Sobriety Clocks

We are the CHIC Community, from instagram, the grocery store or next door. We come together to celebrate the ups and downs, when CHIC hits the fan and when all the fabulous things happen. One special sorority in our CHIC Community is our Sober Warriors. This is where we celebrate you!! If you are a Sober Warrior and want to be featured please email info@nataliereddell.com with whatever you want to share, your story, a photo, your name, or just the date you got sober. If it's minutes, hours, days, weeks or years, you matter. You are worth celebrating!! If you would rather not share, guess what, you are still our Sober Warrior and we've got this together!!!! 

Natalie Reddell

"It's a big deal, Mama.” My son, Schuyler, always reminds me how important my sobriety is. He reminds me that getting my A.A. chip is a big deal & that sharing our story of recovery is so important because it can help others with their struggles against addiction.

My recovery is the thing in my life for which I am most proud, but the fact that Sky is proud of me is EVERYTHING.
  

Aimee Pellitteri

I believe in second chances because Recovery has given me a second chance at life, one that has been way better than the first!
“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.” 
- Zen Proverb
  

Stacie Holloway

My sobriety is my proudest accomplishment. I was 25 when I decided that maybe I had a problem not only with alcohol but with drugs.  While most of my friends could go out and have one or two drinks I had many many more and could be gone on a bender for days. My first 12 step meeting was a CA meeting and since then I have attended meeting of all kinds all over the world.  My family was my motivation in the beginning and now it’s all for me.  While most people say they “can’t imagine going back” I say “I can imagine it but it’s not pretty”.  I’ve been sober for more years than not and that’s a huge thing I celebrate everyday.  Be humble, be grateful and be sober. #soberisthenewblack
  

Debbie Matthews

Sobriety literally saved my life and my marriage!
  

Jolene Dyce

  

Liberti Horner

My daughter is a huge part of why I am motivated to stay clean everyday, I am a small town girl, but also I grew up in the hood where most everybody's neighbor was on drugs, my mom was an alcoholic and a crack cocaine user. I grew up watching her smoke drugs, & get so drunk to the point where she was blacked out mostly a lot it was either blacked out drunk, or high on crack. She wasn't there most my whole life my grandmother raised me, she also died 7 years ago from cancer, that's when I went downhill I was a heroin addict for almost 3 years. Then I also have a son who is 4 now I was a heroin addict being pregnant with my son and after my son, then me and my kids father broke up after a co dependent relationship and I went to rehab and got clean.
  

Nicole Vaterlaus

I’m a single mom of the most amazing daughter, Jade. She is the reason I changed my life for the better & she is my courage daily to fight for my sobriety. Thank you my sweetest Baby Llama for being my hope, strength & truest joy. I love you today, tomorrow & always!
  

Mary Brasher

Removing alcohol from my life has been the best decision I have ever made.  It has given me an incredible sense of freedom.  I love that I never HAVE to drink ever again!!
 

Chrissy F

By the grace of God, I have not had a drink since August 25th, 2011! I also love that I don't ever have to drink again if I don't want to! I first got sober 3 months after I turned 21 back in 1990. I stayed sober being very involved in young people activities in AA, camping, conferences, and dances. I stayed sober for 13 years. Then I got a job, and in short, those meetings became much more important than my AA meetings. I slowly got away from the program and having a sponsor... well low and behold... whattaya know, I picked up a drink! I wasn't off to the races right away, it took me a while to get right back to where I was and then some! I was out for research and development (hahaha) for 8 years! Came back when I was double 21! I haven't had a drink since.
  
Kathie
  
Bobbie O'Leary
See these precious faces? My family and grandchildren gave me courage to not only get sober but daily remind me of one of the most important reasons to stay sober. The journey has not always been easy, but every moment it’s been worth it.
  
Bud G
He’s my 93 year old grandfather (as of 2019). He firmly believes that sobriety saved (and prolonged) his life.  He now knows and understands what love actually is.
  
Serena Duncan
I have been sober now for 9 years it will be 10 years July 20th 2020 .. I have to first n for most give god the glory and say thank u to my prayer warrior of a mom who in my darkest hour was always praying for me i was addicted to pain pills and the list goes on and on heroin ect... but here I am today with 3 kids I love with my heart n soul and inspire me to be a better Person and then there is my soul mate who holds me accountable and loves me unconditionally ..."to go be the glory for great things he hath done"
  
Tami H Stevens
This is how long I have been winning my fight against cocaine addiction.  I'm not good with words,  so I'll just leave it at that. 
  
