Guest Contributor – John Shea
A Turbulent Start
My name is John Shea. I was born and raised in New York. My parents divorced before I was born. My mother was an alcoholic who couldn’t always take care of my sister and me, so I bounced around a lot—from house to house and school to school.
I was enrolled in so many schools that I lost count. Because of this instability, I had no childhood friends. I finally settled in one place during my high school years and made good friends. Unfortunately, most of those “friends” are now in prison, still using, or have passed away.
After high school, I left for the United States Air Force, where I became a proud and successful security forces operator. I live by integrity and respect!
A Life of Addiction
I have been down a lot of dark roads, broken many laws, and made countless questionable decisions. All of these things led me to substance use.
Alcohol was my drug of choice, but I never refused anything else offered to me. I never thought I had a problem. Now, I know I did.
The Motorcycle Accident That Changed Everything
In 2015, I was involved in a horrific motorcycle accident. I spent a long time in the hospital—eight days in a coma—and had to learn how to talk again. Even after returning home, my recovery was far from over.
With all the stress from intense therapies and being unable to work, I drank more and more. I was barely sober. Depression set in, leading to multiple stays in different psychiatric wards. I was diagnosed with PTSD. I felt like a lost cause.
I would stay sober for a few weeks, maybe a month or two, but I always went right back to my old habits. It was a tough road. But if you want something badly enough, you won’t let anything stand in your way to get it.
Finding My Path to Sobriety
Along this road to sobriety, I have met a lot of good people. I’ve also gained a few incredible mentors who help me conquer each day of my sober life. I cherish these people deeply and don’t know where I would be without them.
I am proud to be sober!
I always strive to further educate myself. I love being able to pay it forward and help others with what I’ve learned along the way. That feeling you get inside when you help someone? That drives me to be a better person every day.
A New Passion for Life
I absolutely love the high I get from working out—and it’s legal!
I was once told: “The secret to getting things done is to ACT.” The way for us to succeed is to be organized in our thinking and to follow our thoughts with actions.
Thank you for reading this. It is now my time to take action.
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