Reel by Brad
Brad@honestlybrad There was a point in my life when I think most people had accepted that I wasn’t going to make it. And I understood why. By the time I landed back in detox after that third relapse, I weighed around 120 pounds and could barely function. I had nothing impressive to offer the world. And maybe that’s why I’ll never forget a housekeeping employee treating me with kindness. Because when you’re carrying enough shame, eventually you stop seeing yourself as a person who made terrible decisions and start believing you’re simply a terrible person. Sometimes it takes one human being treating you like you’re still worth saving to remind you that maybe you are. But here’s the part about changing your life that I think we romanticize: The beginning usually doesn’t look very impressive. Mine looked like barely walking up a hill to a bed. It looked like sitting silently on a couch because I didn’t have the strength to talk. It looked like forcing myself to eat one thing. Then doing it again tomorrow. Eventually it looked like opening a book. Asking questions. Listening to people who knew more than me. Doing things I didn’t necessarily understand because the way I had been doing things clearly wasn’t working. Little by little, those tiny decisions started becoming a life. I didn't walk out of treatment six months later with everything repaired. There were consequences I still had to face, relationships that needed time, trust that had to be earned, and a whole lot of growing left to do. But I walked out with something I hadn't had in a very long time: Hope. That’s why I tell these stories. Maybe addiction isn’t your story. Maybe you’re rebuilding after a failure, a loss, a mistake, a broken relationship, or just a period of your life you’re deeply ashamed of. You don't need everybody to believe in your comeback before you begin it. And you don't have to fix your entire life today. Eat the meal. Make the phone call. Ask for help. Seven years ago, there were plenty of reasons to believe I was finished. I wasn't. And if you're still here, neither are you. #sobriety #recovery #hope #storytime
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@thebostonbuckeye64 As someone who has had addicts in my life...the lessons i had to learn is addict is still a person. They deserve my compassion. I can have boundries and still have compassion. Their disease is not about me so stop thinking they'd get sober if they loved me. Im nobodies God. Thanks for sharing!
@a.j.notari Thanks for your honesty and vulnerability.
@denistram Thank you for sharing these episodes. You are an amazing young man.
@irishmel21 Thank you for your honesty and your openness. Congrats to you on doing the necessary work!
@eireheather_ I don’t have words for this so I’m just gonna say: ❤️🩹 we see you. We’re with you. 🙏🏻
@mlguilmette 🫶🏼
@dave.rowell.carpenter You are not alone, we all have our struggles .
@wperry0224 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
@caesarsaladin I’m glad you’re still here.
@colleen46n3 Incredible story @honestlybrad! Your honesty, courage and commitment are so powerful! Keep sharing your story and your light. It’s a great way of life 🫶🙏🏻❤️
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@aswedishphish @honestlybrad thank you for sharing your story. many people i knew and loved are no longer here; physically or cognitively. i’m happy really that you’re still here and alive, as we all are here 🫶
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@tonipicerno ❤️❤️
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@nattingley 💙
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@kmac7155 Progress not perfection ❤️
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@anthony.delvec ❤️🙌🔥🔥