
‘I don’t make twins.’ He accused me of having an affair. I didn’t know it should have been different.’: Abuse survivor finds ‘loud purpose’ advocating for others’ voices
‘I could forget I was dumpy and self-conscious. I could forget I was ME. THAT girl wasn’t afraid.’: Mom shares emotional journey to sobriety
“I HAD to stop before I destroyed the humans who loved me through every single moment of my life.”
‘My husband popped the trunk. Out fell our giant brown bag, spilling dozens of whiskey bottles onto the asphalt. My son’s expression said it all.’: Mom of 3 shares sobriety journey
“When I was younger, my mom asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. A stay-at-home mom addicted to alcohol wasn’t part of that equation.”
‘I got pregnant on a one-night stand with a guy I barely knew. I had zero respect for my body or myself.’: Woman shares celibacy journey, ‘I’m taking my body back’
“If I wanted to sleep with a man who wasn’t my boyfriend, I did just that. Sex became another drug for me. I drank to oblivion to erase the shame.”
‘My grandmother called to tell me, ‘You’re going to hell.’: Recovering addict shares journey, ‘I stood up to fight again’
“My life is OVER, I’m 20 years old and expecting a baby!’ Truthfully, I thought the baby would keep us together forever.”
‘Can you quit drinking to support me?’ It felt so unfair. Why should I give up drinking when HE was the alcoholic?’: Mom celebrates 5 years sober, ‘I’m truly proud of the person I am today’
“I honestly had to think about it. I was devastated at the thought of divorce but the thought of a life without alcohol seemed unbearable.”
‘I sat on the floor, my head in a toilet. My sister said, ‘I’m not doing this anymore.’ My favorite person was done. That was enough for me.’: Woman details sobriety and mental health journey
“As a child, I was scared of everything. I felt on edge about everything. When the effects of cheap vodka flooded over me, all of my fears washed away. I finally felt like I was enough. I felt invincible, and I loved it.”
‘I have a problem! This is serious and I can’t stop.’ My organs felt like heavy rocks in my body. I knew my time was coming.’: Woman shares sobriety journey, ‘I’m hopeful for a new way of life’
“I was on my way to a swollen liver. I had to stop drinking or I would die. I weaned myself into sobriety with boxed red wine. I was just starting to scratch the surface.”
‘I’m hurt you’d date my ex!’ She tried to pin abuse on us. We called their phone. No one answered.’: Blended family forced to leave kids details journey, ‘We can’t wait to be together again’
“His son never wanted to see us again. He loves video games and changed his name to ‘leaving.’ He was hurting and did not know how to express it. When we called their phone, no one answered.”
‘She’d take us on ‘missions’ in the night. It was her outlet for being a single mom. I was eventually placed in foster care.’: First generation college graduate and father shares journey, ‘I broke a generational barrier’’
“We experienced the trauma of being ripped away from our mom, as well as each other, and we were forced to live with families we didn’t know. I grew up sooner than I expected.”
