One day at a time

Hi! My name is JP, founder of Sober Gang, an anonymous movement of people on their way to sobriety. It was a very long road for me, and I will admit I have my days, but I maintain my sobriety regardless. I created this website as a resource for people on their way to recovery or in the heart of it. I will share my story and the stories of anonymous people who want to inspire others.

My story: I was a heavy cannabis user and had alcohol problems in the past. To be honest, being under the influence was a way for me to cope with the everyday pain I felt. Depression and anxiety were a part of my life for a very long time and still surface at times. What got me through it—a strong support system. Sometimes, we have a problem, and we're not even aware of it. Even though my loved ones were telling me I had a problem, I kept turning to substances. But at some point, I couldn’t live a normal life anymore, and I realized it. My addictions were affecting my humor, my sleep, my eating, my physical health, and most importantly, my mental health. I wasn’t making rational decisions, and I knew if I kept going down that path, something bad would happen to me.

In my darkest time, I finally got help. I went to detox to get my life together, and to this day, those 10 days are the ones I’m most proud of in my entire life. I laid everything out on the table and reflected on my life from that day back to my 16-year-old self. I put my ego aside and brainstormed ways I could be a better person, a happy human being. I cried more during that time than I ever had, but it was for the best. Smoking cannabis excessively for three years had numbed my emotions, and I was barely feeling anything. But detox got me back on my feet. I was sick for the first five days—dizzy, emotional—but I got through it.

As the title says: one day at a time! During recovery, don’t think too much about the future or the past. Yes, have some introspection, but when things are out of your head, go out there and live your best life! People look forward to their sobriety milestones, but 24 hours at a time is the key. Life has a plan for you—just put all of your best energy into making things happen, and that's how you will succeed. At the early stage of my recovery, if I had thought about being sober forever, I wouldn’t have made it. But instead, I focused on winning each day, and things got easier and easier with time. That’s how you will succeed. I never thought I’d make it, but here I am, writing this text to tell you that you can do it. You’ve got this, one day at a time!

JP, Founder of Sober Gang