Aleksa B’s Powerful Recovery Message

My name is Aleksa, and I am beyond grateful to have another chance at life. With the help of my family, who refused to let me die, I was able to find my way to long-term recovery on July 19th, 2015.

The disease of addiction is fatal — 200 people die from it every day, and I was almost one of those statistics. Many people are too ashamed to ask for help, feel so much guilt about having the disease, so they hide and suffer in silence. That was me.

I am extremely passionate about recovery. I am an amazing girl, but addiction had me in its claws. I lost all hope and thought I would  not recover. Today, I do anything and everything to help others and give them a glimmer of hope. Because if I did it, anyone can.

I became open about my recovery after attending Recovery Fest and finishing Ryan Hampton’s book, American Fix. Both fueled me to do more. So, one week later, my best friend Dorota and I formed a non-profit organization called Glorious Recovery. Once we got involved, we realized how much work there is to be done, and how much more there is to learn.

Glorious Recovery Foundation

Glorious Recovery Foundation is an organization that unites, encourages, and empowers people impacted by alcohol and drug addiction. It helps them find their way to a happy, joyous, and healthy life by organizing events full of love, compassion, and support. We have one goal in mind: to inspire people recovering from addiction to stay in recovery for the long haul.

Individuals in early recovery often experience intense substance cravings due to imprinted memories of use and changes to the brain’s reward system. The Glorious Recovery team works very hard to host frequent events that are extremely fun and diverse. From our own experience, we know that social gatherings full of laughter and human connections are very healing — both emotionally and physically.

In recovery, we often become disconnected from our families and friends. Initially, this is due to our active addiction, and later due to our significant commitment to recovery. We want to stop that separation! We encourage every individual to include their kids, significant others, and friends in their recovery journey, allowing them to enjoy a substance-free life with their loved ones.

Additionally, Glorious Recovery understands that many individuals entering recovery are financially drained due to high treatment costs, the loss of a job, or even imprisonment. We always strive to make our events affordable so everyone can attend regardless of their financial status.

Many people struggling with SUD hide and suffer in silence due to the unforgiving stigma that still exists in our communities. One of the ways we are planning to smash the shame, guilt, and stigma is by launching the “Recovery is the New Cool” campaign. It will include apparel, social media posts, blogs, videos, and activities. We are proud to be in recovery because we are not victims, we are survivors of this non-discriminatory disease.

I am open about my recovery because everything I have done to date, others can do as well. Everyone should know that recovery is possible. Addiction is not a choice or a weakness, and those who are struggling need to come out of the darkness and seek help. I want to show what recovery looks like — that underneath the ugly disease of addiction, we are all beautiful, incredible, loving, and intelligent people. We deserve the same treatment, the same care, and the same compassion as other victims of fatal diseases.