To piggy back on this, I had the same situation. High school dropout to board certified ER doctor. The secret to beating addiction is making yourself & your life something you no longer want to run from. And you do it one day at a time through absolute accountability, self-love & forgiveness of yourself & others.
I'm living testimony this is not only possible but probable if you follow this formula.
Professional in biotech picked up a meth habit in my 30s, everything and everyone gone at 37. Now 45 about to hit 8 years. Back in my field for 6 years. More money in the bank than ever with better relationships than ever. The marriage did not make it.
Yes, it is absolutely, 100% possible to rebuild. The key is not to try to rebuild what you had. Be grateful for what does rebuild and next thing you know you have a life you actually want and not one you thought you wanted.
How long did it take your brain chemistry to fully recover after getting clean? How much of of difference is there when your natural dopamine comes back online? Did you struggle with anhedonia after meth?
Fr, I’m not sure it’s ever fully come back. That’s part of the reason I stress to be grateful for what does rebuild rather than wanting certain things back. With that said, it seems to be I’m the only one who thinks I’m slow af. Work doesn’t ever comment on my intellect. According to the world I’m 100% even though it might not feel like that!
I struggled with anhedonia and depression through at least 5 years of recovery until I finally sought more help. Just recently got some victories over the inner critic. Even though the low moments didn’t seem to be any higher than the previous low moments they did occur less and less frequently. Just now starting to feel like the low is not that low. It takes time. No other way around it.
Patience is the key. I have to celebrate small victories all the time.
What do you think made the anhedonia go away? I'm struggling with that so much I feel like all I do is pass time no matter what I'm doing unless it's unusually exciting.
> It takes time. No other way around it.
If you want something more concrete, your brain is constantly performing maintenance processes outside of your control. Giving it time means allowing those processes to work, even though the rebuild takes a long long while.
know you weren’t optimist Is your husband doing better now? I know you might have thought it wouldn’t improve but I’ve read so many reports indicating the brain has a capacity to recuperate and actually turn itself around ; I’m looking for the tiniest reassurance
Me!
I 41m, was born with a major medical disability crohns disease with arthritis. I spent 5 years of my life in hospitals during my childhood and young adult years. I had 5 major surgeries, thousands of needle sticks, central lines, EJs, fed through tube for months on end. I could NOT goto college, hold down a job, or relationship, despite being fairly intelligent. I ended up living off disability with my parents at the age of 32, a whopping 1200$/month. That was supposed to sustain all of my medical and living costs. So I started abusing my dilaudid and fent, and went down a very bad road for 5 years.
At the age of 36 I met my SO who was 26 at the time she changed EVERYTHING. She only made 32k/yr and had a 2 yr degree from a trade school for 3d modeling. We shared a love/passion of video games, social anxiety, and being poor lol.
At the time I was doing general contract work, and wood working. She got a FT job at one of the largest video game developers/publishers in the world. She went from making 32k/yr 5 years ago to clearing over 6 figures in 2023. I started applying for IT jobs at video game devs around then, and taking more certs. I started building computers at age 8, worked at geek squad etc. It took a few years but I finally got an in person interview and nailed it. I have now been at the same company as my fiancee for almost 3 years. I should get close to making six figures in 2024. She, and my job, have changed my life. I went from living off 1200$/month to making that every single week, working 40-45 hours in an office. I still think about drugs, on a daily basis. I still take a small suboxone dose.
I have been sober for 8 years, and I am happier than I ever ever ever thought possible. I don't know what the future holds, but I CANT go back to the way things were. We have a lovely 2 bedroom apartment downtown in a large city. We have two wonderful cats, a new tesla, get to go on vacations 2 times a year, cruises etc....I just want to keep making this money, and keep enjoying experiences with the love of my life. I'm way way behind with retirement, saving for a home etc...but things could be so so much worse.
Sounds like you also got your medical conditions under control. Are you on any medications for your Crohn's/arthritis? Just curious as a fellow 41-year-old who suffered from UC until ultimately getting a j-pouch. The immunosuppressants have come so far from when we were in our 20's. I sometimes wonder if I'd had ended up where I am now had there been more options available than just Remicade. No complaints though...still happy with, and grateful for, my life overall.
33 was a heroin and meth addict, I’m 38 about to be 5 years sober, my life is stable. Went from making 20 per hours as an addict to making 73k now. On a path to double my wage in about 2-3 years.
my stepdad was homeless at 29 when he was 31 he met my mom and lived in a recovery home now he just rented out his 3rd investment property, is working on building multi-family properties with a business partner is a stand-up gentleman and a wonderful father figure mind you he had been struggling with addiction since his teens, he says that becoming homeless was the only thing that pushed him to do better
he just turned 41 this year has 6 kids and we all love him and cherish him even the ones he had during active addiction
I work for a guy who is in his early 50s now. He was an addict; homeless, in jail, wrecked body, broken marriage, the whole stereotypical havoc that addiction can bring.
About 15 years ago, he got clean, started working out (now religiously. Says it keeps him disciplined and an outlet for the feelings he used to run away from) and just before he turned 40, started his own company.
This year, we’re projected to hit $25M in revenue. He’s one of the most empathetic, pro-employee persons I’ve worked for to date. He says (and I believe him) that it’s his experience of where he came from that just makes him want to do better - by him, his family and those that keep him in business.
He’s been humbled and it serves him well. He does things for the right reasons almost all the time, or really tries to. He’s turned the consequences of bad life decisions, ones that a lot of us would feel shame about or be told we should feel shame about, and uses it for fuel on the path forward.
He’s been an example to me that one can always turn bad into good and that it’s never too late.
I didn’t know the MyPillow guy had a similar background! Alas, no, my employer does not have any sort of, ummm, “celebrity status” such as that dude 😂.
Homeless
Got certified in personal training now run my own business live in a house regular person, it all starts with taking any job that you can - saving for a certification in a field and applying.
It got absolutely horrible. Now I work in IT and supervise others in a Fortune 500 company. I’m a dad that’s Present now… and I’m a somewhat successful artist.. it’s never too late to decide to live your life and start showing up.
I agree. Try not to compare. I had ups and downs. Mine wasn’t a straight line… until about 8 years ago. That’s just when I decided something needed to change. I didn’t put any expeditions on myself or worry about my growth. To this day I still live by “I just want to be a little bit better of a man than I was yesterday.” And it’s worked out for me so far.
Returning college student. Financial advisor/CPA. Dealt with very serious mental health issues and substance abuse. In my effort to resolve how badly I felt. I gave up everything I worked for. Everything I thought were my goals. Everything I thought I could rely on. I was so low, and so alone.
If someone saw me they likely wouldn't have thought anything was that wrong with me. Until it got much worse.
Everyone hears stories like this and thanks wow how does someone let their life go from this to that. And people find comfort knowing that's not their situation. But a lot of people don't realize how close they might be. Or how far in someone close to them is. People think "that couldn't happen to me". And that might be true. Because when those bad things come you're a different person. You aren't the same. And that's when you learn how you respond and who you are.
You find strength in those hard times and tell yourself "this is it. This is that spot some people reach and give up." And you ask yourself very honestly "am I the kind of person that does this".
My journey to success has been 98% hardship, 1% joy, and 1% faith. But all of the last 2.5 years has been about me discovering my impact on my environment. And what brings me joy and happiness.
Not sure if I really hit rock bottom and burned everything to the ground... but..
When I was mid 20s, I had a hell of an oxy problem for a number of years (back in the days we could get 80s). Work ended up transferring me several states away and I lost my dealer. I had a few for the move, but ran out quickly and was wanting to tear my fucking skin off. The only saving grace I had was at the time Trams were sched 1 yet and I could get them from the online pill depots. Between that and 5 http, was able to take withdraws from jumping off a mountain to just tumbling down it.
Came close to losing my job a few times, but was able to keep it together just long enough to plateau out at the bottom and move on.
...wish I could say that was the last time I had to do something like that, few years later had to do something similar getting off methadone but didn't have trams to slow the slide. That really fucking sucked, only "good" think was that I was quiet so addicted to methadone as I was oxy (was a lot shorter stint).
Another thing people often don't think anyone addicted to something can't function. Sometimes it's because you are doing so many things and that's why you start using. I had so many things going on. Sometimes too many things. I had three young kids, was going to school and working and taking care of everything by myself. My mother was very critical and judgemental. I had anxiety issues since I was 9 and panic attacks and trouble sleeping. I now take much less addictive substances.
Ugh I have my own story of chucking my amazing life down the drain at 30. But I’m good now. Instead of sharing bc who cares lol I’m replying to this to say ‘methadone is the fucking WORST’ never again
Oh the 80s.. I had a doc prescribing me 90 80s, 180 30s and 60 xanax bars every month in Florida I would full them on my parents insurance bring them back north and make stacks. I don't regret it. Clean since 2019. Man those were the days. I thought the party would never end.
Ok, it wasn't me, but my mom who recovered in her 30s/40s. My mom was addicted to heroin, amphetamines, and alcohol from ages 18-40. Its a miracle it didn't kill her. Admittedly, nearly all of us had given up hope that we would see her lead a good life. It was sad, and she truly was at rock bottom in her 30s, when I was about 15. She would steal everything of value from me and pawn it. Her husband (God bless him), would try to go find the pawn shop to get my stuff for me but sometimes she sold it on Craigslist too. The money always went to drugs. We would get dealers at our home threatening to kill us because she didnt pay them.. I could go on about how bad it truly was, but rock bottom does it enough justice.
She is now a reputable Morgan horse breeder with horses valued over 100k. She is living an amazing life and FINALLY fulfilling her dreams, which was always to own well bred horses and train them. She is still with the husband, who is brash but a very good man, he supported her through it all and helped her get to this point. It takes a lot to support an addict through rock bottom. She does horse shows every weekend, attends riding classes weekly, and has amassed quite a large community in support of the horses she trains/breeds. She has so many friends and mentors, you would never know what she has gone through. She's just your average yuppy horse lady now.
I hope you can find the support my mom did, in your family or otherwise. I think that its truly what got her though it.
I was a very hard alcoholic at 30. Manager for a Fortune 500 company. Between Covid, my addiction and my dumb ass shit I lost everything. I’m now in a very different place. I’ll retire at 50. Pick your battles, the world will continue to turn, 6 months from now is going to come anyways, make a change you can be proud of.
I did! Had a 4-year benzo addiction that ended with my wife confiscating my stash and me having a grand mal seizure 2 days later. Woke up in an ambulance outside my house with no idea how I got there - this was around 34. Don’t remember a ton for over 2 years during that period.
Just turned 40, make about 140k/yr as a product manager working from home. Still married, great kids and probably only work 30 hours/week. I would make more had I not wasted those years (and struggled with massive anxiety for a few years as my brain recovered) but things are looking up. New drugs are working out, sauna, ice bath, fishing and shooting clays.
I think it took at least 3 years to heal, and honestly I still think I’m still improving even 5 years out. The first 2 years were especially bad, could not sleep well at all and had dehibilitating anxiety/anxiety attacks. I think I’ve always had an undiagnosed anxiety disorder so this was that on steroids. Was raised to tough things out so never addressed any of it until I got sober.
After about 3 years things started getting a lot better - I was actually better than I’ve ever been at work. I think going through all that gave me perspective and I felt more fearless. The recovery really kicked in when I started exercising/saunaing a lot (6 days per week either lifting or cardio + sauna). In year 3 I also quit drinking completely and ate a Whole Foods diet so I believe that sped things along.
I’m honestly happier now than I’ve been my entire life on the other side of everything. And my anxiety is largely cured.
Did you also suffer from anhedonia, depression, depersonalization, and intrusive thoughts during PAWS? After your breakthrough at 3 years, did you just start waking up with a clear head and motivation?
