Three Months That Changed Everything: My Time at Claresholm
How structure, CBT, and three months in an addiction treatment centre helped me rebuild a life worth staying sober for. On October 21, 2016, I found myself on a bus leaving Renfrew Detox Centre andheading toward Claresholm for a three-month addiction treatment program. I had one goal in mind. I wanted somebody to fix my […]
What Happened When I Finally Asked for Help With Addiction
Asking for Help With Addiction Was the Hardest Decision I Ever Made The Day I Asked for Help Asking for help with addiction was the hardest decision I have ever made. On the night of October 15, 2016, I used for the last time. The truth is, I didn’t know it would be the last […]
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: How It Can Help You Get Sober
Changing the way you think so you can change the way you live What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)? According to the American Psychological Association, cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most effective approaches for changing destructive thought patterns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy was one of the first tools I learned in rehab that genuinely […]
Treatment Centre vs Quitting Cold Turkey: What Actually Works
Treatment Centre vs. Quitting Cold Turkey I think the question of whether treatment center vs quitting cold turkey on their own, rattles around in the mind of almost everyone who’s looking for help. It’s a hard question to answer because you see examples on both sides. Some people go to treatment and it works. Others […]
Play the Tape Forward: A Guiding Principle for Clear Decisions and Lasting Sobriety
How I Use Play the Tape Forward in Sobriety and Everyday Life Learning to See the End Before It Begins The first week at the treatment facility was rough, and I talk more about that in my journey here: My Journey. I was depressed, anxious, angry, confused, and uncertain. I didn’t know how any of […]
Recovery in the Beginning: Early Sobriety and Replacing the High with Real Joy
Early sobriety is messy, awkward, and powerful—filled with small wins that eventually add up to a life you never thought possible. Anybody who has gone through early sobriety—or is currently there—will get this. In the beginning, it’s tough. Whether you’re fresh out of detox, just finished a treatment program, or even trying to quit cold […]
Born Catholic, Turned Atheist, Shifted Agnostic… Now What?
A personal look at how faith evolved — or unraveled — through addiction, atheism, and nearly a decade of recovery. I was born and raised Roman Catholic. Like most in the faith, I was baptized as a baby, received my first communion, and was confirmed as a teenager. That was just the path — you […]
Addicts Rebellion: My Journey, My Mission
My Addiction Recovery Story: From Rock Bottom to Rebirth From youth trauma and drug addiction to rebuilding my life in sobriety—this is my story of hitting bottom, facing truth, and choosing recovery. From the outside, we looked like a normal, tight-knit family. Mom, Dad, three boys. My parents both worked full-time, we went to […]