I reached a point in my life where I had lost everything—my house, my job, my car, and the sense of self I had once held onto. I moved back in with my parents, and it felt like rock bottom. The weight of shame and failure was crushing. I couldn’t escape the reality of how I had gotten there—years of using alcohol to numb the deep feelings of rejection and inadequacy I’d carried from childhood. It started in my early 30s, following a short, painful marriage that ended in divorce. From there, drinking became my way of coping, of escaping, until I lost everything in my life that mattered. In July 2017, I entered inpatient treatment, and that day became my sobriety date—7/17/17. Since then, the journey has been far from easy, but not once have I thought about picking up a drink. The loss of my sister to suicide in 2019 was one of the most difficult experiences of my life, but it taught me that I could grieve without numbing myself. I found a new sense of purpose and connection in my sobriety, and my life, while imperfect and messy, is rich with meaning. If you're struggling with where you are or feeling like you’ve lost everything, I want you to know it’s possible to rebuild—starting with the decision to live fully, without running away from your pain.