Hello World!
Tough times don’t last, tough people do. – Robert Schuller
My name is Ciana ‘Ci’, and I am an alcoholic. I’ve struggled with addiction for most of my life. As a teenager I experimented with drugs and alcohol but was always able to stop using drugs without any significant withdrawals or impact. Alcohol on the other hand, was not so easy.
I’ve maintained sobriety in the past for long periods of time but always given in to ‘one drink’. For those of us suffering from addiction you know that one drink is too many, and one more is never enough. I wanted this time to be different, I needed this time to be different, because no matter how much I lied to myself and tried to lie to everyone else, I could see the effects in every aspect of my life.
So, I went to rehab! I started journaling as part of my daily routine in rehab. I kept thinking about something I heard there that really resonated with me. I watched a recording of Brene Brown who said, “One day you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through, and it will be someone else’s survival guide.” I don’t know if this blog will become someone else’s survival guide or just my journal to reflect back on later, I will be stronger for it either way.
May you be sober and happy always! Ci
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One Day at a Time, Adding Up
09.04.25 Tonight I had dinner with my sobriety sisters to celebrate my sponsor’s sober birthday. Over twenty years of continuous sobriety — what a powerful example of what this program can do when we stay the course. It was the perfect evening for patio dining, laughter, and good company. What struck me most was how
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Meeting After the Meeting
09.03.25 I felt much better at work today. Maybe it’s partly because I know I’m back to just my own department tomorrow, but I also noticed I was getting a better handle on the other department I was covering. Funny how it works—by the time I start to feel comfortable, the coverage is over. Still,
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Not Perfect, But I Made It
09.02.25 Today was a struggle. I told myself over the weekend that I wasn’t going to be perfect in this temporary role, that I’m not an expert in this department and my only job is to show up, assist, and ask for help when I need it. I reminded myself I have resources and co-workers
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No Such Thing as Chance
09.01.25 I’m grateful for the long weekend and for what the labor movement means in this country. The morning started with some deep cleaning, then I let myself rest for most of the day. Later, I stopped in to see my daughter and the grand kitties before heading out to grab a birthday cake for