June 2022 — Pride & Community

Kati L.

Sobriety Date: 4/13/2021

Today I am a grateful alcoholic. I live a life of freedom. Sober freedom.

When I entered Mountainside, I was scared and fragile. I was misunderstood. I didn’t know who I was.
I will not deny the fact that I was on my death bed—mentally, physically and spiritually. But that is only a part of my story. Because my story now includes my rebirth into this world, this beautiful thing that we call life. But I had to hit my bottom. And if you know my story, I hit bottom. And I hit hard.

One night, my higher power made me see the light. I asked my sister and parents for help. With their love and support, I was brought to Mountainside. The Mountainside staff gave me an incredible experience and support system, as well as the tools I needed to start my journey into the unknown.

When I left Mountainside, I was terrified. But I had a supportive family by my side, a job that welcomed me back, and my dogs who saved my life during my active drinking. But most importantly, I had my incredible Mountainside family.
I attended IOP and saw a therapist who was in AA. I dabbled in random meetings, still a little lost. When I took my therapist’s suggestion of attending a woman’s AA meeting, my life changed. I found my missing puzzle piece.
I have a family; my biological one, my AA family, and my Mountainside family. Yes, my sobriety is me and only me, but I also rely on my village. My sober tribe is always a phone call or car ride away.

I have a homegroup, an incredible sponsor, and I work the steps. I attend online Mountainside support groups and every alumni event possible. Why? Because to keep my sobriety, I need good people and incredible experiences in my life.

I needed to relearn how to live. And I can proudly say I live my sober life with honesty and integrity. I feel at peace with who I am today. My journey isn’t over, it’s only the beginning. We may only have today, so I live one day at a time. And I will love every moment of it.

Just because I am sober doesn’t mean I miss out on anything in life. In fact, I see the world entirely different—filled with gratitude, respect and a whole lot of love. Today I openly share my story. Why? Because I can.
Who am I today? I’m Kati and I’m a grateful alcoholic.

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Staff Spotlight: Michael Mulford

Greetings fellow alumni! I’m thrilled to be back at Mountainside as a Recovery Support Clinician. Through the tools I learned as a client of Mountainside, I was truly able to turn my life around, and I now get to share my experience, strength and hope with others. It was always my goal to one day work at Mountainside, and I’m so grateful to have this opportunity. People often ask me what I learned the most here. That is to be the best person I can be, and lead a life based on spirituality, community and service. Following that path always leads to success. I look forward to connecting with everyone at our upcoming alumni events. You can always get in touch with me by email at Michael.mulford@mountainside.com.