My name is John; I am 35 years old and have clean/sober since 2000. ?That is twelve years (if you are counting) and twelve years longer than I thought I would be clean/sober, as I had no intention on taking and/or much less following the course of recovery.

Drug and alcohol were my life. ?Not just the substances but the lifestyle. ?Everyone I associated with were drug users/abusers and it became the only normal way of life for me; I could not imagine life without it. ?I had seen "the other side of midnight", too many times. ?It would be impossible to live clean/sober the rest of my life, or so I thought (the battle isn't yet over but it's much easier than early on). Period.

I won't go into a long story here, however, if you find yourself hopeless and desperate enough, take that first step. ?Make a commitment to yourself. ?There is hope. ?I changed not because "I saw the Light" but because "I felt the heat." ?Sobriety and life (in general) has not been a piece of cake but it beats the old way, more times than not. ?It matters not how how much "time" you have (be it 24 hours, 24 days, 24 months, 24 years, etc. clean/sober) but your commitment to maintaining that lifestyle.

Best wishes and thanks for the opportunity to share...