Recover Loudly: Letting God Use Your Sobriety Story to Help Others

For the longest time, I wanted to hide my past. I didn’t want anyone to know about my drinking, my rehab stint, my failures. I was deeply ashamed of who I had been, and I figured the best way to move forward was to never speak of it again.

I thought, if I just stay quiet, if I just start over, maybe I can pretend none of it ever happened.

But here’s the thing—staying silent doesn’t help anyone, especially not me.

Running From the Past

When I first got sober, I ran. Literally. I moved four hours away from where all my worst drunken moments had happened. I didn’t want anyone in my new town to know I had a past. My husband even helped me find AA meetings in other towns so no one would recognize me.

We avoided social events where questions might come up. When people asked where my car was, I’d lie and say it was in the shop—when in reality, I had two DUIs and a revoked license.

Looking back, I realize that even though I had stopped drinking, I was still acting like an alcoholic—just without the alcohol. I was still hiding, lying, avoiding, and carrying shame like a weight on my back.

Owning My Story

Slowly, though, I started getting comfortable with recovery. I kept going to meetings, I kept seeing my therapist, and I kept praying to God.

And then my mom got sick, and I had to go back to the scene of the crime—the place where everyone knew the old, drunk version of me. People stared, whispered, and asked questions. And I had two choices:

1. Lie and say I was still drinking. (Which didn’t seem like a great idea.)
2. Tell the truth—that I was sober, working my recovery, and dragging myself out of the hole I had dug.

At first, it was terrifying. But after telling my story a few times, I got more comfortable. Then I started sharing more. I began embracing my recovery, instead of running from it.

Recovery Is Meant to Be Shared

Now, I choose to recover loudly. I don’t hide it anymore—I own it.

I go to meetings in my own town.
I’ve given talks at church to other women.
I started Grit and Grace to share my story and break the stigma of addiction.
I reach out to new people in recovery because I know what it’s like to be scared and lost.
I put my 3-year sobriety anniversary on Facebook for the world to see.

Because here’s the truth: our stories matter.

God didn’t pull me out of addiction so I could keep quiet about it. He brought me through the darkness so I could help others find the light.

Secrets Keep Us Sick—Sharing Sets Us Free

For years, I buried my pain. I stuffed it down, ignored it, numbed it with alcohol, and pretended I was fine. But that’s what got me in trouble in the first place.

Hiding my story only kept me trapped in shame and fear. But sharing it? That’s where healing happens.

I’ve had so many people tell me, “Thank God, I thought you were perfect!” And honestly, that cracks me up. Perfect? Not even close. But I am honest. And I am free.

Recovery isn’t just about staying sober. It’s about using what we’ve been through to help others.

So if you’re in recovery, don’t be afraid to share your story. Speak up. Let God use your journey to inspire someone else. You never know who needs to hear that there is hope, that change is possible, that sobriety is worth it.

Recover loudly—because someone out there needs to hear that they’re not alone.