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

  • Sober Birthday Fun!

    1.25.25 At Friday night’s alumni meeting, there was another sign. The topic was “How to Have Sober Fun,” and we reflected on our state of mind when checking in to rehab. Most of us had long forgotten how to have fun, let alone how to have fun and stay sober at the same time. Sadly,

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  • The Gift Of Desperation

    1.24.25 Lots of people talk about the gift of desperation in addiction but I didn’t understand how desperation could be considered a gift. Having a daily phone call with my sponsor this first week has been great. We don’t talk for long, just check in and wish each other a good day. She answers any

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  • Don’t Fuck With Terentia

    1.23.25 When I hear anyone talk about spirit animals or guardian animals, my first thought is ‘make believe’. Last week Lady J asked me if a situation I described made me angry. Without thinking I responded that I don’t get angry. She wanted to dig deeper into this because she likes to get inside my

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  • WE Serenity Prayer

    1.22.25 Grant US the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things WE can, and the wisdom to know the difference. The Serenity Prayer feels even more powerful in the WE version. The fellowship in my program is what keeps me coming back. I was powerless over alcohol and

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