Today, we’re going to pass the mic to Cody Ostrum. He recently reached out to share his recovery journey, and we just wanted to share it with you. Here’s Cody.
The Start of the Recovery Journey
My recovery story started long before I ever got sober. I struggled with drugs and alcohol from the age of 14, growing up in a home where addiction was something I knew far too well. I lost my mom to acute liver failure caused by prescription drugs when I was only 11, and my dad also struggled with addiction. For a long time, I carried a lot of pain, anger, and things I didn’t know how to deal with. Eventually, drugs and alcohol became the way I tried to escape those feelings. Addiction took a lot from me, but getting sober has given me something I never thought I could have: a new outlook on life.
I did attend one AA meeting, but what truly kicked off my journey of sobriety was when I got in trouble at work. I had accidentally left a bad of marijuana in a company vehicle. The embarrassment and that terrible feeling of possibly losing my livelihood due to something as dumb as drug abuse.
After that happened it opened my eyes to the issues with drinking and other drugs that I had. My spouse and I spoke about it and with their support I decided that the years of using drugs to mask my feelings and anxiety had to stop.
So when it came down to it they he accountability is really what started this journey and keeps me sober. I can’t imagine that feeling of disappointing my kids and loved ones if I started again.
I think another big help has been the amount of podcasts out there today with people telling their sobriety stories, which has encouraged me to start my own channel where I post weekly about my progress and opening up about different stress and anxieties that I feel.
So really it’s the accountability at this point that drives me to stay sober. When I feel like I want a drink or drugs I stop and think about how people would be disappointed and that drives me to stay on the straight and narrow.
And Where Things are Now
Today, I am 9 months sober and learning how to live instead of just survive. I’m going to
school for Criminal Justice and Community Advocacy because I want to use what I have been through to help others.
I also created Brothers in Progress, a judgment-free space where men can talk about their struggles and support one another through an easily accessible social media page.
My past is part of my story, but it doesn’t define my future. I want my story to remind someone else that recovery is possible and that their life is worth fighting for.
Contact us at (844) WIS-HOPE or visit our pre-screening application to start your journey
We are so proud of you. We love you and wish you many more years of happiness.