50 - What are sacrifices that I would need to make to get sober?

Our guest today, is Devon. He has a heck of a story and is willing to share some of the sacrifices he had to make in order to get sober. Getting sober can be challenging. If it were easy everyone would be doing it. There are sacrifices that have to be made. Some of them aren't too bad, but some of them are so difficult not everyone can make them. Devon has done what it takes to become sober, and he shares that with us here today.

Show Notes

• [02:56] Devon has 80 Days of clean time.
• [03:28] Devon has gotten clean in the past, but the longest it lasted was 110 days.
• [03:25] After 45 days of treatment in Florida, he went home and worked the program for about a month, he didn't work the program in the last month and that's when problems happened.
• [04:02] His biggest accomplishment so far is graduating from high school early and getting an opportunity to go to any Big Ten college he wanted to.
• [06:14] At age 11, he started taking Vyvanse prescribed by his doctor.
• [06:58] Vyvanse is a stimulant similar to Adderall.
• [08:02] He switched from Vyvanse and Adderall over to marijuana.
• [09:29] After High School, he experimented with other things from Xanax to alcohol.
• [10:32] The first time he tried rehab he didn't put in the work. He just thought of it as sort of a vacation.
• [14:26] Going home after getting sober can be extremely uncomfortable. We can't be in the same atmosphere we used to be in.
• [16:19] Devon missed the birth of his child while he was in rehab. He also had to give up his old lifestyle. He also doesn't have family in Florida.
• [17:46] Devon had to give up certain jobs that he had back home, because they would be a bad influence towards his sobriety.
• [18:38] He even created a whole new social media profile, so he could keep up with people in Florida and not be influenced by his old friends.
• [19:08] For him, the big sacrifices are giving up comfort and familiarity to embrace a new healthier lifestyle.
• [20:51] He talks to his family daily over FaceTime. He gets to see his mom and his daughter and his sister.
• [23:23] It would be selfish for him to have his girlfriend move down to Florida when all of her family and support group is back home.
• [24:49] People are often afraid to go to treatment and leave their children behind, but if you look at the path of destruction they have been on stepping away is the best thing.
• [26:37] After having recovered, Ben has the opportunity to be the best dad he can possibly be.
• [28:29] This is also an extreme life change for Devon's girlfriend. To be a good dad, Devon can't bypass this process.
• [31:04] It can take yours from going from a liability to an asset in a family. It takes time for people to recognize that. When the tables turn and your family reaches out to you for help it feels good.
• [31:51] Some accomplishments that Devon wants to achieve is he wants to hit 90 days and then go for that all-important year. He also wants to finish the 12 steps. He also plans to go back to college.
• [32:20] He wants to major in architecture or auto body paint.
• [32:47] Devon really wants to be the best father I can be for my child. Devon wants to be an asset for my family. He wants to own his own home, get a car, and set himself up for retirement.
• [35:14] What you are doing now is directly going to affect what happens in the future.
• [36:44] For Ben, getting sober was the hardest thing he ever did in his life.
• [37:33] The challenge of alcoholism and addiction is underestimated by many people.
• [39:20] Final thoughts are to stay sober and do the right thing.