Milwaukee South News

Aaron's story: Support, skills, and resolve. One man's journey to sobriety

"I drank a lot in high school and college and throughout my 20s. After I got married, my wife and I drank too much. When she passed away of withdrawals in 2021, I didn’t handle that well. I relapsed and went to rehab several times. Last year, I embarked on a mission to put everything back together again, as much as I could. I can’t replace time or my former wife, but I can make sure everything goes the way it’s supposed to go, and that’s fueled by being sober.  February 7, 2023, marked 400 days sober for me. That first year of sobriety was difficult to achieve. People must know there is hope and strength in connection.  

At Rogers, I found the support, skills, and resolve to address my addiction head on. I learned a lot through cognitive behavior therapy and dialectical behavior therapy that I continue to use. The counselors actually do care, and the entire treatment team showed a lot of empathy. Many of us use substances because we need an escape from being there for everyone else. We just need someone there for us.  

Once I got sober, the anxiety I used to feel left and I’m very thankful for that. I'm grateful that Rogers helped me clean my mind so I can enjoy life again."

Original source can be found here.