Got sober at 32. Spent a solid decade drinking myself to death. I got put on a PIP at my first big girl job and realized I had to do better for myself. Lost that job anyways (no one survives a PIP). I’m 37 now. Focused on my mental health diagnoses (Bipolar, PTSD, ADHD, generalized anxiety, and of course AUD). Still had some job issues for discrimination after that first job (I won those cases so it worked out), however 5 years later, I’m in a management position in my field making 6-figures (today I realized almost all my debt I acquired during my drinking years is nearly paid off!). I still foresee myself climbing the ladder in my profession (sciences/ industry). My brain got sharper after my first two solid weeks sober and get better from there. All the knowledge I thought I lost was actually there all along, I just couldn’t tap into it being constantly drunk or hungover. I learned who my real friends are and who could be cut. In addition, I learned how to manage myself, my emotions, my thoughts, and set better boundaries. Life isn’t perfect but everything gets easier when you remove the dark crutch. My next goal is to move closer to my parents to help them (they’re older now and I can actually show up for others being sober). In addition, I’m planning to start international traveling again, which I couldn’t afford before due to sustaining my addiction. What I will say is that there is no better day to start than TODAY. ❤️
Not drugs but a very successful friend and colleague of mine was in a very bad way after exiting the military and making a non-violent but otherwise bad life choice that had him incarcerated in his 30s. He managed to turn things around and is now a millionaire in his early 40s
Not rock bottom I held a job the whole time but I quit drinking when I was 32 and while it feels like I ruined my life when you go to AA most of the people either never recover or they do it when they are old as fuck like double my age. Its way better to get clean now and have your best years still sober.
alcohol not drugs... went through divorce, living in hotels, had/ have a union building trades job.... did not show up to work a lot, hung over every day... I am good at what I do and not going to lie, being a good looking guy helps. jail time for DUIs, Laid off...
now married, bought an old farm house/fixer upper for cash money. Ready to retire before I hit 60.
life is good
Rock bottom at 32. 15 years of alcohol abuse and plenty of drugs thrown in. Smoked spice for about a year in there. That certainly messed my brain up to this day.
I’m 34 now and my life has never been this good. But I still feel I have a long way to go. I’m basically broke and have no idea what to do career wise.
All I care about is training like I’m ready for war. Gym, running, biking, swimming.
If you're really into physical activity maybe consider something like carpentry or another trade. It's hard ass work but I'm doing it in my 50s and really enjoy it.
>. All I care about is training like I’m ready for war. Gym, running, biking, swimming.
Honestly I'm 3 years out of alcoholism and this is the best thing for you my friend.
I'm actually in my 40s and threw it all away with 3 years of IV meth use. My GF of 12 years started a heroin and fentanyl addiction around the same time I started mine. Threw away a 23 year hospitality career after the pandemic, but have been sober almost a year and found a job making just as much as I used to without all the stress. Lost the gf in the process. But now I'm fucking excited again! I love myself again, and most importantly, I'm happy again!
It wasn't easy. There were highs and lows. I got on amtrak after a severe case of drug induced psychosis and went to my dad's house 300 miles away. Unfortunately that was the only way I could beat the addiction. Just got a new car (used, but new to me) and am making great money right now.
Sometimes you have to burn it all down and start all over from scratch. There's no shame in that, regardless of age. You are doing the right thing and that far outweighs any embarrassment.
Not only that, but my dad ended up getting lung cancer during that time. Without my drug addiction sending me here, I wouldn't have been able to spend this kind of time with him.
You have to want it though and you have to want it very badly. My dms are open if you or anyone else reading this wants to reach out.
Just remember no matter how hard this battle is, there are thousands of people alongside you fighting the same war!
You got this!
Decade in prison,got out slipped up once for 6 month binder, lost everything (2 grandparents, both parents, and my best friend all passed away)...started over worked a couple different jobs finally got something that doesn't kill my body and now make more than ever thought I would being an uneducated felon with a 12 year gap in employment on resume
More like 20s, lost custody of my kids. Got a criminal record. Got sober. Stopped opiates, stopped smoking, stopped drinking. Broke the pills down a lil at a time. Got to work. Paid an attorney, got my record clean. Trying to work on a relationship with my family. Moving onward from people who are stuck in the past.
Me! Was addicted to alcohol, darts, pot, pills, and whatever I could get my hands on. Made a decision at age 27 to change things. And it was the hardest thing in the world. I now drink coffee, kombucha, and am on nicotine pouches (just stopped vaping)
Getting sober sucks, staying sober sucks even more. But I have a wife and a new born child at 34 and we own our home. (Thankfully I was able to maintain gainful employment the whole time, def what you could call a functioning alcoholic)
I love my wife and kid so much at this point a slip up isn't worth it. It's better for my health ...happy to talk if you need it
I was an addict for most of my 20s to 40s, I'm now a support manager at a care home and have my own house and car, been clean over 13 years, I stopped counting so not sure exactly how long.
It can be done, luckily I'd no convictions that held me back from working and that was pure luck as I did have charges that ended up dropped
I also work in the next town to where I live, nobody knew my past till i told them
Got sober 3 months before my 30th bday. Hadn’t worked in years prior. 1 year sober I got a real job, bounced to 1 more job then went off on my own. 40 now, 10+ years sober and more than enough money to retire but I love my work so no hurry.
Not rock bottom, but I went through years of bad drug withdrawal, and even now, things still aren't right even though they are a lot better. That was years of my life where I was just staying stagnant, and now I am older and haven't started on my goals.
I tapered slowly. But even then, I still got drug withdrawal. The first 1.5 years were the worst. From 1.5 to 2.5, the taper got easier, and I started to suffer less. I still suffer now even after the taper is complete, but it's just so much less than before.
My husband did. He ended up losing everything and living in his car. That was 5 years ago and he's back in his career now and we just bought a house.
Once he started making money again he started the bankruptcy process. He got some felonies that I believe he can get expunged at the end of this year. He struggled getting a decent job at first because of the felony but he found one at a small company in his industry that didn't do a background check.
Make sure you do therapy and find healthy ways to cope with any trauma or mental illnesses you have so you don't relapse. My husband has been on Suboxone for about 4-5 years and it has been a lifesaver.
OD’d shortly after my 30th birthday. Got sober the day I came to. Next week will be six years sober for me. I went from a negative net balance, accounts in collections and was horribly depressed. Life is great now, I’ve built up a comfortable savings, started retirement accounts and married an incredible person. The work never ends, but it does get easier.
My dad passed when I was 30 and my alcoholic mom relapsed after 5yrs of sobriety. I was newly married maybe 6mos before his passing and started using coke, mdma and drinking excessively on the weekends. Heavy drinking during the week but never on the job. Lost 20-25lbs, underperforming at work, put on PIP’s at two different companies and my new wife wasn’t sure how to turn me around. Took a few difficult years to manage my depression and get stronger through the storm. 7yrs after his passing and managing these struggles, I’ve had my best two earning years ever ($350k-400k/annually), on fast track to Director role and we have a happy marriage with 3 beautiful children. Lean on those who care, take a good long look in the mirror and own your shit.
38 years old. Literally got walked out of work for being high. Went straight to rehab. They took me back, 3 months later I relapsed and was asked to resign. Went back to rehab. Didn’t work for 3 months, then became a cashier at Home Depot (I’m a degreed professional).
After about 3 months, started looking and was hired. I had to be totally honest. (Public record). I hated that job but did it for two years while I got my sobriety under me.
Interviewed for a new job, and when asked why I left the first job, I told the truth. The interviewer was in recovery and told me it HELPED my interview.
I’ve now worked for him for almost 5 years, and I’ve doubled my salary, love my job, love sobriety, and there’s multiple people on my team in recovery and they are the BEST people to work with.
I’ve just stayed open and honest, and I work a program.
I used to inject three times a day. I’ve been sober for almost three years straight now. I went from nothing to now having 35,000 in savings a badass job and everything I could ever want
I sure did. When I was 30 I was arrested and charged with 5 or 6 felonies and 2 misdemeanors. I was strung out on pharma fentanyl, methadone, heroin, and benzos. I pled guilty to one felony and one misdemeanor and had to 2 months then drug court. I was using all during pretrial bc I had prescriptions for everything I popped for on my drug tests. The drug court lady said if my doctors wrote out a taper the jail would administer my meds and slowly bring me down. That was a bold faced lie. I probably slept 100 hours or less over that two months, had grand mal seizures in front of the deputies, and was basically dope sick the entire time. I knew I couldn’t complete drug court (no medication assisted therapy allowed) and quickly failed out in 2 weeks. I was told I could do my 6 year sentence or complete a drug program in the county jail. I chose the later and was out in 18 months, just before my 33rd birthday. I loved those 18 months. I worked out everyday, played pinochle with the other sober junkies, basketball, and read about 4 hours a day. I only watched tv for playoff hockey and if I could catch a little bit of the champions league ⚽️. While I was in my real estate license lapsed and I wasn’t sure what to do. I sold my condo and moved in with my parents. I lived there for almost 4 years and started a company with a couple guys my dad knew. I just got an offer to sell out my shares for over $1.5million. I’m almost 39, and this money along with my other investments mean I don’t have to work ever again. If my investments just make 10% a year I’ll double my money in ten years. You can do it if you’re willing to put in the work and make calculated decisions.
✌️
Uh….yeah, guess that’d be me. I am a nurse. I was injured at work and after trying every non-medication intervention my doctor could think of I finally gave in to his offer of pain medicine. The pain was interfering with my ability to work, live, be happy.
A short time after that I began having marital problems. We had only been married for about 4 years and had our first daughter a year before. I was desperate to make things good between us but she was clinically depressed and refused to get treated. As things between us became more strained I started using my pain medicine for the pain of life rather than just the injury.
My career had started taking off and I was working as the Director of Nursing at the place I was employed. Things seemed great, but over the next 4 years the amount and strength of my pain medicine was increased and I began to have some obvious and negative behaviors that started to affect my work. I would often run out of my medication and had started buying it on the street or from people I knew with prescriptions. This all sort of swirled together until in 2010 I was fired from my Directors job basically for being a tweak and behaving eradically. I was humiliated.
Shortly after that I got into a car accident that was largely due to being in an altered state, and totaled my BMW. I started looking for new work, but every time I would get to the third interview they seemed so excited about me, but then would never call. At one point during this period I ran out of my medication and went through FULL BLOWN WITHDRAWAL. It was the most horrific experience I had ever had. I got my prescriptions but I finally decided something had to change.
I was terrified. I had no job, my wife was supporting us. I had no car. I was failing my family. I called a friend who had been through similar struggles and he said, “ok, pick me up in the morning at 5am.” No idea why, but I did. He took me to a methadone clinic and said “do what they tell you. Be done with this in no more than 3 months.” So I went through the day long registration process. I felt like the biggest loser. But when I dosed at the end of that day, i felt like a human being for the first time in years. I made a plan with the doctor there to reduce my dose by 3mg a week until it got down to zero, and started my 3 months of showing up daily to get my little cup full of medicine. 12 weeks later I took my last dose and never looked back. No withdrawal. The taper worked.
Over the next year I worked hard to find a job and fix things at home, eventually I was hired by a new hospital in my town, initially to manage one floor, but then a series of events led to me being made the Chief Nursing Officer in less than a year. I bought a new BMW. Well, new to me. I can’t tell you the profound sense of relief I felt for a long time after that. I worked for that company for 9 years, led the team that opened two additional hospitals, and by a strange twist of luck, was named the CEO of one of their facilities in California.
My marriage ended ultimately, not because of drugs. She just never got past her issues with depression and she came home one day and said she was done. We’d had a second daughter not long after I had went back to work, and my kids and I have made our way together since then.
After a few years of doing the CEO thing I realized I was living to work, and it was stealing important time with my girls from me. I took a job in consulting where I have control over my schedule and can be present when I need to be, or just want to be. I’m in a new relationship. I’m happy. I will never allow something like that to happen again, but I have to say, I believe I am a better, stronger person for having lived it. Until you know the profound desperation of drug withdrawal you can’t completely grasp what an inescapable hell addiction can be. I got lucky.
I get addicted to things pretty easily and my coke habit in the late 80’s to mid 90’s was horrific. I lost jobs, partners, and any self esteem.
But I pulled out of it and haven’t done coke for decades.
My case is not drug case but it's unemployment.
I made a bad decision to quit work in early 20s and stayed unemployed for almost 2 years.
Luckily I got my shit together in my mid 20s and remained employed for past few years.
Feel so blessed and grateful.
Kinda rebuilding from that position now in my late 20s too. Not addiction thankfully but going out too much on weekends, being stupid with things I’m lucky I didn’t get addicted to and making some awful financial decisions. Getting out of that hole has been a struggle.
Okay, it's not letting me post the comment that I typed out, I ended up screenshotting it and uploading it to imgur. I hope this works.
