One Year of Sobriety – Personal Story

Casa Palmera received this letter below from a former patient. It’s gratifying to hear how a dedication to their sobriety makes such a positive difference in their life. “It works if you work it.” Thanks to all of our former patients who keep in touch. Please know it’s appreciated and what you mean to us!

Hi Casa Palmera Team,

I wanted to send ya’ll this email as an update on how I am doing a year after leaving Casa. On the 25th I took my one year token!!! 🙂 Not only have I never been sober that long, but I never thought I would be.

After using for 10 years I had considered myself one of the hopeless ones with no chance of ever recovering. I had used for so long I simply didn’t know how to live any other way. I am now about to turn 25 and just now live alone and sober for the FIRST time ever, and have a job that I have consistently shown up for for 6 months. While I had jobs in the past, I was never able to perform well at them because of my drug use, and now I can proudly say I have been the top sales person at my job each month and I am a respected member of the team. My mom flew in to see me take my year and I have even booked a flight home to see my family for Thanksgiving. This is a huge step for my family as my parents have always been very wary of me coming to visit because of my past. I have a 13 year old sister who means the world to me that I actually get to spend alone time with when I go home to visit which will be the first time since getting sober. These are just a few of the MANY blessings in my life today because of my sobriety.

I would have to say that all of these things pale in comparison to the biggest blessing, which is my peace of mind. I used because I had so much chaos in my mind and my heart and because I never felt real internal peace my whole life. Today I can honestly say that I love myself, and more importantly, I respect myself. I was an addict who would cross whatever line needed to be crossed to drugs and that took me to very dark places very fast. Today I live with no shame or regret and I am proud of the woman I am. I also have realized that everything I did in my past is just more experience I get to share with other women or girls that are struggling and need help. I have a sponsee who is about to take 6 months. She came in homeless and hopeless and she is a miracle that I get to share my struggles with.

I wanted to take some time to share all of this because if it wasn’t for my beginning at Casa I wouldn’t be where I am today. While in Casa, my primary care coordinator mentioned for me to go to a sober living home/IOP after Casa Palmera if I was serious about staying sober. While I didn’t know if I was serious at the time, it seemed like a better alternative then going back to my closet and using meth and heroin all day and night. I went to a sober living for 3 months where I was able to work through every aspect of my life that caused that chaos I constantly lived with. I also worked all 12 steps while in the house because they showed me that the steps and finding a higher power were the keys to my freedom. After graduating from sober living, I went to another sober living environment for eight and a half months. When I decided (with the help of my counselor and sponsor) that it was time to move out sober living, I did not take the decision lightly. I am still being drug tested and still attend regular meetings that I went to while in sober living. I moved to the area where my sponsor lives and I have been branching out to other meetings in this area as well.

Something that is really important to me is to show my gratitude by works of service. Tonight I am actually speaking at Casa and I would love to be more involved so please feel free to reach out if there are any other opportunities! Thank you so much to everyone that took the time with me and didn’t give up on me when I had already given up on myself.

Sincerely,
Former Patient of Casa Palmera

Disclaimer


This blog is for informational purposes only and should not be a substitute for medical advice. We understand that everyone’s situation is unique, and this content is to provide an overall understanding of substance use disorders. These disorders are very complex, and this post does not take into account the unique circumstances for every individual. For specific questions about your health needs or that of a loved one, seek the help of a healthcare professional.