Embracing the Bumpy Road of Recovery 

Stories of the Journey – A Special Recovery Month Blog

Recovery from substance use and mental health struggles (which often travel hand-in-hand) is possible. We see hope every day at SouthLight. However, what we also know to be true is that recovery rarely follows a smooth path, which can be disheartening for those trying to get well.  

So, how do we take those bumps in the road and reframe them as part of the recovery journey, rather than end-of-the-road setbacks? We’re pleased to share these stories and insights generously given by former and current employees and a former client – all who are in recovery and have had their own “bumpy roads.” 

The Road Was Already Rough: Early Struggles  

For many people, the bumpy road actually starts long before the addiction. Says James*, “I grew up in a chaotic environment. I had a single mom with substance use. As a teenager, I started drinking and smoking weed with my friends. For them, it was fun; for me, it was a way to escape pain. I liked things that changed how I felt. I didn’t know how to handle life.” 

Andrea’s story is similar. “My father had alcohol use disorder, and mental illness ran in my family. As I grew older, I started having mental health problems. In college, I’d drink until I blacked out. Later, I was in an abusive marriage. Drinking made me feel better.” 

For Sam*, it was a childhood spent going from doctor to doctor trying to treat ADHD and severe anxiety. “I had a good family life, but my mental health sent me in search of ways to quiet the noise.” 

I Want to Get Better – But Do I?: The Struggle Between Sobriety and Denial 

“I knew I had a problem,” shares Andrea. “My family insisted I go to AA, so I went. But I was just pretending. I’d sit in the meetings drinking Coke with vodka in it. In my mind, I was functioning pretty well, and I wasn’t sure if I’d even like being sober.” 

Says James, “My mom asked me to hold her opioid medications so she wouldn’t abuse them, and that’s what got me started down the path to heroin and fentanyl. When I went to rehab the first time, my ‘plan’ was to detox off those drugs, and when I got out, it would be okay to use other substances.” 

Sam, who traveled out of town to an inpatient facility, graduated after 20 days and came home to no support. “I was a straight-A student in rehab,” he says. “It’s easy in a confined environment. But when I got home, I had no community, no follow-up care – just a bunch of prescription drugs that were supposed to help me with whatever was going on in my brain. I repeated that pattern for several years.” 

The Moment of Clarity: Recognizing a Turning Point 

Sometimes on the path to recovery, it’s a rock-bottom moment. Other times, it’s simply a small voice that says, “I can’t do this anymore.” 

“I like to be honest with my story,” says Andrea. “I tried to kill myself. And at that point, I had to decide, do I want to live or die?” 

James started questioning life. “I came to a crossroads. I felt spiritually dead. I’d tried rehab three times, but this time I decided I was going to try . . . really try.”  

Sam was so sick from alcohol that if he stopped, he’d have life-threatening seizures. “I checked myself into the hospital,” he says. “This time, I didn’t go out of town; I connected with AA, SouthLight’s Substance Use Intensive Outpatient Program, the local recovery community, and a doctor to help me with anxiety and depression medications.” 

Lessons From the “Smooth” Road: Learning Along the Way 

Sam was almost 1 year sober, feeling good. He continued to work on fine-tuning mental health treatment with his doctors. “I was eating right, exercising, and had the job I’d always wanted.” And then, trying to fit in with a group of work friends, he took a drink, which cascaded into a full relapse. A week in the hospital and he was back on track with the help of his recovery community. “I needed this to happen,” he says. “I forgot that I’m not cured. I can never have even one drink, ever.”  

“I gained so much from sobriety,” says Andrea, “but I didn’t realize what it was going to take. You have to change every aspect of your life. Today, I have resources, true friends, and confidence that if something happens, I can get through it. But I’m still learning.”

For James, recovery has been about stacking lessons. “Every time I bumped my head, I learned from it. All those mistakes . . . I learned. Today, growing pains are a good thing.”  

Final Thoughts: Advice and Insights On Recovery 

James, Andrea, and Sam all share that they know their journeys are never over, and each of them offers these final thoughts to help those at different mileposts on the uneven road to recovery: 

*names changed