10 years.

Today marks 10 years since I quit drinking alcohol. I will never forget the moment I woke up in detox. I got a DUI after a night of drinking & honestly it was my bottom. I spent 10 days in jail, a year-ish on probation, alchohol classes & just under $10,000 later, I spent that first year trying to find myself again. I will never make excuses for why I ended up where I did but battling my demons that I attempted to suppress with alchohol was a big part of choosing to stay sober. I didn't have to stop alcohol all together. Even my teachers in my class were not sure why I received such a harsh punishment when the roots of my problem were not traditionally seen in their class. I stopped drinking for myself. I had to. I was an insanely broken person. The first year was by far the hardest. Then the second year I lost my mom. I threw myself into food instead & I hated myself more than I ever did with alcohol. It wasn't until the 3rd year. Healthy exercise & spending a lot of time with myself that I finally began to heal. Now at the 10 year mark I am happier than I could ever be. 10 years ago today I would have never imagined my current life. I would have never imagined being truly happy. I am thankful I stuck it out. I am thankful for people along the way that never judged my sobriety. But most of all I am thankful to me. I am thankful I was brave enough to dig deep into my demons & cut them off at the roots. I am thankful I made it to today.