It was only 18 months ago that I was waking up in a hotel room around 7am looking for the closest thing to drink, found a bottle of wine I had apparently bought the night before and started chugging, gagging to get it down. I couldn’t allow myself to be sober for more than a single minute. Being sober terrified me, I didn’t want to feel anything. As long as I got a buzz as quickly as I could when I woke up I was alright for the rest of the day. That’s where I was extremely wrong, I was far from alright. I had been kicked out of my house numerous times, I was living in a local hotel, I was financially broke, physically unhealthy, I had lost all my friends, and my mental health was so poor I was contemplating some very dark things. I finally had enough. I called my mom and told her I wanted to go to the hospital to detox. Six months later, weeks in the mental health/addiction unit at a local hospital, A.A. meetings, a sponsor, a new career. That’s where my story started. I couldn’t picture my life now without my sobriety, I would most likely be in jail or dead. I have become a better son, brother, friend, man, and above all else a better dad. As I’ve quoted this before, I am under no illusions as to where I would be without the gift of alcoholism and the chance to recover from it. The things I have learned and experienced in my 18 months of sobriety/recovery are irreplaceable.
I’m happy to be here, happy to be sober, and cheers to another 18 months, god willing and god bless. 
Braydon
