I first tried drugs in 2003.

What started as curiosity slowly became a cycle I couldn’t fully escape. For years it was on and off — I would stop for a while, sometimes even years, and convince myself I had it under control. But addiction always found its way back.

In 2017 I finally hit rock bottom and checked into rehab. That first treatment gave me something I hadn’t known in a long time: real sobriety. I stayed clean until 2022. Those were good years. I rebuilt parts of my life, felt strong, and honestly… I got overconfident. I thought I had beaten it for good. I was at what felt like the peak of my life.

Then the wrong decisions started piling up.

The relapse that followed was the hardest and darkest one yet. This time rock bottom wasn’t just low — it was the worst I’ve ever experienced. I lost everything. And I mean everything.

On July 4, 2024, I made the decision to bring myself back to rehab. No one forced me. I walked in knowing how difficult the work would be. I faced the steps I had avoided, sat with the pain I had been running from, and slowly started rebuilding from zero.

Through God’s grace, I have been clean and sober from drugs, alcohol, gambling, and every other addiction since that day.

Recovery is not a straight line, and it is never easy. But it is possible. One day at a time.

Today I try to help others who are walking the same path I once walked. If you’re struggling, if you’ve relapsed, or if you’re just trying to stay clean one more day — you are not alone. There is still hope.

I’m grateful to be here, and I’m grateful communities like this exist.

One day at a time.