Aug 272 min read

There was a 10 year period of my life where I was not sober for 1 single day.

And that is really scary.

The lost memories.

The bad behaviours.

The people I let down, and treated badly.

The feelings I numbed...

I would smoke cannabis from the moment I woke up until the moment I went to bed. And I would drink (a lot) of wine at night.

At this point - I could not function without these substances. On days I would try to go without - I wouldn't be able to live a normal life, and I certainly would not be able to sleep!

What started out as fun, soon became my prison....

But that didn't stop me.

It took me over 10 years to realise that I could live free from these addictions.

Not surprisingly - I was overweight, so tired, I had bad skin, hair & nails, ate a crappy diet, and couldn't get my shit together financially, or socially.

I was completely erratic, couldn't think straight, made terrible decisions, and was always either manic, or depressed.

When you are using substances for a long period of time, and then do you manage to quit - you go through this really awkward adjustment period where you are withdrawing from the substances, but also having to face your past, present, and future, as a sober person.

This time was tough for me. Remembering all the dumb drunken stuff that I'd done, and cringing at the embarrassing moments.

Plus, remembering the trauma that I had tried to bury.

If any of this sounds like you - I can guarantee you that there is HOPE, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and there is JOY on the otherside.

It's not too late.

You're not broken.

You're not beyond redemption.

The best advice I have is to just take it one day at a time.

I remember the first 2 weeks being the hardest.

Like I may never feel "happy" again.

But now I get to experience a different kind of happy.

A real kind of happy.

One that doesn't destroy my life, ruin my sleep, and my health.