Dallas Bragg marks his recovery from addiction starting with a night on the side of an interstate, even though he used again afterward. He argues that one lapse doesn't erase progress and that recovery doesn't require starting from zero. Trust the moment you decide to change, he says, and let go of the shame.
I say I've been Tina-free for almost 7 years, but I've actually been in recovery for 8 and a half. There was a night when I was left on the side of the interstate with not even a working cell phone. And when I looked up into the stars and I knew in my heart I was officially done with the Tina life, that moment etched into my brain as my day one. Sure, I used after that, but the descent out of my addiction started that very night when my heart's desire was born. Listen, recovery is not linear. It is not a linear process, and you don't have to start over based on a using episode. It is a process, a journey. Trust in those moments when you make a heart's decision. Let go of the shame and find certainty that you are on your way out, because guess what? You are on your way out.
