How to Build a Powerful Sober Tribe

The Recovered Life Show

About our guest Curt Eichelberger:

Curt is a father, husband, brother, graphic artist, music lover and green thumb. He made the difficult decision to share his story, which has been an important part of his recovery. By finally being honest with himself and others, he has learned to love himself and is committed to helping others do the same. His story is below.

“As a teen, I was a bit of an outcast. I was shy and quiet. Then I discovered two things that would change my life forever: skateboarding & punk rock. Skateboarding became my true love and punk provided the soundtrack. Our scene was not shy about drinking and using drugs. It was a huge part of the lifestyle, and my friends and I were all hooked. As time went on, that same group of friends started getting smaller and smaller due to overdoses, drunk driving accidents & suicides. But the party didn’t stop. Eventually, I married and had two kids. The partying slowed down a little, but a painful divorce sent me right back down the path of destruction.

Years later, I found happiness and married again. We enjoyed drinking together socially, but after my wife lost her only brother in a drunk driving accident, she became less interested in drinking. I didn’t understand why that meant I had to slow down, so I kept drinking without her. Eventually, I was only drinking vodka alone at home. Until I couldn’t stop and was physically dependent on that next drink. I constantly needed eye drops because my eyes were so bloodshot, I was bloated, I was hiding bottles around the house. I lied to myself and my wife for years.

In 2009, I got a felony DUI & went to jail. But I didn’t stop drinking. My doctor told me I had a fatty liver. I still didn’t stop. I knew I was slowly killing myself and I didn’t care. I would fight with my wife, disappear for days and go on drinking binges. My wife had finally enough & gave me a choice: rehab or relocate. I was angry and scared but I knew that I needed to change unless I wanted to lose everything, including my life.

My wife drove me five hours to the treatment center where I would spend the next 30 days. I came very close to dying in rehab. My blood pressure was off the charts and I was at high risk of seizure. The staff even notified my wife that she may need to plan to drive back if my health didn’t improve. Thankfully I was able to successfully complete treatment. I am grateful for my second chance and for the opportunity to help others. Getting sober was the best gift I could have given myself. My family has been so supportive and tell me I have transformed into the best version of myself.

Now I’m thankful that my liver numbers are normalized. I am feeling good and I’m proud to be back on my skateboard. As my friends sasw the change in me, slowly some of them began confiding in me that they might want to quit drinking but didn’t know how to stop. It was then that I realized there were others just like me and I knew I wanted to help them by creating a support group. This is what led me to start Skate Straight – an awesome group of like-minded people that come together in a safe & sober space to talk, share, skate and support each other. And we always remind each other that we are all important and worthy of good health and true happiness!”

For more information on Amy click here.

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