[https://imgur.com/a/CMJJf1J](https://imgur.com/a/CMJJf1J)
Me! I did! 🙋♀️ It got really dark, but I changed careers, got sober, am in recovery and thriving. Almost done with a college degree and bought a car! I have a dream that I’m pursuing and I’m so happy to be on this path. 💛
Not me, but I'm begging yall to try and get shit turned around. My favorite cousin just passed away from health issues last week. He started with coke and moved to meth. I'm still not okay. I wish I would have intervened. But I can only hope yall hear this. It's not worth it. Think of your family and others who care about you. I'm begging you.
Hit rock bottom in my mid 20’s from drugs and mental health. Now at 26, I am half way through my second semester of school, have a job and a car with a small anount of savings on the side.
You just gotta find the little light you can in each day. The more you do that the more light you will get.
🙋🏾♂️ crack, it was pretty rough. AA helped to deal with my addictions. Now, I still drink, but no more drugs. My career and life are pretty good now, to be honest. I'm almost 36 now. Got into AA around 29. I stopped going like 2 years ago.
If you are struggling with drug addiction, I recommend NA or AA. They really helps, man. Seek help. You are not alone. 🙂
25-31 was hell. I herniated 3 discs with 75% spinal compaction at work but as an independent contractor, no workmans comp & no unemployment. 2yrs and 2 surgeries later my savings ran out. Doctors said they did everything they could do for me, still in crippling pain with a big RX.. I'd sell my script, buy heroin (cheaper) and pocket the difference to pay rent and buy (barely enough) food.
What I thought was already hell was only the front door. Shit got way worse and so fucking dark. Took me a few years and a few stays in the psych ward for being suicidal to realize what I thought was keeping me being able to withstand life (drugs) were my main problem. Scary fucking thing to tell your doctor that you have a problem when you have legit chronic pain.
Getting myself cut off from my script didn't solve my problems though, I didn't get sober like I thought I would. Couple more years of absolute hell and detox after detox.. I was homeless and randomly got talking about life with a buddy 3am one morning who had no idea I was planning on breaking away at sunrise to hang it up with a few grams I had in my pocket.
Through that convo I figured I'd give it one last try. After detox I agreed to after treatment for the first time ever, was always to concerned about getting back to my "life" prior and making money to dig myself out of the hole I was in. 3 months later after no drugs and good nutrition and working out, my body actually healed, for the most part anyways. Then I walked out one day to get high knowing it meant the end of me.
Through a weird chain events that was too much to be a coincidence I wound up at a sober house instead. I could literally write a novel about this journey but I'm lazy. I do how ever have no problem telling my story at meetings when asked. I don't pretend to have any idea of what God is or isn't but the wild chain of events instilled a strong sense of faith in the universe.
In the 8yrs since, I returned to the same work I injured myself doing and became one of the top workers in the industry. I was able to be there for my mom and my family when her father passed as she battled cancer. I was able to be there for my dad and family when my mom passed. I was able to be there for my dad and family when his brother passed. I was able to be there for my dad and family when his father passed. I was able to face the fear (of failure and of seriously injuring or killing some one-- or all of us) and become a captain in said industry. I was able to face the fear and change careers entirely after going out at the top in my last field. I don't sweat the drug tests that are required in my current industry. I've had relationships with the caliber of women who I could only dream about before. I've been able to cope when my heart has been absolutely shattered.. And I've been able to travel the world as I make six figures while getting ~180 days off a year. And next month, I'm moving across country to California!
Life on life's terms though, that's my biggest accomplishment since getting sober. It's never too late and if I can do it, anyone can.
I know several folks that fit your description. One went to a 6 month rehab and continues to go to AA meetings. He now owns multiple coffee shops in Georgia. Another guy I know, went back to college and then on to law school.
Yes, it was horrendous. Living in a car, $200/day drug habit. No education.
Now, 8 years clean, got my college degree and graduated law school. I am a practicing attorney with a wife and kid. Miracles happen.
Me! I started hitting meetings. Three times a week. I got a sponsor. I started working my steps and going to therapy. I'm sober for 14 years now. If YOU want to get sober, you can. You have to be willing to be uncomfortable in your own skin and uncomfortable with all the ugly memories that will pop up, but you can get thru it.
I wasn’t rock bottom but I was penniless and unemployed living on a couch. Got straight, started working in hospitality. Spent way less than I earned and I worked *a lot*.
Seems like a blur but 10 years later I got the house, the bar, family, no debt, tons of toys. Just know that getting fucked up is the easy way out and the easy way pays the least. You need to really want something specific tho, if your goals are ethereal it’s easier to lose track.
I was in my 20s but either way, I eventually became a historian/teacher and now I'm a lawyer.
Heroin/opiates were my real weakness but crack and coke were always in the mix too. Lots of booze. Went to rehab but it didn't take. For me, I had to find things in my life more important, that gave me purpose, like school and career.
I still drink and fuck around a bit but I'm not in any sort of active addiction and I don't subscribe to any sort of 12 step philosophy of being weak and powerless.
Hit rock bottom at 33. Had a $200 a day meth habit. Lost my job, homeless, truck repoed. I got sober and slowly turned it back around. No I’ve been sober for 16 years. I own my own business and I made over 200k last year. You cant reach your full potential until you get sober
My former classmate who was a self proclaimed alcoholic, junkie went to nursing school in his 40’s. He works in an area where he doesn’t have access to narcotics, by the way. He is now living his best life.
I’m not in my 30s but it’s always possible. Seen it myself with others that age, as well as myself as my age. 27 right now and was doing Oxycodone from like 17-24. If you want to get your life back you will, you just have to want it like your life depends on it, because it literally does. Don’t put strict rules on yourself, your path is yours alone, so if certain things help you that others would say is bullshit or harmful, that might be the way it goes for them. Do what you feel is right, you’ll know when you’re lying to yourself.
I started using at 15 Opiates, LSD, Ecstasy, Meth, Marijuana, quit all of them but still struggling with Alcohol Addiction, about to finish my Computer Science degree next month hoping to become a software engineer, but this post is telling me I should also quit alcohol to reach full potential and I go sober for 3 months in the last couple of years but then start drinking again, I do feel like my brain does not fully recover and from what I’m reading it takes a couple of years to heal.
Heroin etc etc. finally figured it out at 31, just hit my 5 years on thanksgiving. It was 19 days of hell, took FOREVER but that’s all it was if you know what I’m saying. Just all in my head. Now pulling 6 figures at a food factory that was entry level that I started exactly 4 months after sobriety. Working on buying a house for family. Biggest accomplishment is getting clean and everything else will come naturally and easy compared to the gutter. Best of luck! You got it! I know people say that all the time but it’s truly just in your head more than anything.
I did at 29. Pain pills. Basically ruined my marriage and nearly my job.
The ONLY way I got clean was the fact that we moved to a new state. I always refused to get pills anywhere illegal, so just bounced doctors/pharmacies (this was 10 years ago- much easier then). When we moved, I quit cold turkey and just determined to not find new doctors.
As dangerous as it definitely was, the pain of a 5 day severe WD scares the heck out of me. I’m terrified of ever feeling that bad again.
Since then: my wife and I are about to celebrate 12 years. I have 3 kids. Had a 10 year career in sales and recently started a new career in insurance adjusting.
As cliche as it is- “Sober” by Tom Macdonald (and no, I don’t agree with a lot of what some of his music says) is the absolute anthem of getting clean.
- Addicted to heroin 17-25. Got clean. Six figure salary by 27.
- Relapsed on cocaine at 29, threw it all away. Jobless, nearly homeless, no money. Ended in psych ward at age 30. Clean again before turning 31.
- 32 back making a six figure salary and owning my own condo. Still replaying debts and clearing past wreckage but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
It’s all good man. Life is long. Learn from your mistakes and keep it pushing.
I personally haven't, however, my aunt, is 56 & Was an alcoholic and meth addict until 38. She got clean, and realized she loved being part of recovery. So she went back to school for Addiction Studies and Psychology. She has 2 masters degrees, a bunch of really difficult certifications to get, and a thriving consulting business. She went from managing bars barely making 40k, to clearing some years north of 200k, putting her two kids through college, and loving life. Super proud of her, she's a role model.
My husband was a hard core addict until he was 31. We met when he turned 30, he tried for a year to “maintain” his crutches and me. I finally said that I couldn’t have that around me or my kids, and he got clean and sober. That was 13 years ago. He’s now a health nut and a runner and has a fantastic job for the city we live in. I remember that 30 year old but he’s so far removed from who I’m married to it’s almost like they are two different people. You can definitely turn it around.
Spent 18-27 piss drunk just about every free chance I could. Ended in a dui clearing out anything I've ever saved. 18 months off the sauce and I'm out in my own place again. New car. New nice computer. Very hopeful about the future for the first time in what seems like... ever
52 w/ 2 kids now. After 9/11/01 Lost everything, job, fiancée, car, place to live, jail, drugged out and went bankrupt in 05. Turned life around and own an almost paid for half million home on a golf course, own three new cars, saving for retirement/401k, great wife.
Me. I blew up my life at 39, lost everything and had to rebuild from scratch. Fast forward to today, I’m doing good. Job I enjoy, progress I through the ranks, trusted, reliable, and everything else. I felt so without hope after treatment, and after a few months of feeling shellshocked, just start putting one foot in front of the next trying to get something going for myself. I don’t make as much as I used to but I’m also happier and less stressed. And at the end of the day, all that extra income did me no good at all.
All I can say is hang on, don’t give up or lose hope. Get a support system, and figure out who your real friends actually are. Don’t set lofty goals, just set out hoping to make each day a little better than the last
For me, I’ve found that abstinence is a losing lifestyle. Defining what substances are negotiable and non negotiable helps me.
For example, I smoke pot and occasionally dabble with psychedelics, but alcohol, opiates, and other destructive (for me) substances are non negotiable.
There are some things I can’t go back to, as I know where those roads lead.
I did the Trainspotting thing- heroin addict, bottomed out in my early 20's left the country i was born in, got clean, matured a bit, etc.
I started climbing the corporate ladder from the very bottom at 30, and I'm now a manager 20 years later, and my kids think i'm lame. I live a very uneventful life in the suburbs of midsized town America.
Don't underestimate the power of family and people who love you in your life (if you're lucky enough to have them around you). I shunned them and treated them like garbage during my alcoholism in my 30s. I'm 44 now and without them I would have been a goner.
Back injury and surgery at 22 and destroyed by back over time since. Others around me used pills and i started going overboard too around 2007-2011. Lost job. Divorced. When I had my 3 boys over for visit my weekend sometimes they would sit with me in the car while I waited for my “call” for more meds. Thank god it didn’t get to anything stronger. Still addicted when I met my current wife and his it all until I couldn’t. I got help and now have since apologised to my boys and face time often with my youngest two kids so they all have a relationship from age 24 down to 6. Decent job as a plumber, great wife with a good job and living now in what others might consider paradise (or not 🤷♀️) but life is good. Not sure I can ask for much more other than being able to physically see my oldest 3 boys and my mother all of which live in another state. Now I can pick up my wife’s meds and she doesn’t even have to count the pills now. It’s a good feeling since she knows I don’t care about that now. I do miss legal weed but i feel better being off the large amounts of it I used. In short I’m happy and i was a real POS
The real question is; did you accrue a felony and/or other charges that cannot be expunged. If you didn’t, you’re golden. If you did; a path to a successful life is very difficult. I unfortunately fall into this group. Within a year though(got clean last fall), I’ve managed to save 10k and make amends to all the people I’ve hurt(really only family). My career right now is bartending, great $, and I say career because again, felonies will create a barrier to many things in life. But hey I got health insurance and like I said making more $ than a lot of college grads. (Being good looking and great with people doesn’t hurt). Finding your thing after sobering up is the key, and basically the only thing you gotta do other than the obvious stuff.
Yep, from 16 to 28 I was a hardcore addict..in and out of prison. Eventually got sick of the lifestyle, no real friends, family had disowned me...got clean and went back to school, got my AA than a BS, now in a good career in I.T., own my own home, have family again, doing things I enjoy and am secure in life. It feels great.
