One Day at a Time: My Journey from Addiction to Spiritual Awakening
Through faith, resilience, and the support of loved ones, I transformed my life and found my true self.
I am Chris, a recovering alcoholic. After two decades of drinking, I reached a breaking point on November 20, 2019, and decided it was time to change.
I’d lost nearly everything of value—my job, my finances, my friends, and even the trust and closeness of my family. I felt spiritually empty, lost. But my family, and especially my wife, Dee, held onto hope, even when I was ready to give up. Despite all the pain I’d caused, they believed I could find my way back. Their faith in me offered a lifeline, and I found strength in knowing I wasn’t alone.
A close friend, Nicholus, also played a pivotal role in pushing me toward sobriety. Nicholus was someone I deeply admired; he’d been through his own journey and had achieved a kind of peace and stability that I craved. He saw me struggling, and he intervened, pushing me to take a serious look at rehabilitation. I wanted what he had—this sense of calm and clarity I couldn’t quite name but was drawn to.
It was through his words and his encouragement that I made the decision to enter Eden House in Likoni, Kenya, on November 26, 2019. That date marked the beginning of my journey, my “90 days to freedom,” a period that would change my life forever.
This journey at Eden House was transformative. I quickly realized that I didn’t know how to stay sober, and that realization was humbling.
I had tried to quit drinking on my own in the past, but each attempt ended in failure. At Eden House, I learned that sobriety is built on three critical principles: Honesty, Open-mindedness, and Willingness.
I had to be honest with myself about my reality, open-minded enough to consider new ways of living, and willing to make difficult changes. Letting go of control and taking things “a day at a time” became my mantra. It was surprisingly effective, teaching me to focus on each day without alcohol and to trust in “thy will, not mine.”
My journey took a profound turn on February 2, 2020, a date I now see as my spiritual awakening—my “palindrome” moment, as I call it.
That day, my mother and cousin-sister Wendy visited me at Eden House. We spent the day together cooking pilau, a meal that brought us comfort and connection, and shared stories from our lives.
It was a simple day, full of laughter, warmth, and love, but it became something much deeper. In that moment, as we shared stories and reconnected. Later that night, in my sleep, I felt something shift within me. Much like the story of Saul’s transformation into Paul, this day marked a spiritual awakening.
I had come to realize that my journey was not just about leaving behind addiction, but about finding a new sense of purpose, a new self. Little did I know that my life was changing forever in those simple, shared moments.
The turning point came in early 2020, when after over a decade of separation I reached out to Dee through Facebook. We had been apart for years, largely due to the destructive path I was on, but my reaching out felt like fate. She was determined to help me rebuild my life and reclaim the person I once was.
With her support and encouragement, recovery has been both rewarding and challenging. I had imagined that sobriety would immediately fix everything, but the truth is that life doesn’t suddenly become easy; it just becomes manageable in new ways.
The biggest challenge has been managing my own expectations, recognizing that sobriety doesn’t erase life’s struggles. Some days, progress feels slow. Other days, I see the growth more clearly.
In many ways, this journey has been “selfish”—requiring deep self-focus and time to heal. But it’s not selfish in a harmful sense; rather, it’s a necessary dedication to becoming someone who can be there for my family, for Dee, and for myself.
One of the most eye-opening moments in my journey was taking the CAGE test. CAGE, which stands for Cutting down, Annoyance by criticism, Guilty feelings, and Eye-openers (drinking first thing in the morning), is a widely used assessment to evaluate problem drinking.
My score was 100 percent, a stark revelation of just how deeply alcohol had controlled me. Each letter represented a painful truth I had been avoiding: my failed attempts to cut down, my irritation with criticism, my guilt, and my dependence on morning drinks just to function.
Taking that test forced me to confront my reality. Though I was physically alive, I was spiritually bankrupt. By accepting rehabilitation, I had chosen to walk toward a new beginning, one that eventually brought me to a profound spiritual awakening.
With the love and support of my family, I discovered three guiding principles that now shape my life: Acceptance of who I am, Responsibility to myself and others, and Productivity (ARP).
Acceptance means learning to face my flaws and strengths honestly. Responsibility is about holding myself accountable, being present, and showing up for those who have stood by me. Productivity allows me to focus my energies positively, turning once-destructive habits into purposeful actions. These principles have grounded me and given me a foundation on which to build a meaningful life.
Dee’s role in my recovery cannot be overstated. She met me at a time when I had lost nearly everything, yet she saw something in me worth saving. Her encouragement, resilience, and faith in my potential gave me the strength to continue, especially on difficult days.
Dee’s family and my family’s unwavering support and belief that I could come back from the depths of addiction have also kept me grounded. Every day, I am grateful for the love and grace they have shown me, even when I didn’t deserve it.
Now, as I approach November 20, 2024, I’m preparing to celebrate a milestone I once thought impossible: five years of sobriety.
Reaching this point feels like an incredible achievement, a testament to resilience, growth, and the love of the people who stood by me. I will be receiving my five-year sobriety medal, a powerful symbol of the journey I’ve walked and the challenges I’ve overcome. But more than the medal, this milestone is a reminder of the life I’ve been given—a life of purpose, clarity, and connection.
To anyone considering sobriety or just beginning this path, my message is to find out where you truly are. Take a good, honest look at your life and what’s driving you. For me, that realization came through the CAGE test, a harsh reality check that made me confront the life I’d been living. I was physically alive but spiritually adrift. Choosing rehabilitation opened a door to a new life filled with peace, clarity, and a kind of spiritual awakening that goes beyond explanation.
Sobriety is a journey—one that isn’t easy but is absolutely worth it. It’s given me back my family, my identity, and a renewed connection to the world. With the ongoing support of my loved ones and the grounding principles I’ve embraced, I’m moving forward one day at a time.
And as I step into this fifth year of sobriety, I am ready to continue this journey, honoring the struggles of the past and embracing the possibilities of the future with gratitude, hope, and unwavering strength.
Now you.
We’d love for you to share in the comments:
Have you experienced a “reality check” moment in your life? What did it reveal to you about the path you were on?
Has someone in your life been a source of strength or encouragement during difficult times? How have they impacted your journey?
What are the guiding principles that help you stay sober? Are there specific values or mantras you lean on when things get tough?
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Such an inspiring, powerful transformation, Chris. Thank you for sharing with us. While reading, I kept thinking about how much more beautiful the world would be if more people (sober or not, in recovery or not) explored and acted from the principles you discuss here, including honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness. Heart-sourced blessings to you!
Thank you Adam