Charlie W.
Purple Alumni :: XII
I took my first drink at 11 years old, and that night I knew I had found my thing. I knew that I wanted to drink and get drunk everyday for the rest of my life. I had finally found the confidence and courage I thought I had lacked my whole life.
Little did I know that in the next six years I would experience more pain, misery and outright suffering than I thought was humanly possible. Through actions and choices none other than my own, I drove myself headlong to the gates of insanity and death. I was hospitalized five times in two years before I found Purple.
I was recommended to Purple by staff at the psychiatric hospital. I was apprehensive at first, but I knew I wanted relief. What I found was that and so much more. I was introduced to a way of life that offered me peace, happiness and freedom. I met a group of men in states very similar to my own; all with open arms and a new found enthusiasm for life that was incredibly infectious.
Today, my life is everything I thought it could be and more. I have re-built relationships with my family, developed friendships on a level I would never have expected and I experience true happiness. Life isn't complicated and I don't have to complicate it either. I am confident in myself and proud of all that I have accomplished.
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Purple Treatment, a premier addiction recovery center based in Atlanta, Georgia, stands out from other recovery houses in Atlanta due to our unique approach to long-term addiction recovery. Our focus isn't just on helping individuals recover from substance abuse, but also on building a supportive community that aids in maintaining sobriety long-term.
Never a better case for EPIC Trek
On Friday, May 10, I woke up to a text message from Kody Smith asking me if I wanted to fill a spot on a mountaineering trip to Mount Rainier. Filled with excuses, like most mornings, I said that I didn’t think I could afford it right now and that I was supposed to be out of town that week anyway. Once I got up and started moving around, I wrestled with the idea in my head.
Gratitude is such a big part of my life now, and I am forever grateful to Brett, Joel, Adam, and Miss Donna for their wonderful, personal, and professional contributions to keeping the Purple Power and my son alive. Together with these other 12-step programs, Purple is saving young men’s lives. I just wish there were Purple’s everywhere.
Purple has been around for just over 16 years. Over the course of those years, we have had the great pleasure of serving men and their families in finding recovery. It is an incredible feeling to be able to bring light back into the lives of these families that have been in the dark for so long. Many of you remember what that felt like and the long journey of recovery.
If you’re feeling scared or uncertain- practice gratitude. If you feel like you’re beating your head against a wall- practice gratitude. Gratitude works like magic – but not if you leave it unused in your bucket. In the month of November, I invite you to practice the gift of daily gratitude. With gratitude, you can climb the mountain of serenity. Start the process of turning today’s pain, into tomorrow’s joy.
Honestly examining our thoughts and our beliefs will unlock the door to peace, freedom and happiness. How willing are you?
One thing I struggled with myself and often hear from families, is “What Do I Say”? Typically, the emotion of fear has us worried that we’ll say the wrong thing and the situation will only worsen or jeopardize the client’s recovery.
Climbing a mountain trail leaves us with two choices: reach the destination or turn around. Reaching our destination requires the perseverance of putting one foot in front of the other. Just like when life gets tough, we must try to remember that all we can do is keep pushing forward.
In what way am I maladjusted to life? Have I always been this way? Was I born this way? Or did I become this way because of the world around me? Was it something that happened to me or how I reacted to it? Was it external or internal?