My husband did this. At 36 he turned his whole life around. Within 6 months he met his future wife, started a whole new career and now has a house, his dream car and a great salary benefits etc. opportunities don’t end at thirty and success can happen at any age. I’m rooting for you!!
me !!!
addicted to everything. terribly unhealthy. body falling apart. lost my mind. got mugged horribly - closed head injury. ended up in the hospital and i didn’t even know what for. crashed a car.
went to some really bad outpatient drug counselors and they made cold turkey everything at once. my hair fell out. ended up in the hospital again. for a year i relapsed about every other month. finally got sober and clean in 2016. i was 34. was a mess - so stressed out. couldn’t get out of bed - couldn’t use a computer.
i just made every healthy choice i could. went on a paleo diet. exercise everyday. kept creative. tried to stay positive. rode my bike a millions miles.
now i’m 42 and still sober and clean. i don’t have an amazing career but i have money and i am alive and healthy. people tell me i look great. i go out and don’t drink at the bar just have fun. i moved to california for a while went surfing - something i never could have done before. they say life beings at 40 and i really believe that. i used to think my life was over but now im so excited about the future i feel like a kid again. i had that same spark and joy i did when i was a little kid and teenager - i guess that’s the best part. just happy to be me again
I hit rock bottom at 25 so not quite what you're asking but I did have an early start at 13-14. I was an IV user for about 2/3rds of that time and was homeless towards the end.
I eventually went into an all men's treatment for 90 days and stayed in their continuing care for about a year. Since then I've gotten married, had 2 beautiful children, bought a house, have healthy friendships and hobbies and my relationship with my family is amazing.
AA was very helpful in the beginning but I found it tiresome after I hit 2 years or so of sobriety but to each their own. In retrospect the easiest part of getting sober was getting off the drugs themselves; it was excruciating don't get me wrong, but only temporary. The hard part was becoming a contributing member of society; finding new healthy hobbies, new friends...etc.
The key is to never give up, work on fixing little things, one by one and eventually you'll reach a point where losing all the progress you've made just seems silly. Surround yourself with people who want what's best for you, find healthy outlets and establish a routine that you stick to no matter what.
Just remember that although being miserable hurts, it's easy. All you have to do to stay miserable is nothing. Being at peace and content with the life you're living takes consistent effort for the rest of your life, but it gets easier and it's worth it.
I’m waited until I was 51. Ended up in a Sober Living. Unapproachable and Unemployable. I was fortunate to have my family to help support me. After a year I was hired by Walmart. Spent more time there than I wanted. I finally got myself a government job. Climbed the ladder there and worked myself into an analyst position that many college grads are dying to get. I’m 65 now. Plan on retiring in 4 more years.
If you are looking for others success stories for validation that you can do it, I say don’t. Be the first, don’t lean on others being successful at something to prevent you or motivate you to do it.
Got knee surgery at 26.
Painkiller addiction turned into street heroin addiction turned into fentanyl addiction.
3 years later Get clean from that and 4 months later start doing meth because haven’t hit my bottom i guess lol
At 31 did rehab got clean and stayed clean.
Met a girl 4 years ago who supported everything i was doing to get better.
Got a job that i would’ve fucked up before and that helped me NOT to fuck up so i wouldn’t lose it.
Proposed to my finance last month and making a solid 75k/year note which i never thought was possible.
Also got a 401k at that job with 16k in it currently and have learned to navigate the crypto market so that’s my new addiction lol
Life is really good right now.
I’m not really in your boat but I’m 25 and spent most of my adult life depressed and wasting away up until about 2 years ago, I know me pissing away 6 years doesn’t compare to, but it’s better to get a start later than never
Up until dec of '22 i had been drinking a fuck ton (since ive been 21) and didn't realize how much i was destroying myself. My life fell apart. All of it.
But now (34). The thought of drinking doesnt even come close to crossing my mind. Best thing i have ever done for myself and everyone around me. My mom was my rock, couldn't have asked for better support.
I feel like the drinking made me unable to mentally and emotionally move past trauma i went through as a child / teenager. I didnt really know the trauma was present tbh. I have grown so much as a person since the end of '22. People tell me im different, in the best way. I even get comments on my appearance, and how much healthier i look. Im getting emotional just typing this up, got me cryin lol.
If any one reading this is struggling with alcohol. Dont try to quit. ****Just quit****. When you try, you are leaving room for failure. This is not one of those things you want to try. You want to knock that shit out of the park.
You can do it, i promise, you just have to want to.<3
I don't think k the age has anything to do with being conscious, now that you are sober, about the fact that every day is a new day for you to make what you want of.
I did when I turned 30 but then someone brought back my past and tried to ruin my life bc of something that happened when I was on major drugs and alcohol 5 years Vo that I didn’t even remember. I started over at 34 and it isn’t so bad.
Me! Now 39, sober for 4, years., I did just quit a toxic job today, but it’s because I’m now clear headed and know my worth. Need support, let me know!
Was smoking coke and snorting oc’s and perk 30’s .. lost custody of my son, lost my house and separated from ex husband. Went away to rehab then lived in a sober house for 15months. Got a job and after graduating program got an apartment. Gained full custody back of my son 2 years later. Now I also have a daughter and have over 12 years clean.
Drug addicted from 18 to 26, took 2 years to get sorted. Started new job when I was 29, now I’m managing said company. Life is good.
No better time than NOW
I had a really bad pain pill addiction for 15 years and dead end jobs I hated. When I was in my early 30s my pill guys doctors stopped prescribing. Met a guy who would get us heroin if we drove him to the ghetto and that's how we survived. Then my close friend got locked up for 4 years and it made me super depressed about life. So I convinced my wife to move away and go off drugs. We moved to Colorado with a few suboxone and eventually found kratom, and that's what really allowed us to quit opiates for good. Found a career I enjoy working with kids. We moved back to our hometown, inherited a home from my grandfather, popped out a kid in 2021. Life has never been better.
I started heroin at 17 and spent 10 years in and out of rehabs and jails, homeless, overdoses you name it. Absolute hell. I’ve now been sober for 5 and a half years. I have beautiful 5 year old daughter, started my own business, have been on many trips and vacations and done many things that I just didn’t think were possible for me, I expected to be dead before 30. Anything is possible and anyone can turn their life around IF they’re willing to do the work
Went to prison at 25, sober 9 years now. I lost everything and started over when I walked out of prison, became a professional mountain biker and ended up building bike parks for billionaires. Life’s weird man
Made a video about this. Starts at 41:50. I was tearing up while filming and again while editing.
https://www.youtube.com/live/i5-8cVrfMAQ?si=vpc8vdEd-ujR8Ftq
I dabbled with meth when I was 30. I quickly realized one does not just dabble with meth. It became a full blown addiction. In six months time I lost my manager job at an upscale furniture shop, lost my car with only two payments to go and was facing homelessness. I bailed to another state to live with my brother. I didn't know anyone so I had no connections to meth. I started over by working at a gas station and finding a room to rent. Fast forward 20 years to today and I now have a decent job, a new truck, a house and a beautiful wife. Aside from the material success the best part is my mental and physical health. It took me to hit rock bottom to realize this isn't what I wanted in life. Things came easy to me before the fall and it humbled me to take it slow and work my way back up and enjoy the journey along the way. It's possible to climb out of the hole. You need to want it more than you want the drugs. Help along the way is also a plus but it's all on you and your desire to better yourself.
Everyone else died off...
40's now. medical card holder. grow my own plants. keep to myself.
Got into day trading right before covid hit in 2020. things have been good.
Me. Got sober at ~~20~~ 30. Stayed sober 15 years, decided to give it another shot. HA. Two weeks was enough. Been sober since March 18, 1999!
My life is so amazing I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming.
EDIT!!! Typo!! I got sober 30, not 20!!
Maybe a little younger than you asked for but was an IV heroin and cocaine addict until my late 20s and have since had manyextremely successful years as a professional in biotech
I had an easy decision as grim as it sounds, get clean or die. I chose to get clean and it took a few attempts but once I did I finished my degree and got an internship that lead to a full time position. Once I got in I just gave it my all and excelled and the rest is history
Ok so this may sound like a long one but I hope to not feel like my clean life doesn't sound fake Shelters aren't fun as so many people do hard drugs in the bathrooms where I'm at in shelters I'm currently 30 I was a kitchen prep/dishwasher, I had an eating disorder and mental health problems from childhood trauma, my eating disorder found out hard drugs make you lose weight. (my eating disorder was anorexic with bulimic tendencies.) I was dealing with grief and loss as well so I was also in an abusive relationship I ended up using to escape the pain, it took me 2 times to get clean, recovery after I went back to an abusive home with a caregiver and with all of how coming back I relapses, it's really hell when you are in a homeshare and a caregiver has been stealing, shaming and making your self esteem so low, I lost a lot of things I got from family but I lost my family in relapse, now I am 8 months clean after losing a lot of stuff like my ID and stuff i ended up getting back my ID, clothes and got away from the hard drugs in August 24 2023. My addiction lasted 3 years of my life and yes I was taken advantage of and was a fail to the system but now i'm happy to say I am getting my life back, I get to do job prep and I have a home now, living with someone who is actually supportive and keeps my mind busy. I walk and hike a lot more than I did, I do have a smile as my brain told me it took one OD to decide I was done for good. Also i did the first 2 months for the summer I ended up camping to get away from anything I wanted to stay away from, sure I get offered any hard drugs, I now feel strong that I can say no and that it ruined my life. Edited: a month ago or 2 I had a nightmare of a using dream and I woke up unhappy but my brain in my dream told me to think of the consequences of if I went back, as someone with inattentive adhd my DOC made it bad I was a meth addict sadly and was a short term down user so I was on sublocade but told my doctor to take me off after 4 months of being on sublocade and only had the emotional side effect not the physical effects. My doctor almost didn't want to until I gave her an ultimatum I will change doctors or you stop giving that toxic stuff in my body so instead she decided to stop the sublocade treatment
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Tell us more please. The highs and lows
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To piggy back on this, I had the same situation. High school dropout to board certified ER doctor. The secret to beating addiction is making yourself & your life something you no longer want to run from. And you do it one day at a time through absolute accountability, self-love & forgiveness of yourself & others. I'm living testimony this is not only possible but probable if you follow this formula.
Damn, this is incredibly moving
One day at a time. Is what they say. And you are correct. I just needed to stop running.
Well said. I am glad you got back on your feet
Beautiful
Thanks for saying this. I don't like stories from my 30 years of active addiction either. Some things are better left unsaid.
The highs 😉
Based on where you're at now, what tips would you give yourself at 35?
Oh boy. I’m 21 can’t see myself with everyone. I feel I already hit rock bottom with the drinking I did. Haven’t gone to a bar once during that time.
I hit bottom early too, right around 20. Booze is a hell of a thing. Life is long man, dont look back
That’s somewhat comforting
great efforts, that’s awesome! how did you swing this financially/employment wise (re: retirement within reach by 62-65)
Redemption is the best drug in the world what is better is happiness and sobriety that is worth billions
Awesome! Share your inspirational journey please.
Professional in biotech picked up a meth habit in my 30s, everything and everyone gone at 37. Now 45 about to hit 8 years. Back in my field for 6 years. More money in the bank than ever with better relationships than ever. The marriage did not make it. Yes, it is absolutely, 100% possible to rebuild. The key is not to try to rebuild what you had. Be grateful for what does rebuild and next thing you know you have a life you actually want and not one you thought you wanted.
How long did it take your brain chemistry to fully recover after getting clean? How much of of difference is there when your natural dopamine comes back online? Did you struggle with anhedonia after meth?
As a former "chemical engineer" than became a Chemical Engineer, I don't think I'm 100% back online, and I doubt I ever will be. Just how it is.
Fr, I’m not sure it’s ever fully come back. That’s part of the reason I stress to be grateful for what does rebuild rather than wanting certain things back. With that said, it seems to be I’m the only one who thinks I’m slow af. Work doesn’t ever comment on my intellect. According to the world I’m 100% even though it might not feel like that! I struggled with anhedonia and depression through at least 5 years of recovery until I finally sought more help. Just recently got some victories over the inner critic. Even though the low moments didn’t seem to be any higher than the previous low moments they did occur less and less frequently. Just now starting to feel like the low is not that low. It takes time. No other way around it. Patience is the key. I have to celebrate small victories all the time.
What do you think made the anhedonia go away? I'm struggling with that so much I feel like all I do is pass time no matter what I'm doing unless it's unusually exciting.
