As his children got older, CG found himself drawn back to drinking and drugs, habits he’d started as a teenager. He’d taken a bit of a break while his kids were young, but as they needed him less, he went back to it—and it quickly became a serious problem. He was firmly in denial, pointing the finger at everyone else but himself, until his sister pressed him to get into treatment. It was January 2019, and for the first time, CG faced his fears and problems head-on, doing the work to rid his life of alcohol and drugs.
Now in recovery for more than six years, CG utilizes the Connections app to support his journey and share his wisdom with others along the way. “I’m on the app pretty much all day, every day,” CG said. “I love the camaraderie. I love the friends that I’ve made.”
The Connections app helps him fight back against isolation and stigma, providing him a place to find belonging and understanding. He faithfully completes the daily check-in, responds to others in the community, and attends virtual meetings. He recently achieved a 509-day check-in streak!
People notice and reach out if he goes quiet, and he does the same for others because he knows that’s a bad road. “The disease wants to isolate me,” he said. “You withdraw and you isolate, and your disease will go into overtime and work on you. Stay connected and continue to stick with what’s working in your life, and you’ll have a support group that can help you.”
CG recommends Connections to anyone in recovery, whether it’s their first day or 10 years later. “It’s a tool you can use any time that things are starting to bother you,” he said. “I didn’t have this in early recovery, and I really wish I had. The amount of support and everything you gain through this is tremendous.”
Voices of Recovery shares authentic stories from individuals who use CHESS Health’s digital recovery solutions. Participants voluntarily share their recovery journey and how our digital support solutions have helped them throughout. All stories are published using aliases and with explicit permission from each individual, and participants choose their own images that either represent their story or resonate with them as part of their recovery journey.
