My name is Fay and I’m a recovering alcoholic. I grew up in the Bay Area and went to college, got a masters, married, raised kids, and built my career. During most of that time, alcohol and drugs were my fuel.
I started using as a teenager when my brother died. That didn’t make me an addict. It was just the reason I turned to drugs and alcohol. I felt uncomfortable, lonely, and different. Drinking and drugging changed that. Partying meant no pain and not being alone. I spent much of those years buzzed, but the good grades, sports, leadership positions, and promotions – they were proof that life was on-track.
In college, I discovered most people don’t blackout when they drink. But, alcohol and drugs were a social norm and part of the fun. And I fit right in.
Two decades later, they stopped working for me. I began to feel a bit insane. I couldn’t stop using and I didn't ask for help. So I divorced, moved, got into better shape, changed jobs, cut out sugar and flour. Yet, the insanity was I couldn’t cut out drinking.
Nine years ago this week, I got sober. The journey back to life has been incredible. I have had ups and downs, of course, but I no longer seek escape through alcohol or drugs. Yet so many of my friends didn’t understand why I stopped.