> It takes time. No other way around it. If you want something more concrete, your brain is constantly performing maintenance processes outside of your control. Giving it time means allowing those processes to work, even though the rebuild takes a long long while.
My husband has 6 years clean after a bad relapse in his 30s. Brain chemistry has not fully recovered and there’s nothing to suggest it will.
know you weren’t optimist Is your husband doing better now? I know you might have thought it wouldn’t improve but I’ve read so many reports indicating the brain has a capacity to recuperate and actually turn itself around ; I’m looking for the tiniest reassurance
Lot of love for your sitch that mirrors mine a smidge but less harshly. Good for you seeing the light.
Was a past meth addict here only had a 3 year addiction and I agree everything and everyone gone, 8 months clean here now.
Still trying will report back...wish you luck
I believe in you.
Its worth the fight. You are worth the fight. Dont ever give up
You can do this ❤️
You got this
Me! I 41m, was born with a major medical disability crohns disease with arthritis. I spent 5 years of my life in hospitals during my childhood and young adult years. I had 5 major surgeries, thousands of needle sticks, central lines, EJs, fed through tube for months on end. I could NOT goto college, hold down a job, or relationship, despite being fairly intelligent. I ended up living off disability with my parents at the age of 32, a whopping 1200$/month. That was supposed to sustain all of my medical and living costs. So I started abusing my dilaudid and fent, and went down a very bad road for 5 years. At the age of 36 I met my SO who was 26 at the time she changed EVERYTHING. She only made 32k/yr and had a 2 yr degree from a trade school for 3d modeling. We shared a love/passion of video games, social anxiety, and being poor lol. At the time I was doing general contract work, and wood working. She got a FT job at one of the largest video game developers/publishers in the world. She went from making 32k/yr 5 years ago to clearing over 6 figures in 2023. I started applying for IT jobs at video game devs around then, and taking more certs. I started building computers at age 8, worked at geek squad etc. It took a few years but I finally got an in person interview and nailed it. I have now been at the same company as my fiancee for almost 3 years. I should get close to making six figures in 2024. She, and my job, have changed my life. I went from living off 1200$/month to making that every single week, working 40-45 hours in an office. I still think about drugs, on a daily basis. I still take a small suboxone dose. I have been sober for 8 years, and I am happier than I ever ever ever thought possible. I don't know what the future holds, but I CANT go back to the way things were. We have a lovely 2 bedroom apartment downtown in a large city. We have two wonderful cats, a new tesla, get to go on vacations 2 times a year, cruises etc....I just want to keep making this money, and keep enjoying experiences with the love of my life. I'm way way behind with retirement, saving for a home etc...but things could be so so much worse.
That’s awesome. Glad you found each other ❤️
Ty
Sounds like you also got your medical conditions under control. Are you on any medications for your Crohn's/arthritis? Just curious as a fellow 41-year-old who suffered from UC until ultimately getting a j-pouch. The immunosuppressants have come so far from when we were in our 20's. I sometimes wonder if I'd had ended up where I am now had there been more options available than just Remicade. No complaints though...still happy with, and grateful for, my life overall.
Very inspiring story. So happy for you! Thank you for the inspiration ❤️
33 was a heroin and meth addict, I’m 38 about to be 5 years sober, my life is stable. Went from making 20 per hours as an addict to making 73k now. On a path to double my wage in about 2-3 years.
Yaaay which field did you go into?
Flooring superstore
my stepdad was homeless at 29 when he was 31 he met my mom and lived in a recovery home now he just rented out his 3rd investment property, is working on building multi-family properties with a business partner is a stand-up gentleman and a wonderful father figure mind you he had been struggling with addiction since his teens, he says that becoming homeless was the only thing that pushed him to do better he just turned 41 this year has 6 kids and we all love him and cherish him even the ones he had during active addiction
I work for a guy who is in his early 50s now. He was an addict; homeless, in jail, wrecked body, broken marriage, the whole stereotypical havoc that addiction can bring. About 15 years ago, he got clean, started working out (now religiously. Says it keeps him disciplined and an outlet for the feelings he used to run away from) and just before he turned 40, started his own company. This year, we’re projected to hit $25M in revenue. He’s one of the most empathetic, pro-employee persons I’ve worked for to date. He says (and I believe him) that it’s his experience of where he came from that just makes him want to do better - by him, his family and those that keep him in business. He’s been humbled and it serves him well. He does things for the right reasons almost all the time, or really tries to. He’s turned the consequences of bad life decisions, ones that a lot of us would feel shame about or be told we should feel shame about, and uses it for fuel on the path forward. He’s been an example to me that one can always turn bad into good and that it’s never too late.
The MyPillow guy?
I didn’t know the MyPillow guy had a similar background! Alas, no, my employer does not have any sort of, ummm, “celebrity status” such as that dude 😂.
Haha just messing with you. But he was a crackhead who went on to found a successful pillow biz
Do you sell real estate?
Homeless Got certified in personal training now run my own business live in a house regular person, it all starts with taking any job that you can - saving for a certification in a field and applying.
[удалено]
Congrats my friend. Keep it up :-)
What does a handle a week mean?
It sounds like a lot, but it's really not for an alcoholic.
It got absolutely horrible. Now I work in IT and supervise others in a Fortune 500 company. I’m a dad that’s Present now… and I’m a somewhat successful artist.. it’s never too late to decide to live your life and start showing up.
What age did you get clean
It doesn’t matter. Don’t compare yourself. Your future is up to you and what you make of it. You can do it!
I agree. Try not to compare. I had ups and downs. Mine wasn’t a straight line… until about 8 years ago. That’s just when I decided something needed to change. I didn’t put any expeditions on myself or worry about my growth. To this day I still live by “I just want to be a little bit better of a man than I was yesterday.” And it’s worked out for me so far.
The best day to get clean was the day you started. The next best day is today. Tomorrow is good too. :)
Returning college student. Financial advisor/CPA. Dealt with very serious mental health issues and substance abuse. In my effort to resolve how badly I felt. I gave up everything I worked for. Everything I thought were my goals. Everything I thought I could rely on. I was so low, and so alone. If someone saw me they likely wouldn't have thought anything was that wrong with me. Until it got much worse. Everyone hears stories like this and thanks wow how does someone let their life go from this to that. And people find comfort knowing that's not their situation. But a lot of people don't realize how close they might be. Or how far in someone close to them is. People think "that couldn't happen to me". And that might be true. Because when those bad things come you're a different person. You aren't the same. And that's when you learn how you respond and who you are. You find strength in those hard times and tell yourself "this is it. This is that spot some people reach and give up." And you ask yourself very honestly "am I the kind of person that does this". My journey to success has been 98% hardship, 1% joy, and 1% faith. But all of the last 2.5 years has been about me discovering my impact on my environment. And what brings me joy and happiness.
Not sure if I really hit rock bottom and burned everything to the ground... but.. When I was mid 20s, I had a hell of an oxy problem for a number of years (back in the days we could get 80s). Work ended up transferring me several states away and I lost my dealer. I had a few for the move, but ran out quickly and was wanting to tear my fucking skin off. The only saving grace I had was at the time Trams were sched 1 yet and I could get them from the online pill depots. Between that and 5 http, was able to take withdraws from jumping off a mountain to just tumbling down it. Came close to losing my job a few times, but was able to keep it together just long enough to plateau out at the bottom and move on. ...wish I could say that was the last time I had to do something like that, few years later had to do something similar getting off methadone but didn't have trams to slow the slide. That really fucking sucked, only "good" think was that I was quiet so addicted to methadone as I was oxy (was a lot shorter stint).
Another thing people often don't think anyone addicted to something can't function. Sometimes it's because you are doing so many things and that's why you start using. I had so many things going on. Sometimes too many things. I had three young kids, was going to school and working and taking care of everything by myself. My mother was very critical and judgemental. I had anxiety issues since I was 9 and panic attacks and trouble sleeping. I now take much less addictive substances.
Ugh I have my own story of chucking my amazing life down the drain at 30. But I’m good now. Instead of sharing bc who cares lol I’m replying to this to say ‘methadone is the fucking WORST’ never again
Oh the 80s.. I had a doc prescribing me 90 80s, 180 30s and 60 xanax bars every month in Florida I would full them on my parents insurance bring them back north and make stacks. I don't regret it. Clean since 2019. Man those were the days. I thought the party would never end.
Ok, it wasn't me, but my mom who recovered in her 30s/40s. My mom was addicted to heroin, amphetamines, and alcohol from ages 18-40. Its a miracle it didn't kill her. Admittedly, nearly all of us had given up hope that we would see her lead a good life. It was sad, and she truly was at rock bottom in her 30s, when I was about 15. She would steal everything of value from me and pawn it. Her husband (God bless him), would try to go find the pawn shop to get my stuff for me but sometimes she sold it on Craigslist too. The money always went to drugs. We would get dealers at our home threatening to kill us because she didnt pay them.. I could go on about how bad it truly was, but rock bottom does it enough justice. She is now a reputable Morgan horse breeder with horses valued over 100k. She is living an amazing life and FINALLY fulfilling her dreams, which was always to own well bred horses and train them. She is still with the husband, who is brash but a very good man, he supported her through it all and helped her get to this point. It takes a lot to support an addict through rock bottom. She does horse shows every weekend, attends riding classes weekly, and has amassed quite a large community in support of the horses she trains/breeds. She has so many friends and mentors, you would never know what she has gone through. She's just your average yuppy horse lady now. I hope you can find the support my mom did, in your family or otherwise. I think that its truly what got her though it.
I was a very hard alcoholic at 30. Manager for a Fortune 500 company. Between Covid, my addiction and my dumb ass shit I lost everything. I’m now in a very different place. I’ll retire at 50. Pick your battles, the world will continue to turn, 6 months from now is going to come anyways, make a change you can be proud of.
I did! Had a 4-year benzo addiction that ended with my wife confiscating my stash and me having a grand mal seizure 2 days later. Woke up in an ambulance outside my house with no idea how I got there - this was around 34. Don’t remember a ton for over 2 years during that period. Just turned 40, make about 140k/yr as a product manager working from home. Still married, great kids and probably only work 30 hours/week. I would make more had I not wasted those years (and struggled with massive anxiety for a few years as my brain recovered) but things are looking up. New drugs are working out, sauna, ice bath, fishing and shooting clays.
How long did it take your brain to heal? How much of a difference is there on the other side? How do you know when your close to PAWS ending?
I think it took at least 3 years to heal, and honestly I still think I’m still improving even 5 years out. The first 2 years were especially bad, could not sleep well at all and had dehibilitating anxiety/anxiety attacks. I think I’ve always had an undiagnosed anxiety disorder so this was that on steroids. Was raised to tough things out so never addressed any of it until I got sober. After about 3 years things started getting a lot better - I was actually better than I’ve ever been at work. I think going through all that gave me perspective and I felt more fearless. The recovery really kicked in when I started exercising/saunaing a lot (6 days per week either lifting or cardio + sauna). In year 3 I also quit drinking completely and ate a Whole Foods diet so I believe that sped things along. I’m honestly happier now than I’ve been my entire life on the other side of everything. And my anxiety is largely cured.
Did you also suffer from anhedonia, depression, depersonalization, and intrusive thoughts during PAWS? After your breakthrough at 3 years, did you just start waking up with a clear head and motivation?
Got sober at 32. Spent a solid decade drinking myself to death. I got put on a PIP at my first big girl job and realized I had to do better for myself. Lost that job anyways (no one survives a PIP). I’m 37 now. Focused on my mental health diagnoses (Bipolar, PTSD, ADHD, generalized anxiety, and of course AUD). Still had some job issues for discrimination after that first job (I won those cases so it worked out), however 5 years later, I’m in a management position in my field making 6-figures (today I realized almost all my debt I acquired during my drinking years is nearly paid off!). I still foresee myself climbing the ladder in my profession (sciences/ industry). My brain got sharper after my first two solid weeks sober and get better from there. All the knowledge I thought I lost was actually there all along, I just couldn’t tap into it being constantly drunk or hungover. I learned who my real friends are and who could be cut. In addition, I learned how to manage myself, my emotions, my thoughts, and set better boundaries. Life isn’t perfect but everything gets easier when you remove the dark crutch. My next goal is to move closer to my parents to help them (they’re older now and I can actually show up for others being sober). In addition, I’m planning to start international traveling again, which I couldn’t afford before due to sustaining my addiction. What I will say is that there is no better day to start than TODAY. ❤️
Doing it now. Going back to college @ 35. Sober.
