As I approach three years of sobriety, I’m reflecting on my journey overcoming my addictions and how it fueled me with a passion and purpose to help others break through and live their best lives.
When I first became sober, I struggled with the idea of what I wanted to do with my life. A roommate who worked at a treatment center in Spring Branch encouraged me to apply there once I had reached a year clean — and I did.
It began as more of a means to give back, but being there taught me more about compassion and trauma-informed care, much of which I now implement in individual peer support. I lived in a sober living home myself during this time and decided to take the next step and become a sober living manager at Amir’s Redemption House, which provides sober living for men who are at risk of homelessness or transitioning from completion of drug or mental health treatment programs, as well as housing for those seeking re-entry into the community.
My work involves helping people who are struggling with life-controlling addictions and mental health issues. The battle can be fierce and feel insurmountable at times, but my experience is teaching me that with community engagement, teamwork and a shared vision, together we can help save lives.
Many sober living homes provide just the basics: accountability and shelter. However, it has become increasingly obvious that there is a large gap in the continuum of care when it comes to helping people in their journey to long-term recovery.
Becoming productive and successful in one’s life requires a multitude of resources like clothing, medical care and supplies, food, transport, and legal and employment support. We partner with local agencies and businesses to provide these resources to our residents.
One of the biggest challenges in recovery is being held accountable. Due to the nature and potential state of those in recovery, it is crucial to keep a clear and guided space of accountability to allow them to grow and develop healthy habits and boundaries for themselves. This is often done through chores and service work. Those who comply with these basic requirements of living in the house generally tend to do better than others who do not.
My day-to-day work usually consists of orienting new members of the household to our program, overseeing chores, helping with resumes, inspecting the house and touring the facilities. There are often difficult conversations held when a member fails to comply with the rules, but it all becomes worth it when we see residents move on and stay in touch with their progress — and most importantly stay sober.
To help people continue on their path to recovery and success, I started Narrow Path Sober Living, an online platform that assists people in recovery and keeps people engaged in the discussion about substance use and mental health. I’m also pursuing credentials as both a recovery peer support specialist and mental health peer specialist. And this spring, I intend to study as a licensed chemical dependency counselor. Building my skills and knowledge will help me address the gaps in the continuum of care needed for long-term recovery.
At Amir’s Redemption House, we’re always seeking assistance in being able to provide these services through our sober living environment and would like to spread awareness to hopefully help bridge the gap and see more people become successful in their recovery.
