Recovery has enabled me to change my life for the better, and living has truly become much more manageable and enjoyable than it used to be.

Back in my mid-30s, I began to struggle with stress, particularly balancing a career and family. I sought relief and was prescribed antidepressants, but as I attempted to escape the feelings of stress in my life, I began drinking a bit. As time went by, "a bit" turned into more frequent drinking, and soon I found myself drinking every night, unable to stop. I told my doctor that I was drinking and I didn't feel well, but he just continued increasing and changing my anti-depressant medications. I began to feel anxious, and it all just seemed to get worse!

I looked further for help with my drinking and found SMART Recovery 6 years ago. There I learned how to deal with life's upsets in rational and helpful ways, without alcohol. I had turned to alcohol as a short-term quick fix to escape my upsets and frustrations, but in the long term it made things far worse. The tools I learned in treatment provided me ways to cope with challenges, be sober, and live life and take pleasure in it.

I'm no longer overwhelmed as I was for so long. Challenging situations still arise, but I see that life isn't so much about what happens to me, but about how I choose to think about it. That makes all the difference—in my present life and in the choices I make for my future.