Recovery Story: Sarah

Sarah grew up in San Antonio, Texas and attended Texas State University. She joined a sorority and attended many parties and was introduced to alcohol. Everyone drank and partied like she did so she never thought she had a problem. Fast forward many years, Sarah’s drinking continued to progress. Life events extrapolated Sarah’s drinking habits– causing financial, mental health and external consequences. 

Sarah landed in residential treatment at Awakenings (now the Fullbrook Center) for the first time in February 2020. Her first stint in treatment was filled with unwillingness and resistance to the 12 Steps and as a result, she was asked to leave Awakenings. Sarah returned to San Antonio, and immediately resumed her “old lifestyle.” With COVID in full swing; the world was in isolation and her drinking continued. The Big Book states, “we are convinced a progressive illness over a period we get worse, never better.” Sarah’s disease progressed to other substances over the course of a few months.

She returned to Awakenings, now the Fullbrook Center, in late June of 2020 and was much more willing and eager to get well the second time, but quickly became distracted by the social aspect of treatment. Sarah left Fullbrook August 1, 2020 and quickly went on a spree. Life became bleek for her as her addiction entered its darkest days. Sarah returned to treatment on September 6, 2020 and has remained sober ever since. Sarah struggled with the concept of connecting with a higher power but believed that if God could work for others it could work for her too. She spent 5 weeks at a treatment center in Center Point, Texas then moved to Kerrville and lived in Sober Living for 17 months. 

Although Sarah struggled in early sobriety, she continued to move her feet and take direction from her sponsor and those that knew more than her. 

Today, Sarah works at the very treatment center that once asked her to leave. The Big Book not only taught Sarah how to live a spiritual life, but it also gave her a life she never imagined. Sarah has walked through many challenges in sobriety but there “was no situation too difficult and no unhappiness too great to overcome.” Recently, Sarah moved into her first apartment and brought her two cats from San Antonio. She enjoys spending time with her dinner group after going to AA meetings, going to plant shops and hopes to pick up reading again. She is recovered and has been given the power to help others, that which was so freely given to her!