A New Beginning
I am a 30 year old alcoholic who thought my life was completely hopeless and unmanageable. I was born in New Orleans to a teen mother who was in and out of my life—for the most part—until my grandparents stepped up and took on the role as my parents. My father was absent from my life until I was about 8 years old. It wasn’t until then that I found out that he was a hardcore alcoholic. During high school I was a “good girl.” I didn’t drink or do drugs, and did what I was supposed to do in order to get into college. My first drunk experience was my sophomore year of college. I partied every night, but when most of my friends stopped drinking, I usually kept the party going until I blacked out. This behavior continued until I graduated in 2008. I then got into the restaurant business and continued on a downward spiral, but I still didn’t think that I had an addiction problem. In 2010 my father succumbed to his alcohol addiction and died. I didn’t know how to cope with his death, so my drinking became so heavy and frequent that I was basically a walking liquor store. The heavy drinking went on for two years, until my grandparents found my liquor bottles and evicted me from the house. I had absolutely nowhere to turn, and I didn’t realize that treatment was an option for me. I came to Grace House in June of 2012, not planning on getting sober. I completed the program in July of 2013, and I’ve been sober ever since. Coming to Grace House wasn’t a picnic, but it gave me the tools and the confidence to face any adversity that comes my way, including my alcoholism. I am forever grateful for the love and support from grace house, and I’m so happy that I now have a new beginning!
Casey B.