Maybe it’s the summer heat, I don’t know. But lately I’ve seen a lot of posts regarding drinking, drug use, addiction issues, and the like. The folks at The Next Great Generation did a whole ‘drug week’ series. Jolie O’Dell recently wrote a post about her experiences with being newly sober (again). And there have been others in the past who have been pretty open about their experiences with drugs and alcohol.
I have not one of those people. Well, I guess not until now.
While I’ve made minor mentions of it here and there, and most people who know me personally know, I am not cavalier about my own personal situation. So let’s just get it out in the open. I am a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. Have been for quite some time. In fact, I will be celebrating 7 years sober on Sunday. (August 1st). For those scoring at home, I got sober before I turned 23. Which means my drinking and drug abuse got so bad that at the ripe old age of 22, something needed to change. And change it did.
Here is the quick synopsis:
- Age 10: Began smoking cigarettes
- Age 13: Began smoking week
- Age 15: LSD, Xanax, various other pills
- Age 16: Booze
- Age 19: Cocaine
Those were the main ones, mind you. As far as drug use goes, there isn’t a single drug that was available at the time that I didn’t do at least twice. Yes, that includes heroin and crack. (Meth hadn’t reached Florida yet, but I’m sure I would have done it if given the opportunity).
So why am I writing this? Why now? Why at all? Gonna be honest here, I’m not too sure. It isn’t as though I need to ‘announce’ it at all. Nor am I trying to warn anyone. I assume all of you reading this are adults and can make decisions for yourself. And my own personal experience doesn’t really mean jack shit to your life. Maybe I just wanna give you all some background into why I am the way I am. Why am I considered ‘no bullshit’? Because I can be. How is it that nothing seems to bother me? Because I’ve already been through hell. Literally. There is a lot to this story that I have left out, because frankly its none of your fucking business.
Ehh. Here’s to 7 years.
I am a freelance web monkey in Tampa, FL. I am heavily tattoo'd, I sleep too little, I drink too much coffee, smoke entirely too many cigarettes, but otherwise do my thing. My littleman > you.
{ 14 comments }
August 1st is gonna be one of my new favorite days, Andrew. Well done.
Well put. It’s weird, all of a sudden I keep stumbling across folks who have an anniversary within days of mine. August 4 = 5 years for me. Congrats to you, and that was an excellent choice of picture.
Looks like my first 3 years of college. Probably didn’t see that coming…
Yeah, you may have started young but I was like Rookie of the Year on my “catch up” work. It was most definitely the best thing to happen to me when the University and I decided we should go “on a break.” Unfortunately it means I don’t have a shiny piece of white paper to hang on my wall. But I’m also not in the same place as the folks I “ran with” in that place, and seeing their lives now makes me very happy with the choices I made.
I’m also now a big fan of August 1st for you, man. 7 years is awesome. Congratulations!
Actually, it doesn’t surprise me. I know a lot of folks who did what I did, but realized that it wasn’t a good thing and stopped. That was my problem. I couldn’t stop.
Congratulations.
Congrats on 7 years. My dad just passed 30 sober a couple years back. He’s heading for 35 soon.
That’s rad as hell. Old timers are the best.
Cheers to you brother!
Congrats! I’m clean a year and a half. It’s cool to see others with a similar background in a similar career field. It’s also cool to see that there are others (like myself) who don’t feel the need to throw all that spiritual bs in your face. Good job, man.
Indeed. There is a god. I’m not it. And that’s about as far as I go with it
Sometimes it just feels really freeing to get a painful life story you’ve been keeping “secret” from most of the world out into the open. You don’t have to tell them all the details, but just being able to say “hey this is me, this is who I was and who I now am” feels pretty fucking great.
As you know, those past experiences have helped mold you into the person you are today – a stronger version of yourself. And I’m happy you’re still with us to tell the tale.
Here’s to you, to 7 years of being sober!
Thanks man. I just never felt the need to talk about it in a forum like this before. Not sure what changed, but it is what it is.
Congrats! Definitely an anniversary worth celebrating and sharing.
Congratulations man! 14 years for me in October. I don’t know about you, but all of that shit seems like something that happened to somebody else at this point.