ANGIE | Colorado Springs, CO
“I encourage family and friends to find their own life in recovery, whatever that means for them.”
I come from a family with a history of substance use. My father struggled with alcohol and prescription drug use, and I was profoundly affected by it. I had my own struggles with addiction and thankfully got into recovery for my substance use and mental health. My idea of recovery has changed so much over the years. I entered recovery through a 12-step program, and now embrace a philosophy of many roads to recovery.
Today, I work as a Family Advocate and CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training) facilitator, teaching families and friends new ways of interacting with their loved one. With CRAFT, you can make a difference in the life of the person who is using substances. You can’t make them change, but you can support them in a way that invites them to change. Families attending CRAFT can learn how to support their loved ones while maintaining connection with them.
If you’re still struggling, I want you to know that we do recover. The joy of recovery is in the journey, not the destination. I encourage family and friends to find their own life in recovery, whatever that means for them. As Johann Hari says, “The opposite of addiction is not sobriety; it’s connection.” Families are part of that connection. No one recovers alone.