Lisa Rowell

When you hit bottom, the only way left to go is up. I found myself there recently and now it’s time to start the journey back. Already though, I am grateful for a community that will help me heal and grow from the pain of addiction.  I have so many reasons to keep climbing up; three amazing kids, two adorable granddaughters and a man that has my heart. 

I've loved this quote for years and it seems more relevant in my life than ever before. 

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson 

  
Ann
I'm 1 year and 3 months yippee #sobersister! I had 8 years sober then relapsed because of not working my program and my daily work. I went back out for a whole year then it all came to a head and I put down the bottle and I'm clean, sober and working my program daily. Living my best life. Stay strong, always stay close to your squad and always help each other. God Bless. 
  
Hannah Comstock
For a decade I knew I had a problem with Alcohol, and tried every way possible I thought to stop. I went to my first rehab in New York after my DUI, then I went to my second rehab in California about 5 years later, and I went to outpatient rehab after my APC charge. During this time I never had any real sobriety, I just kept thinking if I was a better person I could get over this and not drink.  I lost jobs, homes, friends, and respect. It was not until I was standing on a overpass ready to jump on April 17th 2018 did I realize that if I was going to live I would have to change, become willing to change, and accept that I could not drink ever again. Fortunately for me, I got help, from there I went to a small rehab in Oklahoma. This was the point that I knew it was life or death.  I am so happy that I chose life, because my life has more value then it had ever had before. 
  
Kurt Jacob Miller
  

Sandy Townsend

I started my rounds of ER's, Detoxes and Rehabs due to my alcoholism at the end of 2007. I was in different types of treatment for as few as 5 days and as many as 110 days. I was diagnosed as a late stage alcoholic. My poor Dad, may he RIP, drove me to these treatments centers believing each time was the LAST time, and every time, I truly wanted to be sober.  My mom had gotten sober. She passed, with 20+ years sober, before my alcoholism took me to my depths of despair. Her death from colon cancer,  was one of many catalysts I used to justify my drinking. We sadly, never had a chance to really talk about recovery. I was a workaholic first and didn't take time to understand. I was selfish and self centered to the core, I would find out later through aa.

Thankfully I felt comfortable in aa and was always welcomed back after picking up again and again. Finally on Jan 16 2012 I had had enough and got serious and committed to aa and the 12 steps. Thank God I did at 50 years old.  In December of 2013 Dad succumbed to prostate cancer. He died knowing I was sober. The last thing I said to him was I was going to a meeting and would be right back... I never did leave as he took a turn for the worse and died while I was by his side. I did go to my meeting later that night because I get comfort there. Fast forward my continued sobriety to Jan 2017....Just days before I was to celebrate 5 years of sobriety, (just 2 months after my dog died) I was diagnosed with stage 3c ovarian cancer at 55 yrs old. Somehow, by God's grace, I made it through all the treatment (18 sessions of chemo and full hysterectomy), losing all my hair, and being downright exhausted; without picking up a drink. (I was also extremely vocal to Drs about the pain meds I would ingest). Drugs were not an issue for me but I was taking zero chances with my sobriety. I worked too hard for it! I used all the tools I had learned from aa and the steps and took them with me to fight cancer!

Today I am gratefully still sober and as of my last tests - cancer free! What I have learned so far is no matter what life hands me I don't pick up a drink in any and all circumstances!

 

  
Michelle Ghirelli

Almost five years ago my life was turned upside down and despite not really wanting to at the time I became clean sober. The Promises is Alcoholics Anonymous are a cornerstone of my life. It begins with, “If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through.”  It is a constant reminder that although this journey is often difficult, the results are more than I could ever imagine.

  
Janelle Dalton
  
Kristen Hudson
  
Robin Mckay

I quit drinking for my son.  He was 4 when I quit. I truly believe I gave him and me a better life as a sober Mom. On December 25, 2004 I took my last drink. I can't even believe I will be 15 years sober!!  One thing that keeps me going....if I start drinking today, I will never be 15 years sober again.  If I start...then quit..I won't live long enough to reach 15 years. My goal is to be sober for as many years as I drank and then keep on going. One day at a time.

