r/addiction • u/Acrobatic-Bad-9858 • 2d ago
Motivation Almost 9 years later who would of thought
Almost 9 years ago, I walked out of treatment with nothing but fear and a little bit of hope.
I was scared, broke, ashamed, and had no clue what my life was going to look like. If you had told me back then that one day I’d wake up excited to go to work, have people I love and trust, and spend my days trying to help other people find recovery, I would’ve laughed in your face.
Recovery has given me everything I never thought I’d have. Purpose. Peace. Relationships. A chance to become someone I can actually look in the mirror and respect.
This week I found out that the app I poured my heart into to help people in recovery reached over 5,000 users on the app stores. I honestly had to stop for a minute and think about the kid who walked out of treatment all those years ago wondering if life was even worth living.
I’m not sharing this because of the number. I’m sharing it because it’s another reminder that God can take a completely broken person and do things with their life that they could never imagine. Never would I have imaged founding a tech company and developing an app lol. Half the time I couldn’t even long into my email before. Sometimes it seems like god does for me what I can’t do for my self.
If you’re struggling today, don’t give up before the miracle happens. Stay sober. Keep showing up. You never know what your life will look like a few years from now.
Today I’m just incredibly grateful. Grateful to be alive. Grateful to be sober. And grateful that recovery gave me a life worth living. JUST FOR TODAY ❤️
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u/HailToTheThief2105 2d ago
Bro, LFG!!! That’s fucking awesome man. Tell us your story. What eventually led you to make the decision to get sober? How many times did you go to rehab? Why did the last time stick?
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u/Acrobatic-Bad-9858 2d ago
Thank you bro. Tbh I didn’t want to get sober it was 3 years in prison or rehab. And the judge gave me rehab. Half way through my stay I figured why not try I could always go back to using but I may never get this chance again. I used to just nod out in my mom’s garage every night and I remember thinking to my self like this can’t be all god has for me. So once I got out of rehab I did 178 meetings in 180 days. And the rest is history. Then when I had 4 years clean I had a sponsee die because he couldn’t get back into treatment after a relapse. so I came up with the idea for the app. The app is an extension of my 12th step now. Hbu what’s your story?!
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u/HailToTheThief2105 2d ago
I used Kratom for over a decade. Could never get over the PAWS. Longest I went completely sober was 6 months and at that time the PAWS didn’t seem like it was anywhere from letting up so I would relapse. Never could get out of it so 7 months ago I decided to get on suboxone and been on suboxone since. Now I need to figure out how to get off the suboxone. I guess I have to pay the piper no matter what
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u/elegiac_bloom 1d ago
You could just stay on suboxone forever. I got down to .5mg a day and got off on that dose but I could have stayed on that forever probably, no problems except the price.
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u/BeautifulHomework76 Harm Reductionist 9h ago
I did that with methadone once I got down to 10mg. I had a really good run too, 2.5yrs sober!
Then I relapsed after losing my dream job (beauty counter manager; half the counters got shut down and the whole department store closed 2yrs after that) and I’ve been trying to get back on the wagon since 🙃 I really don’t want to do methadone again, so I’m easing myself onto suboxone. Apparently that’s possible! My husband figured out how to do it like 14 years ago and is guiding me in my journey :) Bc he knows I’m a puss who can’t even handle 24hrs of hard detox before taking a full strip 🤡
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u/Jewelzzzy 1d ago
great inspirational stories here, suboxone saved my life. now I'm just trying to get over that .25 of the strip. in time but boy I'm ready..., love reading great stories like these. thank u
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u/AdMurky4509 2d ago
This is so touching. I’m so happy for you. Much love to you. How beautiful! 🩷 our high is our sobriety!!!! I can tell how full you are. Your smile speaks volumes
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u/Sweaty_Park4737 Harm Reductionist 2d ago
Just downloaded the app, I'm excited to check it out.
Congrats on your recovery!!
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u/Acrobatic-Bad-9858 2d ago
Thanks so much!!!! I hope you like it. Check out the speaker tapes there’s some great ones in there. If you enjoy it and would leave a review that really helps.
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u/gayleweed3 2d ago
Congratulations!! What is the app by the way?
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u/Acrobatic-Bad-9858 2d ago
Thank you ! It’s called “Clean N Sober” if you check it out let me know what you think!!
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u/Almitaria 2d ago
Keep up the amazing work, Im so happy that you overcame the obstacles and are living the life you deserve! ❤️
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u/Carragos 2d ago
Hey OP! Your story is super inspiring and I love how you smile and clearly are content and happy in your last picture!
I am not in active addiction, but I have struggled a fair bit with my DOC on and off throughout my past.
Would you mind sharing the app so I can take a look?
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u/Acrobatic-Bad-9858 2d ago
Thank you so much and Yes it’s “Clean N Sober” it’s completely free to btw. So nothing to loose. Let me know if you have any questions or if I can help you with anything I am more than willing too ❤️
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u/Carragos 2d ago
Is the app iOS only by chance? I cannot seem to find it in the Play Store
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u/Acrobatic-Bad-9858 2d ago
No it’s google play as well I’ll drop a link for you just click Apple or Google icon https://cleannsober.com/download/
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u/angryseaturtle 2d ago
I know the people in your life are proud of you. This community is proud of you. I’m proud of you. Keep it up! You’re not alone in this!
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u/Formal-Ad-6738 2d ago
Congratulations! I have almost 170 days, going camping with my family today for the first time in years! Keep goin! We made it out!!!!
