Jeremy S: How Mountainside Helped Me Find the Light at the Bottom of the Bottle

By Jeremy S.

“It wasn’t until I began my treatment and my path of recovery that I truly realized what a huge problem drinking was and the extent it had taken over my life.”

Alcohol as a Band-Aid

I began drinking at the age of nine, unknowingly joining the family alcoholics as I waded through the middle of my childhood. By age ten I had suffered multiple physical and emotional traumas. Despite it all, I kept on truckin’ into my teens while allowing beer and wine to endanger a healthy progression to adulthood. Alcoholism consumed me. My family, work and social life were band-aided together by attempts to fix things while pouring down vodka as if tomorrow was never going to come.

Hitting the Bottom of the Bottle

By August 2022 I had legal problems, and my broken family set clear limits and demands regarding my behavior and commitment to safety for myself and others—TOTAL SOBRIETY. One stormy month of detox and quitting attempts later, it was, 9/15/22 and I entered Mountainside Treatment Center. A tornado of physiological and psychological adjustments to life. An emotional rollercoaster. A whirlwind of relationship-mending projects. Sober for 37 days, I entered the world a transformed version of myself, armed with the building blocks I needed to rebuild my life. I worked with a Recovery Coach from Mountainside, attended PHP, IOP, and continued to attend OP programs to help me maintain accountability. I now take a monthly Wiz Quiz with pride and offer them freely to my family, but nobody ever asks. I can trust myself. My family can trust me.

Recovery and Sobriety at Mountainside Made Life Wonderful 

I’m doing amazing things now. It wasn’t until I began my treatment and my path of recovery that I truly realized what a huge problem drinking was and the extent it had taken over my life. My sobriety is so important to me because it has allowed me to prioritize the people in my life and my own life over my selfish behaviors of the past. Today, I’m a dad, a husband, a son, a friend, and a supportive person—the kind my friends and loved ones deserve.

Sharing What I’ve Learned About Recovery and Sobriety with Others

Meditation, Qi Gong, Refuge Recovery, AA and walks in the woods have become outlets for me to continue on an even keel. The doldrums have gone. Currently I’m working on big goals for myself. I’m in the process of getting my undergraduate degree as a CAC, certified addiction counselor. I want to give to thank communities like Mountainside, that bolstered my recovery so strongly, and support those seeking recovery for themselves. Recovery has been the most powerful and rewarding experience I’ve ever had. I would love to be able to help others empower themselves to get on their feet again and assist them in attaining their goals of sobriety and self-compassion.