Self-Image
“I’ve learned I’m very creative. I learned to paint – and found I could actually paint! I’m gardening now: I love flowers. I love sitting in my yard, listening to the birds, feeling at peace with the world.”
“I am definitely different. I drank because I believed that the person I was when I was drinking was the best of the two. I was funny and [had great ideas]; I think I’m a star. Now I get to be thoughtful, quiet, kind. I get to be someone who has a process in my life rather than the show. Sobriety is really liberating. It really does free me from the guilt of my substance abuse. It really lightens the burden so much. My life is so much simpler now that I don’t drink.”
“I don’t take as many photos [anymore] trying to find the perfect pose. I actually look healthy. I don’t have dark circles under my eyes. I’m not plastered full of makeup trying to cover up my sickness look. I was like probably 110 pounds soaking wet which was not a good weight for my size. I’m coming up on six years sober…”
“We get ourselves into those situations [of domestic abuse] very easily as females, especially with substance use disorder. You feel stuck. It’s almost like you feel you deserve what you’re getting.”
“My self-confidence has grown so that definitely helps – I think I’m worth more than I did before, and that helps me say no [to substance use] now.”