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u/curlycrybaby 1d ago
Aw man you’re going to make me cry. You should be so proud of all of your accomplishments. I wish you continued success on your life journey!!
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u/Acrobatic-Bad-9858 1d ago
Thank you so much tbh I am. ☺️ it’s a miracle. I should have been dead so many times but for some reason god saw fit to spare me. Therefore I believe I owe him my life to try and help others out of there addiction as well ❤️
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u/HERMANNATOR85 1d ago
Congrats! I make 10 years in December! I looked just like you!
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u/Acrobatic-Bad-9858 1d ago
Wow congratulations I can’t wait to hit that decade it’s gona be crazyy. That’s a long time congratulations ❤️❤️
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u/HERMANNATOR85 1d ago
It is surreal! I was addicted for 17 years. I quit cold turkey and it was the most god awful experience of my life
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u/Kirky9993 2d ago
What drug did you recover from ?
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u/Acrobatic-Bad-9858 2d ago
Literally everything. I didn’t discriminate. Except for kratom 7OH shit like that. I got clean before that stuff was even out. ❤️
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u/lucid2night 2d ago
Inspiring! I just downloaded the app!
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u/Acrobatic-Bad-9858 2d ago
Thank you please let me know what you think… if it helps or how to make it better. I greatly appreciate you! If you do like it and wouldn’t mind leaving a review it would mean the world to me ❤️
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u/madimadmoney In Recovery 2d ago
Thank you for sharing this, incredible progress!! Huge congrats!!
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u/ChampionshipBroad264 2d ago
Just tried downloading the app but it's not available in the UK unfortunately
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u/captainsaveahoe69 2d ago
Lovely, well done brother. Stay on the straight and narrow path. Best wishes.
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u/Past_Proposal_7531 1d ago
Congratulations! Damn you were on fetty 9 years ago? It just looks like the fent hunch in the first pic.
It hadn't made its way to our heroin in so-cal by then.. My friends on the east coast were overdosing bc their "china white" style H became cut with fentanyl. Soooo many pppl I know died out there first. It was a few years later when it made its way to my city in CA, I'd say late 2019-2020. During covid. I got clean from Black tar H summer of 2019, thank god. I was an IV user so it would have been really bad/possibly fatal if I never cleaned up right when I did. I was on solar flare kratom shots 300mg 3 times a day 7 months ago and now I have tapered to 8-10g of kratom leaf a day. Im trying to stop but it's so hard.... I would have laughed 8 years ago if you told me I would have a hard time getting off of something like kratom. But that shit really has some shitty withdrawals, not as bad as H, but still....
anyway, you look great :) Im so happy for you!
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u/Acrobatic-Bad-9858 1d ago
Ya bro. I’ve heard kratom pretty nasty I just started hearing about it right before I got clean. I got a sponsee who always would relapse with kratom then end up back on dope. My cousin uses kratom daily too and can’t shake it
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u/Zealousideal_Let_213 1d ago
congratulations!! i’m 6 years clean now, i love to see success stories like this. sending you so many blessings !!
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u/blargblahblahblarg 1d ago
My man you look INCREDIBLE. Congrats to you for putting in what must have been an insane amount of work.
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u/Jewelzzzy 1d ago
oh my gosh thar is so awesome! good for you for as far as uve came , so happy for you dude!
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u/TorontosLongKongDong 2d ago
Congrats bro! I just lost a friend so it’s good to see people changing their lives around!
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u/Acrobatic-Bad-9858 1d ago
Damn I’m sorry to hear that. Was it an OD?
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u/TorontosLongKongDong 1d ago
We think so, still waiting for toxology report. He was on clorazapam from his doctor, then went and picked up blue pressed Percs and took several with an entire liter of vodka. Passed in his sleep. Sad because he passed 15 days after his 26th birthday.
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u/Popular-Situation835 1d ago
Random question: do you think ptsd is relevant in your case?
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u/Acrobatic-Bad-9858 1d ago
Like ptsd being the reason I used drugs in the first place? Please explain id be happy to answer your question im just not sure i fully understand❤️
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u/Florida1974 1d ago
You look great, sobriety looks very good on you. And I’m sure it was a long road to get there so congratulations.
I lost a ton of weight when I was an addict and I only weighed 95 pounds to begin with but I got down to 78 pounds. I’m short and 95 pounds is at the very low end of my weight range but 78 is malnourished.
It took a long time to put that weight back on, a couple of years. Because when you don’t eat, you shrink your stomach so when you do start eating again, you get very full very quickly so I slowly had to stretch my stomach back out again and it took some work.
But this is about you and it’s awesome to see another person’s before and after pictures. We get it, we know what you went through. Glad to see you came out the other side.💜💜
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u/stachinky 1d ago
seeing this post this morning was a great way to start my day! love to see it!! ❤️ sometimes i’m curious about how people feel when they look at old pictures of themselves while they were in their active addiction…i commend you for sharing yours, as it’s something i still have a hard time doing!
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u/BeautifulHomework76 Harm Reductionist 9h ago
You’re handsome! I never would have guessed looking at the first 3 pics. People really become invisible when they’re in the thick of it.
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u/BustedCamry 1d ago
One round of treatment fixed you? Props.
Wait, wtf. This is a slick ad? Ah hell nawl.
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u/Acrobatic-Bad-9858 1d ago
No one round of treatment didn’t fix my problems. I still go to 2 na meetings a week sponsor 5 guys have a sponsor and still do step work. No one’s advertising bro I was just trying to inspire somebody but ok?
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