05/03/2023
My name is Jared, I’m an alcoholic. My sobriety date is August 10th, 2019.
When I was a kid my siblings and I were left at home alone while the adults were at work. One of my siblings came through the door one day laughing and said come on let’s go. We walked to the neighbors’ house, and this was when I smoked w**d for the first time. It was one of the best times I’ve ever had in my life to this day. I felt like I was a part of something. Sneaking beers out of the coolers around the house became a normal thing. Every time I drank, I felt a rush. I believe I was an alcoholic from birth.
My drug and alcohol use progressed over the years and got worse and worse. On April 19th, 2019, I went to jail for the first time. My children’s mother had had enough. She came home and I had my boys. I was asleep on the couch because I’d been up for a few days. She called the police on me that day.
I was a ju**ie selling junk to feed my own addiction. The only thing I’ll say about this part is it wasn’t fun. Everyday I lived in pitiful and incomprehensible demoralization. I went back to my house one day. I was sitting in my basement alone. I was so devastated I stood up, tied a rope to the cross beams on the ceiling, and was going to hang myself. My 4-year-old son walked down the steps and said, “Daddy what are you doing?” Just before I stepped off the box I was standing on. My son saved me that day. I can still hear his voice. Even this didn’t stop me. I was picked up by the US Marshals a short time later. I was allowed to go to Recovery Point Parkersburg on pretrial bond.
While I was at RPP I made lifelong friends. I worked the steps through Alcoholics Anonymous and changed the way I looked at everything. I wasn’t the victim anymore. I started to see my part in everything I ever went through. After Recovery Point, I went to work for Harmony Ridge Recovery Center. I knew I found my calling. Helping people and hearing their stories. Having people ask me for help gave me another feeling like I never had. But I still had sentencing. And no matter how much good I was doing I had to pay for what I did. I had to go to prison. I was sentenced to 15 months in prison. Which was a blessing. But I didn’t see it that way right then. My new friends in recovery made sure I never went without. I had people taking care of everything for me because when I went in, I did what I was supposed to do. I kept away from the wrong people and studied. I took a suggestion from a good friend named Di**le. I found like-minded people and I tried to be helpful to them. I went to prison sober and came out sober. And as soon as I got out Harmony Ridge let me come right back to work.
I worked the steps. I was honest, fearless, and thorough. I took the suggestions and I continue to change my life. I have a crew of people that I tell everything to and take suggestions from. I am completely transparent with everyone. I don’t lie about anything big or small. It makes life easy enough to not even think about doing any drugs. I occupy a lot of my time helping people who are struggling. That led me to create this page. I just want to help people. Anyone can reach out at any time. I’m here to help. And if you don’t want to reach out to me please just reach out to somebody.
I would like to say thank you to everyone that reads this. You are making my dream a reality and don’t even know it. I want to help people on a bigger scale and hopefully this helps you and motivates you to help someone around you. It only takes a ripple of hope to change someone’s life.
My name is Jared and I’m an Alcoholic.
I love you all.