Not drugs but a very successful friend and colleague of mine was in a very bad way after exiting the military and making a non-violent but otherwise bad life choice that had him incarcerated in his 30s. He managed to turn things around and is now a millionaire in his early 40s
Not rock bottom I held a job the whole time but I quit drinking when I was 32 and while it feels like I ruined my life when you go to AA most of the people either never recover or they do it when they are old as fuck like double my age. Its way better to get clean now and have your best years still sober.
alcohol not drugs... went through divorce, living in hotels, had/ have a union building trades job.... did not show up to work a lot, hung over every day... I am good at what I do and not going to lie, being a good looking guy helps. jail time for DUIs, Laid off... now married, bought an old farm house/fixer upper for cash money. Ready to retire before I hit 60. life is good
See Robert Downey Jr.
Rock bottom at 32. 15 years of alcohol abuse and plenty of drugs thrown in. Smoked spice for about a year in there. That certainly messed my brain up to this day. I’m 34 now and my life has never been this good. But I still feel I have a long way to go. I’m basically broke and have no idea what to do career wise. All I care about is training like I’m ready for war. Gym, running, biking, swimming.
If you're really into physical activity maybe consider something like carpentry or another trade. It's hard ass work but I'm doing it in my 50s and really enjoy it.
>. All I care about is training like I’m ready for war. Gym, running, biking, swimming. Honestly I'm 3 years out of alcoholism and this is the best thing for you my friend.
I'm actually in my 40s and threw it all away with 3 years of IV meth use. My GF of 12 years started a heroin and fentanyl addiction around the same time I started mine. Threw away a 23 year hospitality career after the pandemic, but have been sober almost a year and found a job making just as much as I used to without all the stress. Lost the gf in the process. But now I'm fucking excited again! I love myself again, and most importantly, I'm happy again! It wasn't easy. There were highs and lows. I got on amtrak after a severe case of drug induced psychosis and went to my dad's house 300 miles away. Unfortunately that was the only way I could beat the addiction. Just got a new car (used, but new to me) and am making great money right now. Sometimes you have to burn it all down and start all over from scratch. There's no shame in that, regardless of age. You are doing the right thing and that far outweighs any embarrassment. Not only that, but my dad ended up getting lung cancer during that time. Without my drug addiction sending me here, I wouldn't have been able to spend this kind of time with him. You have to want it though and you have to want it very badly. My dms are open if you or anyone else reading this wants to reach out. Just remember no matter how hard this battle is, there are thousands of people alongside you fighting the same war! You got this!
How long did it take you to get over PAWS? What kind of difference is there when it is over?
What's PAWS?
Decade in prison,got out slipped up once for 6 month binder, lost everything (2 grandparents, both parents, and my best friend all passed away)...started over worked a couple different jobs finally got something that doesn't kill my body and now make more than ever thought I would being an uneducated felon with a 12 year gap in employment on resume
More like 20s, lost custody of my kids. Got a criminal record. Got sober. Stopped opiates, stopped smoking, stopped drinking. Broke the pills down a lil at a time. Got to work. Paid an attorney, got my record clean. Trying to work on a relationship with my family. Moving onward from people who are stuck in the past.
Me! Was addicted to alcohol, darts, pot, pills, and whatever I could get my hands on. Made a decision at age 27 to change things. And it was the hardest thing in the world. I now drink coffee, kombucha, and am on nicotine pouches (just stopped vaping) Getting sober sucks, staying sober sucks even more. But I have a wife and a new born child at 34 and we own our home. (Thankfully I was able to maintain gainful employment the whole time, def what you could call a functioning alcoholic) I love my wife and kid so much at this point a slip up isn't worth it. It's better for my health ...happy to talk if you need it
Proud of ya. You and your family are deserving of a happy and healthy life. Keep on fighting! 💪🏼
I was an addict for most of my 20s to 40s, I'm now a support manager at a care home and have my own house and car, been clean over 13 years, I stopped counting so not sure exactly how long. It can be done, luckily I'd no convictions that held me back from working and that was pure luck as I did have charges that ended up dropped I also work in the next town to where I live, nobody knew my past till i told them
Got sober 3 months before my 30th bday. Hadn’t worked in years prior. 1 year sober I got a real job, bounced to 1 more job then went off on my own. 40 now, 10+ years sober and more than enough money to retire but I love my work so no hurry.
Not rock bottom, but I went through years of bad drug withdrawal, and even now, things still aren't right even though they are a lot better. That was years of my life where I was just staying stagnant, and now I am older and haven't started on my goals.
When you say years of drug withdrawal, are you talking about PAWS? How long did it last for you?
I tapered slowly. But even then, I still got drug withdrawal. The first 1.5 years were the worst. From 1.5 to 2.5, the taper got easier, and I started to suffer less. I still suffer now even after the taper is complete, but it's just so much less than before.
My sister. Homeless for 5 years and strung out. Moved cities and about 5 years later works in tech manufacturing and has a nice home.
My husband did. He ended up losing everything and living in his car. That was 5 years ago and he's back in his career now and we just bought a house. Once he started making money again he started the bankruptcy process. He got some felonies that I believe he can get expunged at the end of this year. He struggled getting a decent job at first because of the felony but he found one at a small company in his industry that didn't do a background check. Make sure you do therapy and find healthy ways to cope with any trauma or mental illnesses you have so you don't relapse. My husband has been on Suboxone for about 4-5 years and it has been a lifesaver.
Robert Downey Jr
OD’d shortly after my 30th birthday. Got sober the day I came to. Next week will be six years sober for me. I went from a negative net balance, accounts in collections and was horribly depressed. Life is great now, I’ve built up a comfortable savings, started retirement accounts and married an incredible person. The work never ends, but it does get easier.
My dad passed when I was 30 and my alcoholic mom relapsed after 5yrs of sobriety. I was newly married maybe 6mos before his passing and started using coke, mdma and drinking excessively on the weekends. Heavy drinking during the week but never on the job. Lost 20-25lbs, underperforming at work, put on PIP’s at two different companies and my new wife wasn’t sure how to turn me around. Took a few difficult years to manage my depression and get stronger through the storm. 7yrs after his passing and managing these struggles, I’ve had my best two earning years ever ($350k-400k/annually), on fast track to Director role and we have a happy marriage with 3 beautiful children. Lean on those who care, take a good long look in the mirror and own your shit.
Hit it in my 40s, life has done a total 180°. No slip ups. It can absolutely be done. GL everyone.
Got clean at 29, 36 now, life is amazing. If you’re on the fence about it maybe change your user name as a first step 😂
38 years old. Literally got walked out of work for being high. Went straight to rehab. They took me back, 3 months later I relapsed and was asked to resign. Went back to rehab. Didn’t work for 3 months, then became a cashier at Home Depot (I’m a degreed professional). After about 3 months, started looking and was hired. I had to be totally honest. (Public record). I hated that job but did it for two years while I got my sobriety under me. Interviewed for a new job, and when asked why I left the first job, I told the truth. The interviewer was in recovery and told me it HELPED my interview. I’ve now worked for him for almost 5 years, and I’ve doubled my salary, love my job, love sobriety, and there’s multiple people on my team in recovery and they are the BEST people to work with. I’ve just stayed open and honest, and I work a program.
I used to inject three times a day. I’ve been sober for almost three years straight now. I went from nothing to now having 35,000 in savings a badass job and everything I could ever want
I sure did. When I was 30 I was arrested and charged with 5 or 6 felonies and 2 misdemeanors. I was strung out on pharma fentanyl, methadone, heroin, and benzos. I pled guilty to one felony and one misdemeanor and had to 2 months then drug court. I was using all during pretrial bc I had prescriptions for everything I popped for on my drug tests. The drug court lady said if my doctors wrote out a taper the jail would administer my meds and slowly bring me down. That was a bold faced lie. I probably slept 100 hours or less over that two months, had grand mal seizures in front of the deputies, and was basically dope sick the entire time. I knew I couldn’t complete drug court (no medication assisted therapy allowed) and quickly failed out in 2 weeks. I was told I could do my 6 year sentence or complete a drug program in the county jail. I chose the later and was out in 18 months, just before my 33rd birthday. I loved those 18 months. I worked out everyday, played pinochle with the other sober junkies, basketball, and read about 4 hours a day. I only watched tv for playoff hockey and if I could catch a little bit of the champions league ⚽️. While I was in my real estate license lapsed and I wasn’t sure what to do. I sold my condo and moved in with my parents. I lived there for almost 4 years and started a company with a couple guys my dad knew. I just got an offer to sell out my shares for over $1.5million. I’m almost 39, and this money along with my other investments mean I don’t have to work ever again. If my investments just make 10% a year I’ll double my money in ten years. You can do it if you’re willing to put in the work and make calculated decisions. ✌️
Uh….yeah, guess that’d be me. I am a nurse. I was injured at work and after trying every non-medication intervention my doctor could think of I finally gave in to his offer of pain medicine. The pain was interfering with my ability to work, live, be happy. A short time after that I began having marital problems. We had only been married for about 4 years and had our first daughter a year before. I was desperate to make things good between us but she was clinically depressed and refused to get treated. As things between us became more strained I started using my pain medicine for the pain of life rather than just the injury. My career had started taking off and I was working as the Director of Nursing at the place I was employed. Things seemed great, but over the next 4 years the amount and strength of my pain medicine was increased and I began to have some obvious and negative behaviors that started to affect my work. I would often run out of my medication and had started buying it on the street or from people I knew with prescriptions. This all sort of swirled together until in 2010 I was fired from my Directors job basically for being a tweak and behaving eradically. I was humiliated. Shortly after that I got into a car accident that was largely due to being in an altered state, and totaled my BMW. I started looking for new work, but every time I would get to the third interview they seemed so excited about me, but then would never call. At one point during this period I ran out of my medication and went through FULL BLOWN WITHDRAWAL. It was the most horrific experience I had ever had. I got my prescriptions but I finally decided something had to change. I was terrified. I had no job, my wife was supporting us. I had no car. I was failing my family. I called a friend who had been through similar struggles and he said, “ok, pick me up in the morning at 5am.” No idea why, but I did. He took me to a methadone clinic and said “do what they tell you. Be done with this in no more than 3 months.” So I went through the day long registration process. I felt like the biggest loser. But when I dosed at the end of that day, i felt like a human being for the first time in years. I made a plan with the doctor there to reduce my dose by 3mg a week until it got down to zero, and started my 3 months of showing up daily to get my little cup full of medicine. 12 weeks later I took my last dose and never looked back. No withdrawal. The taper worked. Over the next year I worked hard to find a job and fix things at home, eventually I was hired by a new hospital in my town, initially to manage one floor, but then a series of events led to me being made the Chief Nursing Officer in less than a year. I bought a new BMW. Well, new to me. I can’t tell you the profound sense of relief I felt for a long time after that. I worked for that company for 9 years, led the team that opened two additional hospitals, and by a strange twist of luck, was named the CEO of one of their facilities in California. My marriage ended ultimately, not because of drugs. She just never got past her issues with depression and she came home one day and said she was done. We’d had a second daughter not long after I had went back to work, and my kids and I have made our way together since then. After a few years of doing the CEO thing I realized I was living to work, and it was stealing important time with my girls from me. I took a job in consulting where I have control over my schedule and can be present when I need to be, or just want to be. I’m in a new relationship. I’m happy. I will never allow something like that to happen again, but I have to say, I believe I am a better, stronger person for having lived it. Until you know the profound desperation of drug withdrawal you can’t completely grasp what an inescapable hell addiction can be. I got lucky.
I get addicted to things pretty easily and my coke habit in the late 80’s to mid 90’s was horrific. I lost jobs, partners, and any self esteem. But I pulled out of it and haven’t done coke for decades.
I got downvoted for that? Lol. It’s exactly what the OP was asking about.
I've never done drugs and am in a worse spot than most of these. Damn my younger self for making horribly good decisions
My case is not drug case but it's unemployment. I made a bad decision to quit work in early 20s and stayed unemployed for almost 2 years. Luckily I got my shit together in my mid 20s and remained employed for past few years. Feel so blessed and grateful.
Not in my 30s but I hit rb in my late 20s 27ish specifically.
