Stephanie
On December 21, 2020, Stephanie’s life changed forever. As a nurse living in Wisconsin, she had built a life that looked fine on the outside, but on the inside, alcohol was tearing everything apart. After a DUI, jail time, and missing Christmas with her loved ones, Stephanie knew she had reached a breaking point. If she didn’t stop drinking, she might not survive.
Admitting defeat, surrendering, and asking for help weren’t easy, but those decisions saved her life. Taking that first step into recovery set her on a path she never thought possible. A life beyond her wildest dreams.
From Desperation to Daily Reprieve
When Stephanie chose sobriety, she went all in. She gave the same energy and effort to her recovery as she once did to drinking, and the results have been life-changing. Today, she’s been blessed with no cravings and has been relieved of the obsession with alcohol, but she knows the work is never done.
“I have a daily reprieve, and my rent is due every day,” she says. Just because she doesn’t crave alcohol doesn’t mean she can rest on her laurels. To stay grounded, she starts most mornings with a Zoom 12-step meeting, keeping her mind full of recovery. As long as her thoughts are centered on healing, she knows she’s spiritually fit for the day ahead.
Learning to pause and think before speaking has also been a huge milestone in her journey. It’s a skill that takes consistent effort, but the rewards, peace, clarity, and better relationships, are worth it.
A Rebellious Community of Love
Stephanie knows that recovery is about more than just the days without a drink. It’s about the emotional miles traveled with grace, acceptance, and self-love. And she doesn’t do it alone. She surrounds herself with rebellious, badass people, the kind who push back against the stigma of addiction and embrace love and community.
“Yes, I take my recovery seriously,” she says. “The price it cost me to get here almost cost me my life.” That’s why she’s so passionate about recovering out loud. To show others that they’re not alone and that healing is possible.
For Stephanie, speaking openly about sobriety isn’t about being trendy. “I can’t think of a single person who is speaking up about their sobriety to be cool,” she says. “Anyone talking about sobriety is doing it because they, and their families, have been through hell and back, and they don’t want others to experience the same pain.”
Gratitude and the Gift of Sobriety
Through it all, gratitude has become a guiding principle in her life. Her gratitude list is simple but powerful:
• Waking up sober
• Her supportive community
• The love she gives and receives
• Kindness and joy
• Peace and happiness
• All her basic needs being met
Stephanie knows firsthand that addiction is giving up everything for one thing, while recovery is giving up one thing for everything. She chooses the latter every single day.
“It doesn’t matter how you get sober,” she says. “If it was God, jail, a 12-step program, therapy, or even doing it on your own. If you’re clean and sober today, you’re a rockstar.”
Her message is simple: Sobriety is the best gift anyone can give themselves. No matter how impossible it may seem, there is hope. And for Stephanie, every new clean and sober day is far better than the alternative.
She’s proof that no matter how far you’ve fallen, recovery is possible, and it can lead to a life more beautiful and free than you ever imagined.
Check out Stephanie Instagram HERE!
