{SRI}JITA CHATTOPADHYAY

"I stay active in my recovery by giving back daily to others. Helping others find their worth and discover the promises of recovery helps me to continue to grow in my own recovery,"

"I am grateful to be alive today. For so long, I was just surviving but not really living. Addiction was the equivalent of living in the dark. I yearned to feel the sun on my face. That’s what recovery feels like… like being able to finally feel the sun on your skin. Recovery drives out the darkness and gives room for your soul to heal. I am light (being in recovery.) And I get to share that light with others. I see it on my children’s faces when they light up with a smile,"

Jessica Mae Harris | 13 months and 1 week | Mcarthur, Ohio

"For the longest time, I thought it was too late and would always use that excuse to not get clean.

Since I made the choice to get sober, I am the happiest I have ever been. 

Blessings after blessings. 

And I have bad days sometimes but my worst day sober is better than my best day using. 

Everything doesn't come together all at once. It takes time to repair the damage we have done. 

Be patient because it only gets better. And remember peace feels like boredom to those who grew up in chaos. So if you get bored just think about how crazy life once was. 

Today, I am grateful for my peace,"

Sara Allbaugh | 9 months in recovery | Vinton, Ohio

Recovery has brought me so much in the past 7 years, and for that I am GRATEFUL. Gratitude comes in many forms to me today! I get the opportunity to be a loving Husband; a father who is present; a son who is more of a help than a hindrance; a brother, and an uncle who can be there when needed; and a productive community member. Recovery has allowed me to show other people in my community that there is HOPE and brighter days to come. My hope for other people who are struggling with addiction is that they are presented the opportunities as I in order to find recovery. The thoughts of being alone and Hopeless are GONE! Replaced with fulfillment and hope! The disease of addiction is nasty, but recovery is beautiful. And beautiful it shall remain. THE LIE IS DEAD; WE DO RECOVER,"

"My name is Rhonda, and I am 38 years old. I have been clean since November 9, 2018. 

I have been an addict since 13 years old. After being told multiple times that I was never going to change and that I would never quit using drugs, I started to believe that an addict was just who I was. 

I lost everything and everyone and eventually ended up in jail. I was lost, scared and broken. But in that brokenness, I found God. I surrendered my will and my life over to his care. He had to set me down to show me who I was, and he did for me what I couldn't do for myself. He helped me turn my life around, and everything the enemy has stolen, he has replaced a 1000x over. 

Today, I am not only clean and sober but healed. Today, I love my life, and the person I have grown to be, and these are just some of the promises,"

Rhonda Johnson | 3 years and 4 months in recovery | Vinton, Ohio 

"I want to contribute to giving a voice to recovery because change is possible. 

No one is “too far gone.” I genuinely believe that no amount of overbearing shame or guilt can force someone into recovery. 

It was ultimately my choice to get better. However, without the people that gave me hope and believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself, I might not be here today. We are not our sins or mistakes. We must own up to them and then be allowed or allow ourselves to grow and move on in love. 

One can never know when their kindness can tip the scales in favor of positivity promoting change in others,"

Elizabeth Simon | 1.5 years in recovery | Vinton, Ohio

“Hello, my name is Andrea and I am an addict...” It took me a long time to admit these words out loud. I had to hit rock bottom before I was ready. When I was in active addiction I didn't realize I was hurting my family, friends, and loved ones. I only thought I was hurting myself. I spent most days angry and depressed. Instead of talking about my emotions I just wanted to numb all feelings away. Then one day I had enough. I was sick and tired of being homeless, not being able to see my kids, and literally feeling like I was going to die. I went to treatment and the most amazing thing started to happen. I began to heal.

"I owe my recovery to those that opened their mind to a thief, and a drug addict. They acknowledged the possibility that without chemical alteration, I could be extraordinarily changed and could be what I thought I didn't have the moral capacity to be. I am a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, and a public servant. I don't want to be so fixed on my own personal cause that I fail to open my mind to the perspective of those who allowed me to change. They inspire me, and they make me proud of humanity. The best part of my recovery is that I can't take credit for it. My husband, my children, my parents, and those in NA and AA have helped me heal the damage of my recent past. I am blessed that I have the capability to change and that people who love me have allowed me to do so,"

"I am so grateful for the growth and strength I have gained throughout my sobriety. I used to only have the hope that I could change, heal and grow... And now I know and believe we all can.