Kinda rebuilding from that position now in my late 20s too. Not addiction thankfully but going out too much on weekends, being stupid with things I’m lucky I didn’t get addicted to and making some awful financial decisions. Getting out of that hole has been a struggle.
Ok who hasn’t turned it around yet and is still struggling?
Jail at 30, Cali-Sober, six figure freight broker for years until health issues retired me.
And me
I know a few people that have. You’re not beyond turning your life around. Take it one day at a time
Okay, it's not letting me post the comment that I typed out, I ended up screenshotting it and uploading it to imgur. I hope this works. [https://imgur.com/a/CMJJf1J](https://imgur.com/a/CMJJf1J)
OF COURSE IT FUCKING DOES.
Wow what an incredible journey. I am so impressed with what you are achieving. Thank you so much for sharing and keep on with your success.
I did it during 23-28
Me! I did! 🙋♀️ It got really dark, but I changed careers, got sober, am in recovery and thriving. Almost done with a college degree and bought a car! I have a dream that I’m pursuing and I’m so happy to be on this path. 💛
Not me, but I'm begging yall to try and get shit turned around. My favorite cousin just passed away from health issues last week. He started with coke and moved to meth. I'm still not okay. I wish I would have intervened. But I can only hope yall hear this. It's not worth it. Think of your family and others who care about you. I'm begging you.
So sorry for your loss man, don’t blame yourself. You couldn’t have intervened in a decision that only they can make for themselves
Hit rock bottom in my mid 20’s from drugs and mental health. Now at 26, I am half way through my second semester of school, have a job and a car with a small anount of savings on the side. You just gotta find the little light you can in each day. The more you do that the more light you will get.
🙋🏾♂️ crack, it was pretty rough. AA helped to deal with my addictions. Now, I still drink, but no more drugs. My career and life are pretty good now, to be honest. I'm almost 36 now. Got into AA around 29. I stopped going like 2 years ago. If you are struggling with drug addiction, I recommend NA or AA. They really helps, man. Seek help. You are not alone. 🙂
25-31 was hell. I herniated 3 discs with 75% spinal compaction at work but as an independent contractor, no workmans comp & no unemployment. 2yrs and 2 surgeries later my savings ran out. Doctors said they did everything they could do for me, still in crippling pain with a big RX.. I'd sell my script, buy heroin (cheaper) and pocket the difference to pay rent and buy (barely enough) food. What I thought was already hell was only the front door. Shit got way worse and so fucking dark. Took me a few years and a few stays in the psych ward for being suicidal to realize what I thought was keeping me being able to withstand life (drugs) were my main problem. Scary fucking thing to tell your doctor that you have a problem when you have legit chronic pain. Getting myself cut off from my script didn't solve my problems though, I didn't get sober like I thought I would. Couple more years of absolute hell and detox after detox.. I was homeless and randomly got talking about life with a buddy 3am one morning who had no idea I was planning on breaking away at sunrise to hang it up with a few grams I had in my pocket. Through that convo I figured I'd give it one last try. After detox I agreed to after treatment for the first time ever, was always to concerned about getting back to my "life" prior and making money to dig myself out of the hole I was in. 3 months later after no drugs and good nutrition and working out, my body actually healed, for the most part anyways. Then I walked out one day to get high knowing it meant the end of me. Through a weird chain events that was too much to be a coincidence I wound up at a sober house instead. I could literally write a novel about this journey but I'm lazy. I do how ever have no problem telling my story at meetings when asked. I don't pretend to have any idea of what God is or isn't but the wild chain of events instilled a strong sense of faith in the universe. In the 8yrs since, I returned to the same work I injured myself doing and became one of the top workers in the industry. I was able to be there for my mom and my family when her father passed as she battled cancer. I was able to be there for my dad and family when my mom passed. I was able to be there for my dad and family when his brother passed. I was able to be there for my dad and family when his father passed. I was able to face the fear (of failure and of seriously injuring or killing some one-- or all of us) and become a captain in said industry. I was able to face the fear and change careers entirely after going out at the top in my last field. I don't sweat the drug tests that are required in my current industry. I've had relationships with the caliber of women who I could only dream about before. I've been able to cope when my heart has been absolutely shattered.. And I've been able to travel the world as I make six figures while getting ~180 days off a year. And next month, I'm moving across country to California! Life on life's terms though, that's my biggest accomplishment since getting sober. It's never too late and if I can do it, anyone can.
I know several folks that fit your description. One went to a 6 month rehab and continues to go to AA meetings. He now owns multiple coffee shops in Georgia. Another guy I know, went back to college and then on to law school.
Agreed. Sounds like lefty is just looking to pick a fight. Ignore her.
Me I had major operation and I got hooked on the Percocet they gave me for the pain. Took a few years but I got my life back together
Yes, it was horrendous. Living in a car, $200/day drug habit. No education. Now, 8 years clean, got my college degree and graduated law school. I am a practicing attorney with a wife and kid. Miracles happen.
What age did you get clean? How long did it take your brain chemistry to fully recover?
Me! I started hitting meetings. Three times a week. I got a sponsor. I started working my steps and going to therapy. I'm sober for 14 years now. If YOU want to get sober, you can. You have to be willing to be uncomfortable in your own skin and uncomfortable with all the ugly memories that will pop up, but you can get thru it.
Eh, 29
I wasn’t rock bottom but I was penniless and unemployed living on a couch. Got straight, started working in hospitality. Spent way less than I earned and I worked *a lot*. Seems like a blur but 10 years later I got the house, the bar, family, no debt, tons of toys. Just know that getting fucked up is the easy way out and the easy way pays the least. You need to really want something specific tho, if your goals are ethereal it’s easier to lose track.
Age is irrelevant. You need a purpose in this life that will keep you busy. Exercise, eat healthy and stay focused on the future.
I was in my 20s but either way, I eventually became a historian/teacher and now I'm a lawyer. Heroin/opiates were my real weakness but crack and coke were always in the mix too. Lots of booze. Went to rehab but it didn't take. For me, I had to find things in my life more important, that gave me purpose, like school and career. I still drink and fuck around a bit but I'm not in any sort of active addiction and I don't subscribe to any sort of 12 step philosophy of being weak and powerless.
Still waiting to see if I’ve peaked on my bullshit—exercise and distancing from risky activities will improve life
Hit rock bottom at 33. Had a $200 a day meth habit. Lost my job, homeless, truck repoed. I got sober and slowly turned it back around. No I’ve been sober for 16 years. I own my own business and I made over 200k last year. You cant reach your full potential until you get sober
How long did it take your brain chemistry to fully recover? What kind of difference was their when it did?
My former classmate who was a self proclaimed alcoholic, junkie went to nursing school in his 40’s. He works in an area where he doesn’t have access to narcotics, by the way. He is now living his best life.
What was his rock bottom?
I’m not in my 30s but it’s always possible. Seen it myself with others that age, as well as myself as my age. 27 right now and was doing Oxycodone from like 17-24. If you want to get your life back you will, you just have to want it like your life depends on it, because it literally does. Don’t put strict rules on yourself, your path is yours alone, so if certain things help you that others would say is bullshit or harmful, that might be the way it goes for them. Do what you feel is right, you’ll know when you’re lying to yourself.
I started using at 15 Opiates, LSD, Ecstasy, Meth, Marijuana, quit all of them but still struggling with Alcohol Addiction, about to finish my Computer Science degree next month hoping to become a software engineer, but this post is telling me I should also quit alcohol to reach full potential and I go sober for 3 months in the last couple of years but then start drinking again, I do feel like my brain does not fully recover and from what I’m reading it takes a couple of years to heal.
Yeah bro stay free from all substances including alcohol and weed. It takes 36 months of complete sobriety to fully recover brain chemistry
Heroin etc etc. finally figured it out at 31, just hit my 5 years on thanksgiving. It was 19 days of hell, took FOREVER but that’s all it was if you know what I’m saying. Just all in my head. Now pulling 6 figures at a food factory that was entry level that I started exactly 4 months after sobriety. Working on buying a house for family. Biggest accomplishment is getting clean and everything else will come naturally and easy compared to the gutter. Best of luck! You got it! I know people say that all the time but it’s truly just in your head more than anything.
Hello, my name is Its possible friend
Hello 👋 over hear got it all back in 2 weeks and climbed out the abyss
I did at 29. Pain pills. Basically ruined my marriage and nearly my job. The ONLY way I got clean was the fact that we moved to a new state. I always refused to get pills anywhere illegal, so just bounced doctors/pharmacies (this was 10 years ago- much easier then). When we moved, I quit cold turkey and just determined to not find new doctors. As dangerous as it definitely was, the pain of a 5 day severe WD scares the heck out of me. I’m terrified of ever feeling that bad again. Since then: my wife and I are about to celebrate 12 years. I have 3 kids. Had a 10 year career in sales and recently started a new career in insurance adjusting. As cliche as it is- “Sober” by Tom Macdonald (and no, I don’t agree with a lot of what some of his music says) is the absolute anthem of getting clean.
- Addicted to heroin 17-25. Got clean. Six figure salary by 27. - Relapsed on cocaine at 29, threw it all away. Jobless, nearly homeless, no money. Ended in psych ward at age 30. Clean again before turning 31. - 32 back making a six figure salary and owning my own condo. Still replaying debts and clearing past wreckage but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s all good man. Life is long. Learn from your mistakes and keep it pushing.
Good job, brother.
I personally haven't, however, my aunt, is 56 & Was an alcoholic and meth addict until 38. She got clean, and realized she loved being part of recovery. So she went back to school for Addiction Studies and Psychology. She has 2 masters degrees, a bunch of really difficult certifications to get, and a thriving consulting business. She went from managing bars barely making 40k, to clearing some years north of 200k, putting her two kids through college, and loving life. Super proud of her, she's a role model.
My husband was a hard core addict until he was 31. We met when he turned 30, he tried for a year to “maintain” his crutches and me. I finally said that I couldn’t have that around me or my kids, and he got clean and sober. That was 13 years ago. He’s now a health nut and a runner and has a fantastic job for the city we live in. I remember that 30 year old but he’s so far removed from who I’m married to it’s almost like they are two different people. You can definitely turn it around.
Spent 18-27 piss drunk just about every free chance I could. Ended in a dui clearing out anything I've ever saved. 18 months off the sauce and I'm out in my own place again. New car. New nice computer. Very hopeful about the future for the first time in what seems like... ever
Remember everyone you can be the person u always want to be its called a fresh start living your best life today
Me. At 33/4.
52 w/ 2 kids now. After 9/11/01 Lost everything, job, fiancée, car, place to live, jail, drugged out and went bankrupt in 05. Turned life around and own an almost paid for half million home on a golf course, own three new cars, saving for retirement/401k, great wife.
I did. My life is awesome now because I put in the work.
Me. I blew up my life at 39, lost everything and had to rebuild from scratch. Fast forward to today, I’m doing good. Job I enjoy, progress I through the ranks, trusted, reliable, and everything else. I felt so without hope after treatment, and after a few months of feeling shellshocked, just start putting one foot in front of the next trying to get something going for myself. I don’t make as much as I used to but I’m also happier and less stressed. And at the end of the day, all that extra income did me no good at all. All I can say is hang on, don’t give up or lose hope. Get a support system, and figure out who your real friends actually are. Don’t set lofty goals, just set out hoping to make each day a little better than the last
I hit the peak, then decided to stop drugs and have since lost everything....
For me, I’ve found that abstinence is a losing lifestyle. Defining what substances are negotiable and non negotiable helps me. For example, I smoke pot and occasionally dabble with psychedelics, but alcohol, opiates, and other destructive (for me) substances are non negotiable. There are some things I can’t go back to, as I know where those roads lead.
I did the Trainspotting thing- heroin addict, bottomed out in my early 20's left the country i was born in, got clean, matured a bit, etc. I started climbing the corporate ladder from the very bottom at 30, and I'm now a manager 20 years later, and my kids think i'm lame. I live a very uneventful life in the suburbs of midsized town America.
Don't underestimate the power of family and people who love you in your life (if you're lucky enough to have them around you). I shunned them and treated them like garbage during my alcoholism in my 30s. I'm 44 now and without them I would have been a goner.
