MY STORY
Alcohol consumption was a big part of the environment and the culture I grew up in, hence my self-development was detrimentally influenced by it. I was exposed to alcohol from a young age by seeing the people in my life over-consuming it and at the age of 16, during my sophomore year in high school, I drank it for the first time. This was the beginning of a long unhealthy relationship with alcohol causing much internal pain and suffering. It all went unnoticed, and I was in denial of such a reality. Rather than using alcohol to amplify the joy of my experiences, the truth is I always used it to hide my insecurities and act in ways I didn’t have the courage to act in a sober state. At the worst point of this relationship, I got arrested for driving while intoxicated – one the most challenging experiences I have had to face, and at the same time, a pivotal event leading to change and positive transformation in the years that followed.
Getting a DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) on my record was not exactly what I had envisioned for my future at the age of 23. Nonetheless, it’s precisely what had to happen for me to gain awareness, confront my internal issues, and recognize I needed to make a conscious effort to spark a radical change. Facing its consequences for the subsequent 2 years of my life was difficult but also a true blessing in disguise.