"I know that all I need is 30 days in treatment," he tells me.
I find his statement interesting because the man’s been drinking for years. And most of the time when he's talking with me he seems to be under the influence.
What this man's experiencing is not uncommon. In fact, it happened to me. I also thought I knew what I needed.
When I tried getting sober in 1991 my plan was to stay in a halfway house for 30 days. Get a job. Find a girlfriend. Rent an apartment. Then leave. But that's not the way it worked out.
When I reached the 30 day mark I realized I knew little about recovery. So I made a commitment to stay another 30 days. Then 90 days.
Finally I ended up staying a year because that's how long it took me to get a solid foundation in recovery.
I realized early on that I couldn't heal years of addiction overnight. It would take time to change my thinking and my behavior.
Today, 23 years later, I know it was worth every minute of my time.
Today, 23 years later, I know it was worth every minute of my time.
