Sober at seventeen isn't a super common story, but it is becoming more normal every day and we need resources to help these kids and their families.

I always enjoy sharing stories of people who got sober really young. I think this is the most difficult time to make a change of this magnitude, and developmentally all the forces are working against you. Coping skills aren't up to par, the frontal lobe isn't fully developed which causes a whole host of other issues with impulse control, ability to weigh risk and much more.

These are the stories that are most victorious to me. Young people in recovery, young people AA, this community coming together to support one another in making one of the biggest decisions in life has the utmost respect from me.

Nick Rebholz is a great example of recovery success as a young person. He shares the challenges he faced, how he overcame those barriers, and what it feels like to be successfully sober and STILL young!

Dedicating his life to sobriety and counseling at-risk youth, Nick works for an organization in Kansas City called Full Circle.  Here is their mission:

FullCircle is a ministry of the Catholic Church that offers hope and support for families in crisis with a spiritual program that addresses emotional problems with faith-based principles and values. FullCircle welcomes all families and young people, regardless of race, religion, sex or national origin, who are committed to finding solutions to their problems.

You can find them here:  https://www.facebook.com/FullCircleKC/