A Journey to Sobriety

A journey to sobriety for anyone struggling with a substance use disorder is a challenging one, but one that is unquestionably worthwhile. Sobriety can give you back everything that your addiction has taken away. In this blog, we are going to look at one man’s journey to sobriety. Thankfully, today Liam is in recovery and doing well, but this is his journey:

When I was growing up, my main addiction issues were primarily drugs, particularly uppers such as cocaine, speed, ecstasy. As well as this, I had also been drinking and smoking weed/ hash from a young age. When the head shops opened up around 10 years ago or so, my using became completely out of control. The drugs that were sold in these shops were stronger and cheaper than anything I had come across before and the need to get high became an everyday thing. I found myself unable to function without drugs. I needed them for work, to go to town, to be around family and friends, just all aspects of my life. In the end, I was completely powerless and overusing. The cravings became worse and worse, and the anxiety that I felt when I couldn’t get drugs made life miserable. The only thing that would take it away was more drugs which created this vicious cycle.

One of the major reasons I ended up in addiction treatment, was because I got caught selling drugs and had court cases pending. I was thrown out of home, told to resign from my job and had nowhere to go. My life had fallen apart so many times before that, but I was not willing to accept or take responsibility for my actions. I was also not willing to accept that drugs were my problem. The denial around my using was very strong and I had the idea in my head that drugs were the solution to my problems rather than being my problem. It was only after I got into treatment, not before, that I accepted that I was an addict and that I could never use drugs successfully again.

Tabor Group were recommended to me, so I decided to go for treatment there. I remember sitting in my first meeting with Tabor Group and the identification I got inside the room blew away any denial I had about my addiction. I could identify with every speaker as if they were telling a part of my own story. It was that identification that led me to admitting and accepting that I had a problem. Once I was able to do that, I was shown a new way to live. Personally, I found the ‘Goals Group’ was particularly beneficial. This allowed my peers in the group to point out potential areas that I needed to work on in my recovery and create goals on how this may be achieved. For the first time in my life, I was able to picture a life without drink and drugs. I found out that I had a disease that I was not responsible for, but that I had a recovery that I was responsible for maintaining. The maintenance of my recovery is down to my own actions, keeping my thinking positive and doing the next right thing. I know today I must live my life by the guidelines set out by the programme. Generally, when I do that, I know that I will be okay

My family were a constant support to me since I got clean and when I made the decision to get clean my whole family rallied around me. I found this to be very important as it showed me that I had something to stay clean for, that giving up drugs would not be all about loss but that I would actually be gaining the love and respect of my family. My dad is a recovering addict, so I found it useful to be able to go to him for advice on any issues I was having in recovery. He was able to share his experiences with me too which was a big help for me. All my relationships had turned toxic because of my addiction. Today, my life is completely different. I have a completely open and honest relationship with my friends and family. I no longer feel the need to constantly lie about what is going on in my life and the weight of addiction has been lifted off my shoulders.

After going through treatment with Tabor Group, I realised the benefits of sharing what was going on in order to help me. Now, I will take all the help that is available to me and that process of asking for help began with Tabor Group.

Today, my life is completely different to the life I had in addiction. After coming into recovery, I was able to go back to university and complete a degree in Economics. Afterwards, I went on to complete a Master’s in Economics and recently was awarded an academic scholarship to carry out doctoral research in the same discipline. I feel there is no way I would have gone back to college if it wasn’t for the encouragement of my counsellors in Tabor Group.

At the beginning of recovery, I was told that I had to go on blind faith that things would work out. Today, that faith has been strengthened and I know that with the support of meetings, family, friends, and a higher power, I can have a life beyond my wildest dreams. In recovery, I have been able to do all the things I always wanted to do but never could. When I was in treatment with Tabor Group, my counsellor told me that if I stayed clean, I could do anything I wanted in my life. Today, that promise is being realised. I believe 100% that if I keep following the programme and doing what has been suggested, my life will continue to get better and better, and the gifts of recovery will continue to be delivered one day at a time.

TABOR GROUP

Tabor Group provides residential & community-based addiction treatment programmes to men and woman over 18 years of age, who are struggling with addiction to alcohol, drugs, and gambling. If you or a loved one are suffering from an addiction, get help today. We can help you recover in a healthy, friendly environment and beat your addiction. Do not hesitate to contact one of our counsellors today for information by calling +353 (21) 488 7710 for Cork or +353 (1) 639 2962 for Dublin, or alternatively you can email us at info@taborgroup.ie. We can help you.