I started drinking at 15, and from that point forward, I was always willing to try something new. By 19, I had bought my first house — something I was proud of — but I eventually lost it to foreclosure because I wasn’t paying the bills. Not long after losing the house, I went through my first real breakup, and that heartbreak sent me into a downward spiral that lasted years.

My addiction took everything from me. I became homeless, hopeless, and disconnected from the person I once was. I went to jail multiple times and ended up on probation more than once, often violating it or failing to show up. I tried to get clean twice on my own, but I couldn’t stay sober. The first time I went to rehab, I didn’t stay long. I ended up right back on the streets, doing things I never thought I’d do and hurting people who didn’t deserve it.

Eventually, I reached a point where I attempted to take my own life. When that attempt failed, I realized I had a choice to make: keep going the way I was going, or fight for another chance. I chose to fight. I went back to rehab — and this time, I stayed.

After treatment, I moved into sober living and finally began taking my recovery seriously. I volunteered, went to meetings five times a week, and worked the 12 steps with a sponsor. My clean date is 11/16/2020, and my life has changed in every way since then.

I stayed in sober living for three years. After two years clean, I got my first job in the recovery field and knew right away that I had found where I was meant to be. I became an outreach worker for the sober living home I once lived in. That led me to a position as an inpatient case manager, and after eight months, I was promoted to Alumni Coordinator and Recovery Coach.

Today, at 32 years old and over five years clean, I am grateful to be part of You Are Accountable, using my experience to help others the way so many people once helped me. I rely heavily on God and trust that if I continue doing the work, He will take care of the rest.

From the moment I stepped into detox, I made a promise to myself: to become a better person than I was the day before. That’s still my daily goal. And tomorrow, I will do everything I can to be a better person than I am today.