Jodi’s Story

“There is no coincidence that I was asked to write a testimonial about my recovery journey. Throughout my journey, beginning in the summer of 2011, one thing I always took away from the detoxes, rehabs, residences, PHPs, IOPs, and OPs was that I needed to remain open, willing, and honest. I have experienced long-term sobriety. I have also experienced relapses with progressive consequences.

As a child, I was quiet and isolated a lot. This pattern of being quiet and isolated would become the theme of my life until I met alcohol in September of 1995. Drinking allowed me to be social, laugh, smile, talk to guys, and become someone different from the quiet isolator I had always been.

Fast forward to 2005, when I met my husband and experienced a major life change. Suddenly, I had a new house, new job, new life, no money, no friends, and no family nearby. I was lost and returned to being the quiet isolator I knew all too well. This was when drinking truly took over my life. I was hiding bottles and lying to everyone I knew about what was really going on. My health became an issue, and I started having alcohol withdrawal seizures in 2009. Finally, in the summer of 2011, I was officially caught. I could not hide it anymore. I entered my first rehab that summer.

I continued to work hard and follow suggestions. AA became my life. The promises came true, and I was happy, joyous, and free.

In 2013, I had my son, and in 2015, I had my daughter and lost my father. Meetings slowly started to take a back seat. In the summer of 2024, I picked up a drink again, and it took over my life within weeks. Every time I picked up a drink, I would not stop until I ended up in the hospital because of a seizure. It felt never-ending, and I did not know how to stop.

On January 8, 2026, I was at the lowest point of my life. My kids were coming home to a passed-out mother. Some power greater than myself gave me a brief moment of clarity. My husband made the call, and within hours I was in a hospital bed medically detoxing.

January 9, 2026, was my first day without a drink, and I fully surrendered. After detoxing for a few days, I was transported to BOCA Residence in Massachusetts. There was something different about this place compared to all the others I had attended. Maybe it was because I was finally done, or maybe it was because of the amazing people I spoke with—or perhaps it was both.

As I write this today, I have 121 days of true sobriety. Working a program and taking the suggestions. I am making progress.

Moving forward, I have decided to take early retirement from teaching. I want to help others the way others have helped me. I want to share my experience, strength, and hope while also hearing the experiences, strength, and hope of others.

In closing, I wish nothing but happiness for everyone in this world. There is a solution. In order to embrace the solution, we must be open, willing, and honest. Just for today, I remain open, willing, and honest.

Thank you, Jodi B.”