Michael J. Finds Fulfillment in Sober Living

When I walked into Mountainside on July 31st, 2016, I did not know my life would change forever. I spent over four months at Mountainside, going through detox to inpatient, then to extended care until I moved out to Denver to embrace sober living, where my life really took off.

I have been sober for just under five years and have been living my best life. Early sobriety was hard to navigate. I had been using drugs and drinking since I was 13 years old, and did not know who I was or how to live outside of my addictions. Thanks to my time at Mountainside, Alcoholics Anonymous, my newfound support system, and my sobriety, I live a great life today. Since I got sober, I can do things like pay my bills, have my own place, get in shape, and excel in a professional career in the software industry.

I have become a very career-focused individual, and always set the bar higher for myself. I choose to be open about my recovery in all aspects of my life, and I feel that sober living is the driving force behind my determination and hardworking spirit.

I have been able to rebuild relationships that I once thought were lost for good, and have learned how to foster healthy relationships with new people today. That is probably the biggest and most rewarding part of my sobriety.

I am very involved in Alcoholics Anonymous, and try to help any still suffering addict get clean and sober so that they, too, can see the beauty of life. I try to give back to the recovery community because I know how important it is to have people to help you along the way. I was told early on that I did not have to do it alone. Without the fellowship of AA early on in my recovery, I do not know if I would have made it to where I am today, so I try to do for others what was done for me.

Recovery is possible. You can have a life of your wildest dreams as long as you do the work and remember where you came from. I do not live in my past, but instead acknowledge it and use it as fuel for my future. I am only 29, and my life is just getting started. It is only going up from here!

– Michael J.