Just over two years ago, a second DUI forced me to confront a difficult question: Am I an alcoholic? I wasn’t a daily drinker, but when I drank, I couldn’t stop. Crushed by shame, I sought help. My lawyer recommended a pricey, out-of-pocket program. I expected a supportive environment but found a 12-week virtual “treatment”….
There was a time when I didn’t think I’d live to see 35. Nor did I care to. At the age of 37, I was dying an alcoholic death. I didn’t care about anything or anyone. I hurt people, good people. I was like a tornado ripping through the lives of anyone who came into….
In 2019, I had eight months of sobriety and had just completed a 60-day intensive outpatient program for alcoholism. I was unemployed and applying for a position with the Maryland Public School System. Part of the onboarding required answering a yes-or-no question: Do you have a history of substance or alcohol abuse? That one question….
I am a person in long term recovery. I’ve shown up for my life every day, doing the work, staying accountable, and growing — through the good and the painful. But recently, I was reminded that not everyone sees recovery the way I do. After a serious car accident, I found myself struggling mentally and….
Addiction has been a constant shadow in my life. Not because I struggled with it directly, but because I was born into it—raised by two parents whose battles with addiction shaped my childhood and forever marked my perspective on life, love, and resilience.I’ve seen both sides of the coin. On one side is my mother:….
I lost custody of my son during a time in my life when I was in active addiction. It was a dark and painful period, and the consequences were heavy—not just for me, but for my son and our family. Once I got into treatment and started rebuilding my life, I immediately began fighting to….
Nineteen years ago, I was living in a homeless shelter in Baltimore City. I was just beginning my recovery from a substance use disorder – heroin. Shortly thereafter, I entered The Mann House in Bel Air. After leaving The Mann House, I rented a room in a couple’s home in Forest Hill and was pouring….
In Harford County, Maryland, the journey of recovery from substance-use addiction is personal — but it’s also deeply shaped by the environment around us. From the support systems we have in place to the tools we use every day; recovery is never a solo act. And in today’s world, social media has become one of….
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