Michael’s struggle with addiction led him to a life centred on alcohol and, ultimately, turned into a desperate cry for help.
“I’d lost hope,” he says simply. “I was on my way to suicide, or on my way to treatment. Fortunately, I chose the latter.”
After completing an inpatient program at Renascent, he was better equipped to handle life’s challenges – but soon learned that recovery came with some of its own. In the years following treatment, Michael suffered from severe withdrawal seizures and grappled with personal losses, including the end of his marriage and estrangement from his children. “You lose so much to addiction,” he reflects, “and I lost quite a lot.”
Determined to stay on track, he immersed himself in recovery programs. For years, Michael has committed to leading support groups, volunteering his time and sharing his experiences through Alcoholics Anonymous and church-based initiatives. To support his ongoing efforts, he created a binder filled with lessons learned while at Renascent – a tool he frequently returns to as a source of inspiration and guidance.
“Keeping active in the recovery community has helped me maintain momentum,” he says. While he continues to seek the support of a psychiatrist and other professionals, he also shares his experiences in the hopes they help those who continue to struggle, too. “Not only have I been able to support others this way, but talking about what I am going through physically, mentally, and emotionally has become a key part of my healing as well,” he notes.
He’s also vigilant about the practical aspects of recovery, using an app to track potential triggers each day and proactively build strategies to manage them. “Substances are everywhere, and I have to take control over what might set me back,” he says. “I know better than to underestimate how easy it is to be triggered. I will be in recovery for the rest of my life.”
For inspiration, he’s created a plaque in his home that displays sobriety tokens earned through various programs, with his Renascent medallion in the middle. He says the visual representation of what he’s achieved reminds him of what’s possible and gives him hope. “Seeing evidence of how far I’ve come really pushes me to keep on going,” he shares. “It reminds me that my higher power has used what I’ve gone through to make me who I am today.”
A far cry from where his journey started, today Michael is living with a sense of peace he never thought possible. “I’m not tense, not angry, and I have financial stability for the first time in my life. My mind is free,” he says, “and I am so grateful.”
As he continues to give back, Michael is focussed on breaking the stigma he’s encountered. “Addiction is a mental illness,” he stresses. “We need collective understanding—from governments to neighbours, coworkers to families—that with the right support, recovery is possible.
If you’re struggling, the best advice I can give you is to stay the course. It’s easy to slip, but you can talk yourself into success. I am a recovered alcoholic, and I choose to live that truth every day.”
