Dima W: My Story of Recovery

Hi my name is Dima and I was at Choice House from August to the end of November, 2017. When I arrived at Choice House in Boulder, CO I had come directly from a 90-day treatment center in Florida and this was my first-time taking recovery seriously. Upon arrival I was greeted by the staff and was welcomed by Jordan. Nerves were high being that I had never been through an aftercare program such as Choice House before, but I felt welcomed and fully supported from the start.

There are a lot of things that I learned at Choice house that I still incorporate in my recovery and life today.

The first one being, take a deep breath and relax. The first two weeks I was expected to wake up at 8 and go to a morning meditation to start my day off on a good foot. For the days that I actually woke up, the meditation was helpful. As I look back on that experience today I realize that I have continued to wake up early. Not only does it help me stay in a positive routine, but it also keeps me productive and feeling good about myself at the end of the day.

The second one being maintaining a job. When I entered choice house I had never had a job other than working at a summer camp. I had never had a resume, never conducted an interview and never truly learned the value of a dollar. I was a very privileged child but I was forced to go out and get a job. Personally, I failed at this task. I bounced around from job to job and eventually gave up. It was terrible for my recovery but I was always able to come back to a group session and talk about it and get the support that I needed at the time.

The third thing is Accountability. When I was at Choice House I was always responsible for showing up, whether it be for group, one on ones with my therapist, or meetings… I had to show up. This helped me get involved with Boulder AA and the recovery scene in Colorado.

I am very grateful for the time I spent at Choice House and in the long run it has taught me how to live sober and happy. Today I am a full-time student again after taking a year off to focus on my recovery, I have a good relationship with my family, and am able to socialize without the pressures of drugs and alcohol. Choice house engrained me with a work ethic and a way of life that I will never forget and always stay by in order to maintain recovery.