This is one of the most beautiful, heart-wrenching, and sometimes unbelievable sober story I have ever heard. Thank you Erica, aka, sober.for.the.health.of.it, for your vulnerability, your honesty, your openness, so that someone out there might be spared from this dreaded disease of alcoholism. 

I needed a drink when I didn't have what I needed.

It has been a long road to get to where I am. It took years for me to be open and honest about my recovery. Years for me to let people see what I was hiding for so long. I was ordering diet cokes and being told that that shit would kill me. 🤣 Little did they know. I was removing myself from conversations when it turned towards alcohol. I tried not to scream and rip my hair out when someone would talk about people who struggle with addiction and/or mental health. I cowered and shrank into my comfort zone, full of shame and hurt. I felt like a fraud.

I was sober, but I still didn't have what I needed. At a little over 3 years, I was coming close to letting it all go. I was working as much as I could, filling my time with busyness, hoping everything would just work out.

I didn't have a community. I didn't have friends I could share my story with. I was lucky I had a supportive family, but I needed someone who related. When I created this account, I didn't know what to expect. I never thought I'd connect with so many amazing people that I could relate to so much. It's a freeing feeling when you can talk about some of the crazy shit you did and laugh with someone because they did it, too. I began to find acceptance, and I was learning how to love myself.

It's true when they say, "Connection is the opposite of addiction." Being part of a community has changed my life. If you're struggling to find yours, please reach out. There are so many amazing people wanting to connect❤️