Scarlett Chesser

  January 12, 2023 166 days I didn't know what "true love" was, until I went through an extreme transformation of the soul.  Prior to sobriety, I was so self-consumed and selfish, that my heart just didn't beat for much, other than my daughter or alcohol. Prior to sobriety, I cared, I had emotions, I worried, but understanding love at a deeper level, just became so surreal when I stopped drinking. "True love" has many facets, and I strongly feel we love at a multitude of levels, in a variety of ways, for many different people.  Today, I wanted to focus on the love I have for my husband, and how my relationship has been transformed by giving up alcohol.  James just celebrated his 45th birthday!  He deserves some attention! He has truly stood by me in the darkest of times, and it takes a virtual saint to withstand the mental (and sometimes physical) abuse that an alcoholic or addict can project.  I was reunited with James in 2012, many years after we attended...

  December 16, 2022 139 days In the past week, I have experienced a range of feelings and emotions.  I was excited to have the opportunity to attend another wedding sober, and I was able to go to our Annual Indian River County Cattlemen's Association Christmas Party and Auction clear headed. As the Big Book describes on page 340, "Alcohol had enslaved me." In the past, it was difficult for me to fathom going anywhere without drinking first.  Especially towards the end of my demise, I needed a drink to just about leave the house and attend any social event. Anxiety, in general, is a huge trigger for me.  Social anxiety, especially, is a huge trigger for me.  I felt like I just couldn't handle the pressure of social events, without taking that first sip.  The problem for me, is, that the first sip always turned into a night long binger and the ramifications of that became more and more apparent.  Last Saturday, James, Reina, and I headed out of town to O...