28/12/2025
I relapsed, and I fell hard—but I did not lose the tools I earned along the way. What I gained instead was deeper empathy, sharper insight, and more to give as I return to recovery with intention.
Today I pick up my 30-day NA tag. I have not used he**in or m**h in 32 days. I am profoundly proud of the progress I’ve made and of the direction my life is now moving. I have 5-6 more months of rehabilitation ahead of me, and I welcome the challenge with gratitude. Growth has never come from comfort.
Too many people suffer in silence. I refuse to be one of them. Addiction remains wrapped in stigma, and that silence costs lives. I want to help dismantle the taboo. I may not look like the stereotype people associate with hard drugs, but this is the reality: addiction affects our friends, our parents, our siblings. It has woven itself into the fabric of our communities. For many, substances are not about excess—they are about relief, about surviving pain when no other support feels accessible.
The issue is not simply drugs. The deeper problem is disconnection. We have become afraid to ask for help, even as numbness presents itself as the easier alternative to feeling. Recovery requires courage, community, and compassion—things we must be willing to offer one another freely.
I am using my time in rehab with purpose. I will leave as the person I was always meant to be—before drugs, and stronger because of what I’ve learned. I no longer sit in judgment. I don’t look at the homeless with pity; I look with understanding, empathy, and a desire to help. I know how easily life can unravel, and how much strength it takes to rebuild.
I may be marked by my experiences, but I am not defined by them. I am returning stronger, clearer, and more committed than ever—and I make no apologies for the path that brought me here. It gave me perspective, compassion, and a voice I intend to use 🖤
