Empower Devin's Recovery: Sober Living Support

Hey everyone. My name is Devin Clark and I'm an alcoholic. I am raising funds to help transition from a PHP program (Rehab) to a sober living environment where I can continue to grow in my recovery, while getting the accountability that I need, especially in early recovery.

A little about myself: I started drinking and using drugs at a relatively early age. Never in an abusive way, but because it was just what I thought people did to fit in and have fun. For a long time, it didn't affect my life but in, what I thought were, positive ways. I would go into social situations that normally I would avoid, started networking with people instead of isolating, and overall my life was filled with things I never dreamed I could have attained when I was sober. Life was good. Years went by and there appeared to be no downside. I eventually ended up at a job that I loved, making great money. I had an amazing fiancé of 11 years, a beautiful 6-year-old daughter, multiple cars, and a nice apartment. I had everything I could have wanted... or so I thought. While at this point in my life, I was physically rich but spiritually and emotionally I was poor, but none of that was obvious to me at the time because I had all these things in my life. On paper, life was as perfect as it could be.

Piece by piece, that changed. It wasn't immediate at first, but things began to gain speed at an astonishing pace. First, I lost little things like sleep and time for hobbies and friends. Everyone knew I drank, but my life was still intact for the most part, so no one said anything. Then things gained speed. I started showing up late for work, sometimes missing it altogether, didn't make payments on time, and my overall mental state was starting to deteriorate. But that wasn't an issue because I could drink and all of those problems went away, for the moment at least.

Then my addiction not only gained speed but seemed to move at a pace so fast I couldn't even see what was happening. I ended up breaking my ankle (due to drinking), had to leave my job, lost my apartment, my cars, and eventually my relationship, not only with my fiancé and daughter but with myself. I was completely lost. My life had gone far beyond unmanageable; it had become unbearable and one I felt trapped in, but my best friend alcohol was there to help me through the pain. So I kept drinking, even as everything was falling apart. Days became weeks and weeks became months before I randomly ran into an old friend who recommended a better way. I was extremely reluctant to believe anything could help at this point, but as much as I wanted to stop drinking and couldn't on my own, I half-heartedly took their advice and checked into a PHP program.

What started simply as an attempt to please others, regain what I have lost, or that things could be, at the very least, better than they were, has turned into a true belief that life can and is beautiful through sober eyes and has so much left to experience and offer. This program has saved my life and put me back on track to regain not only my daughter but myself... because we both deserve the best version of me. I look forward to all the growth I have ahead of me and to my next steps in this journey.

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read my story and I appreciate any support you can provide!