James55's Story

[James55]

I hardly know where to begin these days. I have so much to be thankful for. I started out with alcohol as a teenager. I dont remember at exactly what age but I remember that shortly after that my parents separated. Before that I already had alot of addict behavior. Stealing cars,running away,skipping school,etc and I thought the world revolved around me or at least thought it should. My family was in ruins. After that first beer,which as I remember was warm and tasted lousy I didnt pick up again till I was in high school. There I began binge drinking. Drinking to get drunk every time. After my mom and dad separated we moved away and I dropped out of school. In 1967 I decided to join the army. I was trained as a helicopter crew chief and gunner and shipped out to Vietnam where I discovered drugs. I was very functional during my time there but towards the end drugs and alcohol had taken over my life. Because of my combat time I was able to make it to get an honorale discharge and my life took a total dive from there. For the next 30 years I ravaged my family and anyone who dared get close enough with theft,deceit and anything else I could get away with. I spent several stints in Va drug programs and was in and out of mental institutions and jail even spending about a year in a cult.

My journey back to these rooms started when my good freind and work pardner was murdered as I watched in a robbery. Once again I visited a mental ward and was put on a regimen of antidepressant and bi-polar type drugs. Just before they took me from my home I remember crying for almost an entire month with out end curled up on my bed and I was sure I was going to die. About 2 years later I remember I was walking down the road and a thought came to my mind. Almost like a little voice that said" I miss my friends". Shortly after that I went to my first meeting in about 10 years and got a sponsor the same night who told me that I needed a large dose of recovery now or I was doomed to fail. Six years later I am proud to say that he was right. I got married last july to the woman who I got stoned and drunk with and she is three years sober this month. We are also blessed with a beautiful grandaughter whos parents litterally threw her away. She made the honor rool at her school this year and has never had to see me loaded. I am blessed also to play in a clean and sober band and the bass player is my sponsor now with 15 years clean and sober. I get to watch my family heal daily. My dad has had victory over gambling and drinking also. Enough said. I think you get the picture. Work the steps,it works. Oh and I forgot, I have six years as of the 6th of June.
James

[Doraine]

On your 6 years of recovery.