06/03/2026
June Sober Spotlight
Six Years Sober After Thirty Years of Drinking
For more than thirty years, alcohol was a constant presence in my life. What began as social drinking slowly became something much heavier, shaping my decisions, my relationships, and eventually the direction of my life.
Over time, the consequences began to stack up. I lost jobs because of my drinking and received DWIs that forced me to face realities I had spent years avoiding. My pattern with alcohol actually started much earlier than many people realize. I received my first minor in consumption at age 16. Even then, the warning signs were there, but I didn’t understand how they would follow me into adulthood. Even after that, I continued to party throughout high school and college, not recognizing how deeply the pattern was becoming rooted in my life. I told myself I could manage it, that things would settle down, that tomorrow would be different. But the pattern kept repeating itself.
My personal life carried its own pain and instability, and I used alcohol to cope with emotions I didn’t know how to handle in healthier ways. Instead of dealing with problems directly, I drank to numb them. In the end, it only deepened the very problems I was trying to escape.
My marriage eventually ended. Both of us drank heavily, and the relationship became increasingly strained. Looking back, I can see how much of my life during that time revolved around avoidance rather than resolution.
I am also a father of three children. During my years of drinking, my two oldest daughters and I became distant. My youngest, my son, also experienced the impact of my choices. My mom would often cry because of my drinking, watching the path I was on and feeling powerless to stop it. Alcohol took up space that should have belonged to my family, and rebuilding those relationships has been one of the most important parts of my sobriety.
There were also moments of painful honesty from within my own family. My father once told me I had become the “black sheep” of the family, especially as my two brothers had stopped drinking while I continued. Between that and receiving a domestic-related charge, it became a moment where I had to think long and hard about my drinking and where my life was heading.
There was no single turning point. It was more a gradual realization that I was no longer in control of my life. I was tired of the consequences, tired of the cycle, and tired of waking up knowing things could not continue the same way.
Six years ago, I made the decision to stop drinking.
The early days of sobriety were not easy. Without alcohol, I had to face emotions I had long avoided—regret, stress, and responsibility. I had to learn how to sit with discomfort instead of escaping it. Recovery was not just about quitting drinking; it was about learning how to live again.
Today, six years sober, my life is not perfect, but it is stable in a way I never knew before. I wake up clear-headed. I keep my commitments. I have rebuilt trust in my life, including with my children. My two daughters and my son now have respect for me again, something I do not take for granted. I also have a supportive relationship with my girlfriend, which has been part of my continued stability.
One of the hardest truths I learned is that change has to come from within. No one can do it for you. It wasn’t until I reached the point where I was willing to change for myself that my life began to turn around.
A song that especially resonates with me is Jason Isbell’s “It Gets Easier.” My youngest daughter asked me to listen to it, and it struck me deeply. The lyrics reflect something I’ve come to understand in sobriety—that while the struggle doesn’t disappear overnight, it becomes more manageable with time and commitment.
By the grace of God, my Lord and Savior and faith and support of my family, I am now six years sober.
Sobriety has not erased the past, but it has given me the ability to repair what I can and live differently going forward. It has shown me that change is possible, even after decades of struggle.
Six years ago, I could not imagine life without alcohol. Today, I cannot imagine returning to it.
If anyone is struggling with alcohol or would like to talk about sobriety, I am always willing to listen and share my experience.
📸Shannon
Edits: Holly
Story: Don Rousu
