138 - The importance of sober networks and community - Chris and Dakota share their sobriety wins!

Ben and I have two guests today who are sharing their experience with their current recovery experience concerning their past recovery experiences. We will talk to Dakota and Chris about what had impacted them from when they started their sobriety journey to where their journey is taking them in the future. My guests will also talk about how their hard work has paid off, and benefits sobriety has brought to their lives.

Dakota was addicted to heroin and has been sober for a year at the end of May. Chris is 21 years old, has been to nine treatment centers. His addiction was cocaine, and he has been sober for eight months. Both men have been to multiple treatment centers to achieve sobriety.

Dakota woke up one day at age 19 and didn't want to live anymore. "That feeling that I had inside that I didn't want to live anymore is the worst bottom I've ever had." Originally going to treatment to get off opiates, Dakota still planned on drinking and smoking marijuana. He watched his situation worsen over time. "I had to get beaten down so bad that I became willing to do whatever it took to stay sober off everything." He didn't understand the steps he had to take to get sober. After several years of treatment, Dakota realized that he would have to go entirely off all drugs to be successful in his treatment.

Chris has been through three previous treatment centers and is 30 years of age. A drug user since the age of 15, with the most substantial amount of clean time at seven months, much of that time being spent in jail. He pushed everyone out of his life as he only wanted to be with drugs and alcohol. "I basically messed up my life so bad, I lost about everything, I was barely holding on to a job." In 2018 he decided that drugs and alcohol were a problem. He felt bankrupt not only financially but emotionally and spiritually. In his first attempt at Rock Recovery, he relapsed after 45 days, drank for three days straight. This confirmed to Chris his problem with alcoholism.

Listen in to find out how being alcoholic can become a habit, why Chris felt his alcoholism was on auto-pilot, why having positive habits is a vital ingredient to sobriety. Learn why addicts can't just stop doing drugs and alcohol, the struggles Chris and Dakota have faced in their recovery and how hard both clients have had to fight to become sober.

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Show Notes:

• [04:32] Dakota shares his previous treatment center experiences.
• [07:20] See link below to hear Dakota's entire story on episode 80.
• [11:40] Chris talks about his addiction and relapse experience.
• [14:06] He decides he is an alcoholic after a three-day relapse spent drinking.
• [16:18] Chris didn't know what to do when he was done work, so he chose to drink.
• [17:47] Find out why addicts can't "just stop doing drugs and alcohol".
• [21:37] Advice Dakota gives to others who are starting their journey to sobriety.
• [25:27] How he has gotten through rough times, especially with COVID-19
• [26:30] How Chris' situation is different for him now that he is sober.
• [27:48] Why having a sober support community has impacted both clients' sobriety.
• [29:24] Helping other addicts helps those with addiction stay sober.

Episode Links and Resources

• Real Recovery Live Chat
• Real Recovery Talk on the Web
• Real Recovery Talk on YouTube
• Leave Real Recovery Talk a review on iTunes
• Rock Recovery Center
• Real Recovery Talk on Facebook
• Ideas for a show? Email us tom@realrecoverytalk.com and ben@realrecoverytalk.com
• Listen to Dakota tell his story in Episode 80