  
Anxious Annie
  
Caroline
  
Cassie
  
Jennifer Satterwhite
Pills were my drug of choice. My boys remember what I was like when I was high. (I'll never know what that did them.) They also remember going to meetings with me. They saw me fight to get clean & sober. They often say to me, "Stop minimizing how hard it was to do this!" Because they remember.
Picking up my monthly chips was always a big deal to me. However, I missed picking up my one year chip. I was actually in the hospital. I was giving birth to my daughter. She was my miracle "one year chip." Unlike her brothers, she will never know what it's like to live with a mom who's high all the time.  And that? That means everything to me!
  
Jaimee Lambert
Today marks one month of sobriety for me. I hesitated reaching out for the sobriety clock website because my “streak” is so minimal compared to the huge success stories I saw. But today, a whole month, for me it’s huge. Not my longest...that was 123 days but my most successful. And having my kids and husband keep me grounded, accountable, and PRESENT was what finally clicked for me. I always suffered with this alone. Felt embarrassed and ashamed to acknowledge it. I felt as if I would be bringing shame to my family if I said it out loud. Then I realized that keeping it in was making me relapse every time. Apologizing to my kids and husband for drunk me was more freeing than I ever could’ve imagined. So today, I’m choosing to celebrate one month of a new me. 
  
Sarah
Sarah Owen
You mean a lot to me and my sober journey. I got sober one year ago tomorrow, June 14, 2019.  This past week has been emotional for me because I’m just remembering back to the darkness and hopelessness I was in this time last year. I didn’t want to die, but I didn’t care if I lived or not. Alcohol was a prison but I just didn’t know how to get out.

Seeing people like you who are fun, vibrant, and loving life on social media...oh, and btw...you’re a SOBER PERSON...shows people like me that giving up alcohol is not the end of the world, it’s only just the beginning. Through your encouragement, 12-step meetings, and other online supports, I’ve made it through a whole year. As your son says “It’s a big deal!”
  
Heather and Todd
Heather and Todd
This is me, Missmedic534 on Instagram and my husband Todd. We met after we got sober but have worked hard to keep each other going for 20 years. Todd is a firefighter and I am a paramedic. We have 2 amazing kids who keep us honest and laughing. They have become awesome grown ups. Mostly because we never gave up on our sobriety. There were times it would have been super easy to quit but we keep on keeping on. Todd’s sobriety birthday is 03/17/1998 (he loves his Struggle Bus Lady) and my sobriety birthday is 7/22/1998
  
JP
Chic Happens
  
Amy
Amy Farber
Getting sober was the best gift I could ever give myself. It truly keeps getting better and better. Getting sober is freaking HARD, but continuing to drink and wake up with all that guilt and shame is harder. So happy to be off that hamster wheel. Sobriety has given me the life I always wanted. I’m the person that I was meant to be.
  
Leann
We don’t have to travel alone. I couldn’t do it alone. Reaching for help through divine intervention brought me to a life beyond my wildest dreams. Thanks to a twelve step program I get to share my life with a bunch of other folks who are on the same journey. Taking that first step and walking into a meeting of recovery saved my life. Today I choose to live in the solution one day at a time.
  
Jessica Parker
It has been the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I was going through a lot and running from a lot I think. Anyway I'm pretty damn proud of myself as hard as it still is!
  
Christine Harris
  
Cole Churchill Harris
  
Rikki
I spent a lot of time giving myself excuses for my opiate addiction. I blamed my back surgeries, my brain surgery, I even blamed my Chiari Malformation which forced me to live with a migraine for 3 years straight. When I finally came to terms with the fact that I had a problem, I was afraid of the judgement. I still haven't come to terms with the amount of money I wasted over the years.
I broke down and prayed one night, I knew my husband couldn't help me on his own. The next day I found help by accident (or more likely by the grace of God), I came across a website in March of 2020 that allowed me to be honest with doctors about my illegal opiate use. The website sent my message to doctors in my area and the doctors reached out to me to offer help. 
Sobriety during COVID is challenging. There aren't many meetings being offered and it's hard to get an appointment with a doctor but I am seeking therapy for my addiction and to deal with a few experiences that I never quite healed from. 
  
Stephanie L

My recovery is just that! Mine! I No longer compare my insides to anyone’s outsides. My journey didn’t just happen overnight. I fell many times, but finally got up! I was done being sick and tired, of being sick and tired. I no longer have to allow the lie heroin continued to feed me that I needed it to go on! I’m free to be the person I was meant to be! I have left the prison of my hell and freely support, encourage, and offer support to the next suffering addict! I absolutely LOVE my life  and those who support me daily. My life is not perfect, but it’s more manageable SOBER and free! I’m kicking addictions ass one day at a time!!

