Written Stories Archives

Hollis’s Story

For a long time, alcohol was the backdrop of my life. I grew up and spent much of my adult life in environments where binge drinking wasn’t just accepted—it was normal. From college parties to time with family and friends, and especially during my years in the Marine Corps, drinking heavily was simply what we did. But what felt normal

Joan’s Story

In December, I received Recover Alaska’s newsletter promoting Dry January. I clicked on the link that took me to the UC Davis Health website explaining the Alcohol Change UK initiative launched in 2013. One statement that caught my eye was “Excessive alcohol use is unhealthy and can lead to chronic diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, and liver disease.”

Justina’s story

What was it like? In the beginning, you don’t realize the harm you are causing. You think you are okay because you are only taking medications prescribed by your doctor. After becoming black boxed by every hospital and clinic, I turned to heroin because it was cheaper. It was a living hell. The isolation, being dope-sick, homeless, hungry, dirty, and

Rochelle’s Story

What was it like? It was very dysfunctional. No one knew what to expect when I was intoxicated. I didn’t even know who I would become especially if I was blacked out. One day I would be a happy drunk “having fun”, the next, I would be a big crybaby and often times I was an aggressive drunk. I could

PRNsis’s Story

What was it like? I used to be an exotic dancer at the Great Alaska Bush Company. Before that I grew up in San Diego and traveled all over the world dancing, dating, drinking and doing drugs… I was not so deep in drugs but the drinking made me a different person and if the drugs were not around, the

JJ’s Story

What was it like? All fabulous and fun gay guys drink like I do. Or at least that’s what I told myself. When I came out at 21, I told my friends they could find me at the nearest gay bar. Little did I know that for the next 15 years, that’s exactly where I was, around the clock. From

Barbara’s Story

What was it like? Hello, my name is Barbara I live in Seward Alaska last November 1st my mother died but before she passed away, I got to tell her I was 8 years sober. She passed away that afternoon. What happened? November 1st I will have nine years sober and I’m so grateful to God and thankful for my

Jasmine’s Recovery Story

What was it like? Before recovery I was completely dependent on alcohol. My mind, body, and spirit all depended on alcohol- couldn’t go more than 3 hours without a drink or I would go into horrific withdrawals. Which meant I had to be drinking around the clock in order to function with any sense of normalcy. I would bring it

Kimberly’s Recovery Story

What was it like?: I was in denial that I ever had a problem with drinking and I had it under control, I was in denial my actions were not effecting my kids, I was in denial the people who cared about me were not being hurt by my actions and words, I was in denial the people at work