Recovery revived
I am grounded in the belief that recovery is a uniquely individual process. Everyone has their own walk in how they achieve sobriety. Whether one person is able to get and stay sober through the use of twelve step programs alone, or, another uses an approach that only includes discontinuing use and regaining their life through getting busy with work and family, it is very much up to each individual. Through educating myself I have learned the research is clear in this area. There are multiple paths to a life in recovery. Our society is in the midst of seeing the need for change in how we treat people with drug and alcohol issues. We are now seeing that utilizing a holistic approach to treatment and recovery holds massive value in helping people achieve long term recovery.
March 25th, 2007 would be the date that would stick for me. I was able to remove myself from drugs and alcohol for good. My friend Sarah and I had to put some distance between us to allow each other space to get on a path to recovery, and, we did. I was able to get right back into things I knew would help me be a person in recovery again. Even with the fear of the depression and anxiety coming back, the knowing that my financial situation was a nightmare, and the knowing that my future was uncertain in regard to my professional life.
I had to do a complete reboot of all my work. I needed to figure out how I would be able to make it right with my son. Stephanie and I were back on rocky territory, us getting back together was back to the "off and on" again time period. I set out on doing what I knew I needed to do. I set out to get back on my feet and continue being a person in recovery. I wanted to have a good life and was determined to put this short period of returning to use behind me and continue moving forward.
The next couple years would find me in the counseling field, putting to use the schooling I had went to years prior. I worked for a couple of outpatient treatment locally between 2009-2011. I started taking classes at YVCC in 2008 to complete the educational requirements for becoming a Chemical Dependency Professional. This would, after a couple quarters, bring me to enrolling at CWU in Winter of 2009, to start on work to gain a bachelors, and then, Masters degrees, finishing in 2012. I found a degree program in Family Studies that appealed to me a lot. This would help me dive deeper into learning about family systems. I would do a ton of research on family systems and chemical dependency and recovery. Gaining all of this education was really helpful for me to work through a lot of things I was continuing to work on in my life during this time.
Stephanie and I would get back together, one last time. I remember when it was over again, and could clearly see this was it for good....myself, and I am sure others were holding their breath, wondering if this was going to cause me to drink again. The good thing is I had continued counseling and educating myself and had been putting into action techniques to learn how to manage high stress in my life. The fall, after the break up, didn't happen. I was ready to move on with my life. Stephanie and I are friends to this day, both of us able to move on with our lives. I would date for a while, having a couple of fairly serious relationships, but mostly, still looking for a woman that I could have a life long relationship with and settle down for good.
Tyler would find treatment himself. Just like it is for many people with addiction issues, it would take him some time to find recovery that would stick. These were tough times for all of us who loved and cared about Tyler. For myself, his father it was especially tough. Having been in recovery for years and years, and then returning to use, and using with him, was not good at all. This would weigh on me for a while. I could only model for him what I knew was right all along, recovery. While it was tough for a while, it proved to be what he and I needed. Me being a father, not his friend, or worse, drug using friend. Tyler would begin his journey in recovery in about 2012-13ish. He has just over 3 years now in recovery and has completely turned his life around. I am proud of him everyday for where he is in life.
Tomorrow I will end this month long blog with a writing about where I am at today, and where I see myself in the future. During my time at CWU, as a student working on a bachelors degree, I was encouraged to get a Master's degree. This had not been part of my plan. Well, we all know how "plans" go.....sometimes life has other plans for us. :)
March 25th, 2007 would be the date that would stick for me. I was able to remove myself from drugs and alcohol for good. My friend Sarah and I had to put some distance between us to allow each other space to get on a path to recovery, and, we did. I was able to get right back into things I knew would help me be a person in recovery again. Even with the fear of the depression and anxiety coming back, the knowing that my financial situation was a nightmare, and the knowing that my future was uncertain in regard to my professional life.
I had to do a complete reboot of all my work. I needed to figure out how I would be able to make it right with my son. Stephanie and I were back on rocky territory, us getting back together was back to the "off and on" again time period. I set out on doing what I knew I needed to do. I set out to get back on my feet and continue being a person in recovery. I wanted to have a good life and was determined to put this short period of returning to use behind me and continue moving forward.
The next couple years would find me in the counseling field, putting to use the schooling I had went to years prior. I worked for a couple of outpatient treatment locally between 2009-2011. I started taking classes at YVCC in 2008 to complete the educational requirements for becoming a Chemical Dependency Professional. This would, after a couple quarters, bring me to enrolling at CWU in Winter of 2009, to start on work to gain a bachelors, and then, Masters degrees, finishing in 2012. I found a degree program in Family Studies that appealed to me a lot. This would help me dive deeper into learning about family systems. I would do a ton of research on family systems and chemical dependency and recovery. Gaining all of this education was really helpful for me to work through a lot of things I was continuing to work on in my life during this time.
Stephanie and I would get back together, one last time. I remember when it was over again, and could clearly see this was it for good....myself, and I am sure others were holding their breath, wondering if this was going to cause me to drink again. The good thing is I had continued counseling and educating myself and had been putting into action techniques to learn how to manage high stress in my life. The fall, after the break up, didn't happen. I was ready to move on with my life. Stephanie and I are friends to this day, both of us able to move on with our lives. I would date for a while, having a couple of fairly serious relationships, but mostly, still looking for a woman that I could have a life long relationship with and settle down for good.
Tyler would find treatment himself. Just like it is for many people with addiction issues, it would take him some time to find recovery that would stick. These were tough times for all of us who loved and cared about Tyler. For myself, his father it was especially tough. Having been in recovery for years and years, and then returning to use, and using with him, was not good at all. This would weigh on me for a while. I could only model for him what I knew was right all along, recovery. While it was tough for a while, it proved to be what he and I needed. Me being a father, not his friend, or worse, drug using friend. Tyler would begin his journey in recovery in about 2012-13ish. He has just over 3 years now in recovery and has completely turned his life around. I am proud of him everyday for where he is in life.
Tomorrow I will end this month long blog with a writing about where I am at today, and where I see myself in the future. During my time at CWU, as a student working on a bachelors degree, I was encouraged to get a Master's degree. This had not been part of my plan. Well, we all know how "plans" go.....sometimes life has other plans for us. :)
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