I know you have worked hard to right you wrongs, to better yourself and hope for new beginnings, you more than likely did this on your own. You took the initiative to help yourself when no one was there to help you.. for that I commend you you are so incredibly strong! You have been clean and sober for more than 90+ days despite all the temptations that sneak through the cracks in the system.

The outside world can be a hard new reality for you.. I wish I could warn you that a lot has changed since that night long ago. You will have so many barriers to overcome while maintaining your sobriety. You will have a false sense of security while living in a halfway house with peers that may or may not be looking for that new beginning.

There is a whole digital age that have developed around you and it will take you time to catch up to some of this new things.. Plastic cards for banking, Computers and cellphones just to name a few. You are bright and I know you will catch on.. It will give you the access to a wealth of new information.

You will use these tools to find some great job opportunities to buy your basic necessities and I know you are so excited. What you don’t understand, there is a community out there that judge your past and you will struggle to land and/or keep you new great job. Reality of this great new opportunity will start to sink in.. you may start thinking about old habits to help you cope..stay strong and look for that person you can trust.

I know you will try very hard and realize the resources are thin but, you can do it, you made it this far. I am saddened for you and hate to tell you, that those old habits will cause you to “slip”, you will sneak by the first time. You are going to march on, head high and keep looking for new associations. You will continue to try and regain sobriety and find your place in society. You will try and mend family relationships with little success.

Your anxiety will try to get the best of you, and that is normal. You have been institutionalized and are not used to normal conversations any longer.. Please try and stay on track.. I know it is going to be so difficult to not return to coping with drugs to keep numb. Don’t be that statistic! I know it is a lot of pressure.. That urinalysis will take you back within your first 30 days.. they will be watching … You won’t see it coming, you will come back to the house and you will be cuffed… and thrown back in the squad car.. your mind will race.. all you wanted was to try and cope, have a new beginning…. you will question everything and await your faith once again.

I do not wish any of this on you.. you are better than all of this. I hope that you will be that 1% that finds the services to help and you are able to work and survive these new challenges.

I am here to give you a head up, it will be so so difficult but you always remember you have overcome so much and survived worse. You can do this!