I’m Stacia, an artist and mom out of the NH Lakes Region. In late 2020, a box of wine that was leftover from a family function started my journey into alcohol abuse. At first, it began as an early afternoon glass of wine. But then I chased a buzz. And before I knew it, I was taking early morning shots to relieve hangover symptoms- but then chasing the buzz all day long with more alcohol. I would hide the empty bottles (or the ones in progress) from my husband at the time. I was self medicating myself as a way to escape from the reality of being in a financially and emotionally abusive situation on top of struggling with some health issues that made me drop an extreme amount of weight and hair (140 pounds to date). He would return home to find me covered in bruises (from falls) and would inquire about them. However, I would be so far gone in the buzz that I would have no recollection of what had happened. The worst part of my story is that I was a stay at home mom for my beautiful daughter, who was witnessing her mom’s self destructive behavior. In March of 2021, I got sober by being brought unwillingly to a rehab doctor. My initial visit clocked my BAC at .28 ! However, I didn’t quit the work it took to get sober. My sobriety journey found a relapse in January of 2022 when I finally made the decision to leave my abusive (soon to be) ex husband. It was actually a positive thing for me, a reminder of how HORRIBLE I had felt while drinking and that it was MEEEE that wanted sobriety- no one else. I have been sharing my journey through my IG as an effort to hold myself accountable and to articulate to others the thoughts/struggles of someone in recovery.