  
Tabitha Shanley
 
Vicki Brinkhuizen
  
Sara D
  
Angela Waarala
On December 23rd, 2020, I will celebrate 2 years of sobriety! I was sober for 7 years before that. I relapsed over the holidays when life felt too dark. But I survived and recommitted to my life. God didn't leave me so I can't give up.  My miraculous girls and husband give me hope daily. Their love sustains me. I stay sober because my girls deserve a present and loving mom. And I deserve to be free from darkness.
  
Yvonne
I have been alcohol-free since literally 12:01, Jan 1, 2019,  I had always been a very social drinker and would often binge on the weekends. After having my kids, that slowed down to just a few glasses of wine a week. As my kids became older and we grew our social network in our community, we found ourselves at more and more gatherings and my few glasses of wine a week turned into much more than that, much more often. It came to a head New Year's Eve.  I was swept up in the festivities and lost track of how much I had consumed. I completely missed ringing in the new year with my kids because I was....well...I don't remember.  When we returned home, my husband asked me to stay in the car while he got the kids to bed...he didn't want them to see me stumble into the house.  In that moment, my world crashed down on me. I couldn't put my kids to bed. I was being locked in a car because they were scared of my behavior. I totally fell apart. I crawled into the house and tried to communicate these big, confusing emotions with my husband, but nonsense was coming out. He looked at me and said "I don't know who you are right now."  I didn't either.
The next day, I woke up trembling, ashamed and terrified. I sat with my son and hugged him as we talked about it. He said I scared him. I apologized. We cried. I made a promise...to both of us. I repeat that promise every. single. day. 
My mom is an alcoholic. In a way, as I made that promise to my son, I also made it to the little girl that I was once, who desperately pled with her mother to stop but was never heard. I do this for her, I do it for who I am now, and I do it for my sons. My friends would later tell me " it was just one night", "you're being too hard on yourself".. But for me, it was the last night. 
  
Carey Miller
I've been waiting to share my sobriety celebration, because the one thing I am still working on in sobriety is to actually know it's ok to feel proud of myself and to know I am actually doing the right thing!! I was an addict to pain pills and then moved to heroin, it took so many years away from my daughter and I as well as many others hurt along this road of addiction of mine!! I eventually wound up in prison for 58 months and was set free on 10/10/2017 to my new life of sobriety and now after almost 3.6 years I have had my own place I started a cleaning business which is growing and growing, I have met a wonderful man, and have a 2020 SUV that I work hard for!! Some times I have to punch myself to believe that I actually really did this, and it can be done!! Last day of use was 11/23/2013!!
  
Heather Campbell
My sobriety date is 6/6/2020 10:30p.  It was also the first day of the rest of my life.  My alcoholism caused a lot of hurt and suffering around me.  I never want the folks I love to feel that again.  None of the alcohol commercials show the real destruction that goes on behind closed doors.
  
Kari Fox
  
Holly and Rocky McDonald

My sober date is 11/27/2003. Alcohol had been my love for many years and helped me with my anxiety I didn’t know I had. My Nana died in February of that year in my arms while I sang her favorite song. I hit it hard. Didn’t know how to process all the pain. Woke up to a liver that was not really wanting to work for me anymore, I had used her up. Made a deal with God if He got me out of the mess I had made I wouldn't drink again. He did his part and I have done mine.  My Mama come to live with us and seeing me sober made her so proud and the last 15 years of her life were spent with me caring for her and loving every minute of our time together. She also passed in my arms while singing her favorite song. This time I felt "all the things" and I am better for it. My husband Rocky followed me in getting sober April 12, 2006. 2020 has been a bi*** and in April Rocky was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Had he not stopped drinking his liver wouldn’t have been in good enough shape to receive his 20 rounds of chemo and 36 rounds of radiation. BUT, we did it! Completely sober, together and my Darling is cancer free! All the feelings, though some are so hard, are meant to be felt. Rocky and I felt them together and are grateful for every single day, especially being sober while we did it all. It's always there, that little voice telling you just one, but you get stronger and stronger everyday you tell that damn voice to shut the s*** up!

 

 

  
Kim