Kasey's Story

Since childhood, I’ve always felt as though I don’t belong. When I was young, acting out was my way of dealing with this. I’d find ways to steal and lie— manipulating family and friends in the process.

When I began drinking and using drugs, I finally felt like I fit into society. But the euphoria of the substances, the alcohol, and the selfish behaviours eventually spiralled, creating fear, resentment, loathing, and despair. My substance use became so uncontrollable that my obsession with them overtook every other thought or feeling, destroying my quality of life.

At this point, I had been using for ten years, and it was beginning to catch up with me. I had reached a point where I felt like I couldn’t take life any longer and I attempted to end my life. When this was unsuccessful, I cried out for help. I’d had enough of being a slave to my addiction.

While that was the starting point for change, it took me another six months of detox and treatment, followed by a relapse before I truly believed that my addiction wasn’t the answer to my problems. I wanted my life back.

The second time I entered treatment I was determined to work as hard as was humanly possible. I attended AA meetings, I found and began to work with my sponsor, and I pushed hard to cultivate a solid foundation in sobriety.

 I loved myself enough to give it my all. In doing so, I developed a passion to live sober. In a short time, I gained back the things that I had lost at the height of my addiction; my family, my ability to control my own emotions, and faith in the idea that I could live an exciting life in recovery.

In July of 2016, I sobered up, and since then, life in recovery has brought so much growth and development. I’ve found a way to heal from past hurt and trauma. By believing in the process, believing in myself, and believing in a Power greater than myself, I could become the compassionate, loving, caring, hardworking individual that I’ve always wanted to be.

Through the process, I’ve found a passion for guiding others into a healthier way of life. This led me to take the addiction studies program at Bow Valley College and the Indigenous Inclusion program at Simon House, which has helped in diminishing my shame of being Indigenous. The amount of healing I’ve experienced has helped grow my passion for sobriety, recovery, life, and love. Living sober has evoked so much more than just putting down the pipe. I genuinely love who I am, and I can spread love and light into the stream of life.

— Kasey