Hi, my name is Rachel and I'm an alcoholic and drug addict. I am a member of the Life Is Good Group of Alcoholics Anonymous and my sobriety date is, January 18th, 2009 and I haven't had a drink or drug since.

I started drinking when I was 12 years old and began doing drugs when I was 17 years old and I didn't stop until I was granted the gift of desperation at the age of 35 years old. I came from an alcoholic household and never felt safe. I was alone a lot as a child as my parents divorced when I was 5 due to my Father's alcoholism. My Father is not the only addict and alcoholic in my family, there are many.

I never felt like I fit in and was never at peace or had true happiness from a young age until I got sober and joined AA in 2009. I drank and did drugs to escape the bad feelings I had about myself and others and chose to anesthetize myself from the world because life was too painful and I couldn't face anything. I did that for 23 years of my life until it didn't work anymore. The sad thing is it really didn't work for years before that and all I did was miss out on life and hurt a lot of people.

I was selfish and self centered, manipulative, a liar and a thief, unreliable and an all around unhappy person while I was out there drinking and drugging! But now all of that has changed! :) I have been blessed with a new AMAZING life because of living life through the 12 Steps of AA and having had a spiritual awakening. I am no longer a victim and I realize that I was a volunteer for 99% of the drama that I caused in my life becasue of my actions. I have peace and happiness today and LOVE LIFE!!! Blessings to all.

Rachel P.