re: 1 year Sober Today.

The problem with physical addiction is that you are NOT in control of you. The best example I have been able to think of is this: Say you have been adrift on the gulf in August for say, 6 days, with no water, sunburned to hell, salty skin, extreme dehydration, and you made it ashore. There’s a big jug of ice water, but it is contaminated with something that definitely causes cancer. You WILL get cancer. You’re going to drink that water and deal with the cancer later. Your dehydrated body and brain won’t let you make any other choice. That’s what it’s like. I desperately wanted to stop drinking for a very long time. Thank God and my friends and family I was sent to rehab, detoxed, and spent 5 weeks in a safe, controlled environment. I would just as soon drink bleach or gasoline now, as alcohol, because I know what it does to me. I have a healthy terror of ever having to deal with that again. Addiction is not the same as problem drinking.

Great thread. Thank you all for sharing your stories. Truly inspiring. Congratulations and good luck with your continuing journey. One day at a day, one day at a time.

Good Luck and remember it’s ok to ask for help

Congratulations. After year 1 the others have flown by for me. I'll have 5 years in August. Using again isn't even a consideration for me at this point.

I do sometimes wish I could be a social drinker and enjoy a couple on the boat or at dinner like a "normal" person. And maybe I could, but not worth the risk. It's a small sacrifice to pay for the improvements I have seen in my life. I have worked very hard and have been blessed by the Universe like I could have never imagined.

Could you tell me what you liked about Rayville? I like to have an idea what people like and dislike about different recovery programs

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Could you tell me what you liked about Rayville? I like to have an idea what people like and dislike about different recovery programs

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I went to Woodlake-Ethyl before I went to Palmetto and have only good things to say about Woodlake too although I eventually drank again. I hear that the other Woodlake facilities are more of an hospital environment than a wooded secluded area like Ethyl though.

Palmetto was great because they had medical doctors on staff that were in recovery too. They handled the medical side all on site, so detox was as smooth as an alcohol detox can be, although still very rough.

The Palmetto program was 90 days and they sure as hell would kick you out if you caused problems or didn’t participate. That made the clientele much better.

The facility was nice enough, the structure was enforced, the counselors were all competent, and if you participated, the aftercare was available. They would call you out on your bullshite and no one could just go and stay but only half arse participate. You had to WANT to be there. Palmetto is or was the only facility in Louisiana that was approved by the medical board for rehabilitation of medical professionals and the clientele reflected it. I didn’t feel so much like a loser when I saw highly respected professionals dealing with the same issue as myself.. Addiction affects all socioeconomic levels and it was apparent at Palmetto. Darren Davis was excellent at running a program, he has since moved on but I hope his legacy remains. The guy knew sobriety and how to run a program to lead other to sobriety.

Sobriety can be found at both Palmetto and Woodlake. The longer program and medical side treatment is better at Palmetto. Sobriety can be found without a facility also but my opinion is that is a facility is needed for most of us.

Either way though, I always say that the biggest contributing factor is your mindset when you walk in the door. If you’re done with alcohol/drugs but don’t know how to stop, they will show you how to stop.

If you’re just trying to get wife/parents/law off your back, no facility can help you yet.

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Dr. Cataldie (a

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He wasn’t there when I went. Some white haired a-hole with a cane was the Program Director when I was there in 2015. That dude was a mean frick and he and I didn’t play well together. My counselor there was Ryan and he was pretty damn awesome.

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He wasn’t there when I went. Some white haired a-hole with a cane was the Program Director when I was there in 2015. That dude was a mean frick and he and I didn’t play well together. My counselor there was Ryan and he was pretty damn awesome.

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Dr. Tommy? He has a real bad limp but could jedi mind frick the shite out of you?

That's cool man. I was in Ryan's first group there. I really liked him. I had a lady by the name of Beth first and she was really good too. He came in and was training with her then took over his own group. Ryan seemed like a really genuinely good dude. He had a family member that was there with me and that family member was cool AF too, just like him. I always wondered how he got in that line of work, then when he told me that and the backstory, it all made sense. I just thought he could have any job he wanted, instead, he's doing (or did) something that matters to him and that has affected his family. I respected the hell out of him for that.

Alcohol is a drain. I was never an alcoholic, but I loved to socially drink beer and have a few beers when I cooked. I gave it up 14 months ago—went a year without a single drink and quit puffing herb too. My sleep is way better and I am less short with my kids.

I had a glass of red wine with a nice dinner on my 1 year anniversary and it was good because it went with the food. I had a few margaritas on spring break this year and they were a big meh for me. I just hit a point where I was over it.