Voices Project

My name is Chris, a recovering alcoholic. I have been sober 5 years. Sometimes when I say, “I am an alcoholic” that does not feel true anymore. I mean, I have been sober long enough to be “cured”, right? Well, I feel strong enough nowadays to feel that way, but I know it is not the truth. I do remember the days that I drank socially with friends. Looking back on it, I was always a quiet, reserved person and I quickly grew fond of the way that alcohol made me feel like I could break out of my shell....Read More

I was born in Charlotte NC January 27th 1982. My parents are amazing people and so is my sister. I was so blessed in that department. I couldn’t ask for a better family. Somewhere around age 12 I started to feel like I was different from everyone. Also that I didn’t wanna be like other people. I started using about this time . Smoking and drinking. Smoking pot became an everyday thing . There was a close circle of friends and we all used together. Everything was all fun and games. Life was pretty good. I became very close with...Read More

So, I’m not even sure how to tell my tale in a concise, easy to read version, but I’ll try. My parents were wonderful, no addiction, no alcohol, and extremely loving. I excelled in school, I had good friends. I was the youngest of 6 children and was definitely spoiled. I learned very young how to please people to get what I wanted, when I wanted it. I learned how to manipulate the different people in my life and play mom against dad or sister against brother to get my way. These patterns continued into my friendships and relationships later...Read More

My addiction started when I was in my teenage years. I had low self-esteem and people picked on me. I turned to drugs to fit in with the crowd. I did drugs for most of my life. The last few years, I turned to crack cocaine which took everything from me that I had. DSS even got involved. I went to rehab twice. Before I went to the rehab the second time, DSS had told me that I would have to leave my own home. That was my breaking point. I love my son very much and he was the...Read More

My name is Kelvin Young and I’m an Addiction Recovery Coach and Sound Practitioner, but most importantly a person who’s in recovery from alcohol and other drugs. After many years of struggling with depression, anxiety and drug addiction, I found freedom from alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, heroin and other opiates and began my healing process in a drug treatment program in prison. Within this prison program I learned about the healing powers of meditation, yoga and expressive arts. I had a lot of misconceptions about yoga and meditation but the things that I was doing prior to my prison sentences weren’t...Read More

My name is Jesse (Jess), I am a 33 year old girl from a small town in Wisconsin. As a child I suffered some abuse and as I got older I medicated with substances. I have always done something, from weed to cocaine to heroin. In high school is when most of my experimenting started and continued throughout my life. I was always in control of my use until the day I got prescribed pail pills, Oxycodone. I fell in love with not having to feel any emotions. I was shown right away by a friends mother how to snort...Read More

My name is Kari Fox. I have been in recovery since 01/26/2015. My active addiction did not start until I was 31 years old. However, I have had alcoholic thinking since I was at least 10 years old. I call it a recipe for disaster. I was pregnant after doing invitro-fertilization. We previously had 4 miscarriages over 7 years. I had terrible migraines as was prescribed hydrocodone during my pregnancy. I found out my husband at the time had been having an affair. We went to counseling and awaited our arrival of our daughter. However, I ended up with post...Read More

We need to check your vitals. The IV fell out. Lay your arm flat. The monitor has a screaming fit because the nodes unstick from the boozy sweat leaking out your pores. You are confined by tangled wires to a standard Stryker bed, while machines you can’t identify sing to each other in beeps and blips. You raise the mattress lower it raise it lower it Flop side to side and onto your back. Is there a magic position that will bring oblivion? Stare at the TV so long your eyes burn. CNN or TV Land? There is a man...Read More

My name is Katie and I’m an alcoholic. My sobriety date is September 21st, 2015, so as of today I’m 937 days sober (a little over two and a half years). But who’s counting, right? I NEVER thought I’d grow up to be an alcoholic. I never WANTED to be an alcoholic. But, as it turns out, for whatever reason, this struggle was meant to be part of my journey. And I think I’ve finally gotten to the point where I can be grateful for it. I grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota to the most amazing family I could...Read More

Four and a half years ago after ending up in jail for the last time I decided to give recovery another try. After spending eleven years stuck in a cycle of sex trafficking, prostitution, addiction, and homelessness I had finally felt like my life was at rock bottom. I was completely hopeless and empty. They say the addictions only lead to a few certain things, jails, institutions and death. Well I had certainly made it there, with two prison terms, numerous overdoses, many rehab programs and many more jail terms. The last treatment program I went into saved my life....Read More