Acceptance, Courage, and Wisdom
by Matt M What did I use to be like, what happened, and what it’s like now? Every story has a beginning and mine starts with a 14 or 15 year-old mother and a 21 year-old father. I can’t get into full details because I don’t know them. I was a few weeks premature and […]
Staff Spotlight: Logan Chamberlin
Logan Chamberlin, LMHC, CRRA, Clinical Director I have worked at Turning Point for 12 years. I am an alumni myself from Turning Point of Tampa, completing residential and IOP treatment 14 years ago. I was hired as a house manager on my two-year sober anniversary and the rest is history! I believe I have had […]
Staff Spotlight: Jennifer Flansburg
Jennifer Flansburg Client Coordinator I have worked at TPOT for almost a year and a half. I attended my first AA meeting a little over 4 and a half years ago and made the HUGE mistake of comparing myself to everyone else. I did not look for similarities, only differences and as a result, I […]
I “get to” Live a Life Beyond my Wildest Dreams
My Life in early recovery was not a cake walk in any sense of the word. I made mistake after mistake and felt so much internal pain, however the amount of pain I was going through at this point in my life was nothing compared to the pain I had experienced in active addiction. The […]
A Broken Chain in a Beautiful Brain
by Andy H. Visions of violence, pain and suffering. Voices of fear, doubt, anxiety, and torture. Thousands of men, women, and children losing their lives for one more euphoric release, not knowing it will be the last. Addicted. I need it for my peace, I need it for my comfort, I need it for silence. […]
Destined to Die by James R.
When I started using and drinking, I had no idea the path I was on. All I knew at that point in my life was pain and suffering. I grew up in an abusive household in poverty and both of my parents were addicts, prioritizing their addiction over caring for their children. There were nights […]
My Life and My Recovery
by Victor K. I was born in Phoenix, Arizona as an only child with two loving parents. My parents were quite wealthy, so growing up I would get many toys and gifts on Christmas and my birthday. That being said, I had a very good childhood, and I got along with my friends and did […]
The Road to Capitol Hill
By Ashely N I grew up in a very small town, so small it isn’t even a town, it’s a Junction. The only things around of note were two churches, a gas station, a post office and a volunteer fire department. There were no traffic lights, only stop signs and railroad crossings. I don’t think […]
No reservations by Greg H.
Looking back over the last 5 years of sobriety, I asked myself: What is the main reason that I have been able to maintain my sobriety, be present and experience the promises? My experience is that I always came into the program to get over a lost job, probation or some other situation that was […]
Whether Called or Not God is Present
by Jeffrey I One of the gifts of sobriety is handling life when it throws you a curve ball and last year it sure did. Thank God I have a program. I was sentenced to 18 months in prison with a year of sobriety to clear the wreckage of my past. I am currently in the process […]
I Needed to Change Everything
by Sam F. I had every reason in the world to stop using and drinking, but never cared enough to ever do anything about it. To me, I was the main character, I was invincible, and nobody could tell me otherwise. Since I was 17, I had been in and out of treatment centers, mental […]
Overcoming Fear by John F.
Since I can remember, I always had addictive tendencies. Anything I could do to take my mind off how I felt, or what I was thinking, I would do in excess. I was never comfortable in my own skin, I always lived in fear and from an early age, I knew there was something different […]
The First Step, by Jenn F.
At my first AA meeting, I decided I wasn’t an alcoholic. You see, I compared myself to every person who shared. I listened to people talking about DUI’s, losing their spouse over their addiction, losing jobs, going to jail…none of that had happened to me, YET. Sure, I’d driven drunk, woken up in places I didn’t […]
A Better Understanding by Aaron M.
In my active addiction I thought I knew everything. I had all the right answers, I knew what everyone was thinking, I knew how everyone was feeling and most importantly I knew best. I would never take anyone’s advice or heed any warning signs that my life was unmanageable. Any outsider looking in at my […]
Finding Purpose by Evelyn T.
Looking back on my drinking days, there are several things that I was missing that kept me where I was. In my self-reliance I was missing God, true connectivity with others, the ability to follow through, self-love and respect, and ultimately my purpose for being. Without purpose, what was the point following through? Without purpose, […]
Attitude of Gratitude by Mark F.
I’ve worked at Turning Point of Tampa for 16 years as a behavioral health tech. I have spent probably ten or more holidays with our clients. It truly is amazing to be around people who not only are newly clean and sober, but grateful to be where they are. We normally have a big Thanksgiving […]
Where It All Started by Ashley N.
I moved back to the area where I grew up at the beginning of the pandemic. I got clean in Tampa and my homegroup had been in Tampa for the last 15 years, so moving away from my support network was a bit scary. I had attended meetings in my hometown’s area many times in […]
Life’s Balancing Act by Landon L.
Balance is defined as a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions. If you would have told me 5 years ago, that some of my closet friends would say my life is well balanced, I would’ve laughed in your face. In my addiction my life thrived on extremes. It was […]
Searching for a Connection by Dave E
Because I Have 6 siblings, I sometimes hear “it should be easy to connect with others.” Well, that has not been my experience. Despite being surrounded by friends, neighbors, a big family etc., I often felt alone. It seemed to me that I just did not fit in with “normal” people. Fear had me in […]
We Do Recover by Rachel L
“If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are halfway through.” ~ Alcoholics Anonymous p. 83-84 Thinking back on my time in treatment, it was the first time that I truly felt that I belonged. I had always felt alone – like I was experiencing life in […]
Having Fun in Recovery by Landon L
My definition of fun, now that I am in recovery, is completely different than when I was using. When I was using I was staying up late, going to bars and clubs, and not remembering the night before. That was my idea of fun. Truthfully, it was not. Eventually my using became less social, less […]
Keep Coming Back by Mark F
When I first came into treatment back in 2004, my therapist had me read ACCEPTANCE is the Answer in the Big Book. After reading it I really did not understand how that pertained to me, but as part of my assignment he had me read it over and over again. I finally came to realize […]
When Life on Life’s Terms just became Life by Evelyn T.
Looking back to my years in early recovery, I remember that everything was a big deal, whether the situation was positive or negative. Something as simple as making a dentist appointment was a huge feat, and something that I felt like shouting from the mountain tops, thinking that I would get high praise for doing […]
Changed by the 12 Steps By Sarah C.
I had no idea what to expect when I started my journey into recovery. Before coming to treatment, I’d never attended a 12-step meeting, had never seen the 12 steps and had no idea what a sponsor was. My first meeting was like being in a whole new world. It was overwhelming, the concepts and […]
