AJ's Story

Having to get sober was never a part of my vision board growing up. I will always remember being in 8th grade and being convinced that not only were sports and my friends the most important things to me in my life, but that I would also NEVER drink or smoke because well… it would take away from my performance on the field. Fast forward a little over a decade, and I was entering inpatient rehab because drinking and drugs had completely derailed my life. 

Obviously, a lot happened in between there – I went to college a two-sport athlete and left with an addiction to drugs and alcohol. The athletics, friends and family that had been the cornerstone of my life took a back seat to my addiction. I was given an opportunity at a job that I thought was life changing, only to be fired from it due to my addiction. It wasn’t until I hit rock bottom – both physically and emotionally, that I realized I needed help. 

I was incredibly fortunate to go to…

• Detox for 7 days

• Inpatient rehab for 28 days

• Sober living for 1 year

• Intensive outpatient for 8 weeks

• Outpatient groups for 2 years

• Therapy 1x/week (still going)

• 12-step groups (still going)

Additionally, having the safety net of random drug testing allowed for another safety net. 

I was so lucky that I was able to have the help and support from my family throughout this entire process. I was so fortunate to have the insurance to be able to receive this type of help when I needed it most. 

My whole life I felt like I was searching for a purpose. It wasn’t until I got sober and began to engage with others that had similar struggles to mine that I realized what I was always meant to do: help others who are struggling with addiction. One of the toughest aspects of sobriety is remaining vigilant after you have left the structure of treatment. It’s about balancing all of life’s responsibilities and those for your recovery, because as we know: without our recovery, the life part gets harder. 

For many of us on this road of recovery, the additional care and time needed, and the financial ability to have it, is not always feasible. The mission of Accountable is to provide a low touch, low cost safety net to support individuals in recovery as they move towards the life they have always imagined. I am so grateful to be able to be on this journey with you.