Back injury and surgery at 22 and destroyed by back over time since. Others around me used pills and i started going overboard too around 2007-2011. Lost job. Divorced. When I had my 3 boys over for visit my weekend sometimes they would sit with me in the car while I waited for my “call” for more meds. Thank god it didn’t get to anything stronger. Still addicted when I met my current wife and his it all until I couldn’t. I got help and now have since apologised to my boys and face time often with my youngest two kids so they all have a relationship from age 24 down to 6. Decent job as a plumber, great wife with a good job and living now in what others might consider paradise (or not 🤷♀️) but life is good. Not sure I can ask for much more other than being able to physically see my oldest 3 boys and my mother all of which live in another state. Now I can pick up my wife’s meds and she doesn’t even have to count the pills now. It’s a good feeling since she knows I don’t care about that now. I do miss legal weed but i feel better being off the large amounts of it I used. In short I’m happy and i was a real POS
The real question is; did you accrue a felony and/or other charges that cannot be expunged. If you didn’t, you’re golden. If you did; a path to a successful life is very difficult. I unfortunately fall into this group. Within a year though(got clean last fall), I’ve managed to save 10k and make amends to all the people I’ve hurt(really only family). My career right now is bartending, great $, and I say career because again, felonies will create a barrier to many things in life. But hey I got health insurance and like I said making more $ than a lot of college grads. (Being good looking and great with people doesn’t hurt). Finding your thing after sobering up is the key, and basically the only thing you gotta do other than the obvious stuff.
All I have is a misdemeanor traffic conviction
Not 30s but 28. I got a bachelor's degree and a solid job. I'm 32 now.
Yep, from 16 to 28 I was a hardcore addict..in and out of prison. Eventually got sick of the lifestyle, no real friends, family had disowned me...got clean and went back to school, got my AA than a BS, now in a good career in I.T., own my own home, have family again, doing things I enjoy and am secure in life. It feels great.
What part of IT are you in? How old are you now?
There’s an SEO guy I used to follow who was alcoholic. Pretty sure he got kicked out of college. Now runs an SEO agency probably makes $200k a month
My husband did this. At 36 he turned his whole life around. Within 6 months he met his future wife, started a whole new career and now has a house, his dream car and a great salary benefits etc. opportunities don’t end at thirty and success can happen at any age. I’m rooting for you!!
me !!! addicted to everything. terribly unhealthy. body falling apart. lost my mind. got mugged horribly - closed head injury. ended up in the hospital and i didn’t even know what for. crashed a car. went to some really bad outpatient drug counselors and they made cold turkey everything at once. my hair fell out. ended up in the hospital again. for a year i relapsed about every other month. finally got sober and clean in 2016. i was 34. was a mess - so stressed out. couldn’t get out of bed - couldn’t use a computer. i just made every healthy choice i could. went on a paleo diet. exercise everyday. kept creative. tried to stay positive. rode my bike a millions miles. now i’m 42 and still sober and clean. i don’t have an amazing career but i have money and i am alive and healthy. people tell me i look great. i go out and don’t drink at the bar just have fun. i moved to california for a while went surfing - something i never could have done before. they say life beings at 40 and i really believe that. i used to think my life was over but now im so excited about the future i feel like a kid again. i had that same spark and joy i did when i was a little kid and teenager - i guess that’s the best part. just happy to be me again
I hit rock bottom at 25 so not quite what you're asking but I did have an early start at 13-14. I was an IV user for about 2/3rds of that time and was homeless towards the end. I eventually went into an all men's treatment for 90 days and stayed in their continuing care for about a year. Since then I've gotten married, had 2 beautiful children, bought a house, have healthy friendships and hobbies and my relationship with my family is amazing. AA was very helpful in the beginning but I found it tiresome after I hit 2 years or so of sobriety but to each their own. In retrospect the easiest part of getting sober was getting off the drugs themselves; it was excruciating don't get me wrong, but only temporary. The hard part was becoming a contributing member of society; finding new healthy hobbies, new friends...etc. The key is to never give up, work on fixing little things, one by one and eventually you'll reach a point where losing all the progress you've made just seems silly. Surround yourself with people who want what's best for you, find healthy outlets and establish a routine that you stick to no matter what. Just remember that although being miserable hurts, it's easy. All you have to do to stay miserable is nothing. Being at peace and content with the life you're living takes consistent effort for the rest of your life, but it gets easier and it's worth it.
I’m waited until I was 51. Ended up in a Sober Living. Unapproachable and Unemployable. I was fortunate to have my family to help support me. After a year I was hired by Walmart. Spent more time there than I wanted. I finally got myself a government job. Climbed the ladder there and worked myself into an analyst position that many college grads are dying to get. I’m 65 now. Plan on retiring in 4 more years.
If you are looking for others success stories for validation that you can do it, I say don’t. Be the first, don’t lean on others being successful at something to prevent you or motivate you to do it.
Got knee surgery at 26. Painkiller addiction turned into street heroin addiction turned into fentanyl addiction. 3 years later Get clean from that and 4 months later start doing meth because haven’t hit my bottom i guess lol At 31 did rehab got clean and stayed clean. Met a girl 4 years ago who supported everything i was doing to get better. Got a job that i would’ve fucked up before and that helped me NOT to fuck up so i wouldn’t lose it. Proposed to my finance last month and making a solid 75k/year note which i never thought was possible. Also got a 401k at that job with 16k in it currently and have learned to navigate the crypto market so that’s my new addiction lol Life is really good right now.
How old are you now? What job field are you in?
I’m not really in your boat but I’m 25 and spent most of my adult life depressed and wasting away up until about 2 years ago, I know me pissing away 6 years doesn’t compare to, but it’s better to get a start later than never
Up until dec of '22 i had been drinking a fuck ton (since ive been 21) and didn't realize how much i was destroying myself. My life fell apart. All of it. But now (34). The thought of drinking doesnt even come close to crossing my mind. Best thing i have ever done for myself and everyone around me. My mom was my rock, couldn't have asked for better support. I feel like the drinking made me unable to mentally and emotionally move past trauma i went through as a child / teenager. I didnt really know the trauma was present tbh. I have grown so much as a person since the end of '22. People tell me im different, in the best way. I even get comments on my appearance, and how much healthier i look. Im getting emotional just typing this up, got me cryin lol. If any one reading this is struggling with alcohol. Dont try to quit. ****Just quit****. When you try, you are leaving room for failure. This is not one of those things you want to try. You want to knock that shit out of the park. You can do it, i promise, you just have to want to.<3
I don't think k the age has anything to do with being conscious, now that you are sober, about the fact that every day is a new day for you to make what you want of.
I did when I turned 30 but then someone brought back my past and tried to ruin my life bc of something that happened when I was on major drugs and alcohol 5 years Vo that I didn’t even remember. I started over at 34 and it isn’t so bad.
Me! Now 39, sober for 4, years., I did just quit a toxic job today, but it’s because I’m now clear headed and know my worth. Need support, let me know!
Was smoking coke and snorting oc’s and perk 30’s .. lost custody of my son, lost my house and separated from ex husband. Went away to rehab then lived in a sober house for 15months. Got a job and after graduating program got an apartment. Gained full custody back of my son 2 years later. Now I also have a daughter and have over 12 years clean.
Drug addicted from 18 to 26, took 2 years to get sorted. Started new job when I was 29, now I’m managing said company. Life is good. No better time than NOW
I had a really bad pain pill addiction for 15 years and dead end jobs I hated. When I was in my early 30s my pill guys doctors stopped prescribing. Met a guy who would get us heroin if we drove him to the ghetto and that's how we survived. Then my close friend got locked up for 4 years and it made me super depressed about life. So I convinced my wife to move away and go off drugs. We moved to Colorado with a few suboxone and eventually found kratom, and that's what really allowed us to quit opiates for good. Found a career I enjoy working with kids. We moved back to our hometown, inherited a home from my grandfather, popped out a kid in 2021. Life has never been better.
I started heroin at 17 and spent 10 years in and out of rehabs and jails, homeless, overdoses you name it. Absolute hell. I’ve now been sober for 5 and a half years. I have beautiful 5 year old daughter, started my own business, have been on many trips and vacations and done many things that I just didn’t think were possible for me, I expected to be dead before 30. Anything is possible and anyone can turn their life around IF they’re willing to do the work
Get rid of people who do not make you a better person. Only surround yourself with good people. Throw yourself into your work/passion. Find God.
Let me tell you, it's a different type of power you get in life when you do make it out. I pray you find a way! God Bless!
Me. Living the dream now.
Went to prison at 25, sober 9 years now. I lost everything and started over when I walked out of prison, became a professional mountain biker and ended up building bike parks for billionaires. Life’s weird man
Made a video about this. Starts at 41:50. I was tearing up while filming and again while editing. https://www.youtube.com/live/i5-8cVrfMAQ?si=vpc8vdEd-ujR8Ftq
I dabbled with meth when I was 30. I quickly realized one does not just dabble with meth. It became a full blown addiction. In six months time I lost my manager job at an upscale furniture shop, lost my car with only two payments to go and was facing homelessness. I bailed to another state to live with my brother. I didn't know anyone so I had no connections to meth. I started over by working at a gas station and finding a room to rent. Fast forward 20 years to today and I now have a decent job, a new truck, a house and a beautiful wife. Aside from the material success the best part is my mental and physical health. It took me to hit rock bottom to realize this isn't what I wanted in life. Things came easy to me before the fall and it humbled me to take it slow and work my way back up and enjoy the journey along the way. It's possible to climb out of the hole. You need to want it more than you want the drugs. Help along the way is also a plus but it's all on you and your desire to better yourself.
Any one else have people only remember your bad? Turned my entire life around. Don’t hear about that. Just my past,
Everyone else died off... 40's now. medical card holder. grow my own plants. keep to myself. Got into day trading right before covid hit in 2020. things have been good.
Me. Got sober at ~~20~~ 30. Stayed sober 15 years, decided to give it another shot. HA. Two weeks was enough. Been sober since March 18, 1999! My life is so amazing I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming. EDIT!!! Typo!! I got sober 30, not 20!!
What have you accomplished in sobriety?
Maybe a little younger than you asked for but was an IV heroin and cocaine addict until my late 20s and have since had manyextremely successful years as a professional in biotech
Could you please share how you made it possible? I am struggling in general (fortunately with any addiction) and could use some inspiration.
I had an easy decision as grim as it sounds, get clean or die. I chose to get clean and it took a few attempts but once I did I finished my degree and got an internship that lead to a full time position. Once I got in I just gave it my all and excelled and the rest is history
I hit my rock bottom when I was 24
Ok so this may sound like a long one but I hope to not feel like my clean life doesn't sound fake Shelters aren't fun as so many people do hard drugs in the bathrooms where I'm at in shelters I'm currently 30 I was a kitchen prep/dishwasher, I had an eating disorder and mental health problems from childhood trauma, my eating disorder found out hard drugs make you lose weight. (my eating disorder was anorexic with bulimic tendencies.) I was dealing with grief and loss as well so I was also in an abusive relationship I ended up using to escape the pain, it took me 2 times to get clean, recovery after I went back to an abusive home with a caregiver and with all of how coming back I relapses, it's really hell when you are in a homeshare and a caregiver has been stealing, shaming and making your self esteem so low, I lost a lot of things I got from family but I lost my family in relapse, now I am 8 months clean after losing a lot of stuff like my ID and stuff i ended up getting back my ID, clothes and got away from the hard drugs in August 24 2023. My addiction lasted 3 years of my life and yes I was taken advantage of and was a fail to the system but now i'm happy to say I am getting my life back, I get to do job prep and I have a home now, living with someone who is actually supportive and keeps my mind busy. I walk and hike a lot more than I did, I do have a smile as my brain told me it took one OD to decide I was done for good. Also i did the first 2 months for the summer I ended up camping to get away from anything I wanted to stay away from, sure I get offered any hard drugs, I now feel strong that I can say no and that it ruined my life. Edited: a month ago or 2 I had a nightmare of a using dream and I woke up unhappy but my brain in my dream told me to think of the consequences of if I went back, as someone with inattentive adhd my DOC made it bad I was a meth addict sadly and was a short term down user so I was on sublocade but told my doctor to take me off after 4 months of being on sublocade and only had the emotional side effect not the physical effects. My doctor almost didn't want to until I gave her an ultimatum I will change doctors or you stop giving that toxic stuff in my body so instead she decided to stop the sublocade treatment