14 Interviews With People Struggling With Addiction

We have interviewed 14 people who have struggled with addiction. These stories are full of inspiring tips on how to live with and overcome addiction, both from substances and alcohol. Please allow these stories to be a beacon of hope for you, and know that there is always a way out.

Most recent stories of people struggling with addiction

From the C-Suites to the Streets and Back – Overcoming Addiction, Anxiety, Depression and PTSD

From the C-Suites to the Streets and Back – Overcoming Addiction, Anxiety, Depression and PTSD

March 21, 2024
Helped by: Mindfulness, Rehab, Religion, Self-improvement, Social support
How EMDR Therapy Helped Me Navigate Childhood Trauma and Rediscover Myself

How EMDR Therapy Helped Me Navigate Childhood Trauma and Rediscover Myself

March 14, 2024
Helped by: Reinventing yourself, Therapy
Conquering Alcoholism and Hopelessness And Helping Others Do the Same

Conquering Alcoholism and Hopelessness And Helping Others Do the Same

February 29, 2024
Helped by: Exercise, Rehab, Self-improvement, Social support, Therapy

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Are you struggling with addiction?

I’ve interviewed 14 people struggling with addiction, and here are the top 5 most mentioned tips that helped these people overcome
it:

  1. Therapy (7 people helped)
  2. Rehab (6 people helped)
  3. Self-improvement (6 people helped)
  4. Reinventing yourself (6 people helped)
  5. Social support (5 people helped)

In our many years of publishing helpful mental health content, we always received questions from our readers about specific situations. While we have a lot of helpful tips to share on how to be happier, we simply can’t offer advice for every situation.

That’s why I’ve set out to interview folks with every type of mental health struggle. My job as an interviewer is to categorize these interviews and present them in a way that is most helpful to our readers.

Read all the case studies

Scott Lipinoga Featured Image

Case studies

From the C-Suites to the Streets and Back – Overcoming Addiction, Anxiety, Depression and PTSD

“Over the past decade, I have struggled with substance abuse immensely leading to anxiety, depression, and PTSD. After losing thirteen corporate jobs and ending up homeless, beaten up, and absolutely broken on the streets I have finally come to terms with my situation and am finding a path towards long-term sobriety and happiness.”

Struggled with:
Addiction
Anxiety
Depression
PTSD

Helped by:
Mindfulness
Rehab
Religion
Self-improvement

Marci Rossi Featured Image

Case studies

Conquering Alcoholism and Hopelessness And Helping Others Do the Same

“I used alcohol to deal with stress, anxiety, boredom–essentially any negative feeling that I didn’t want to experience. I was also using it to try to generate positive feelings–to celebrate, to have fun, to socialize. Turning to alcohol for so many different reasons made it hard to control. I started by setting rules for myself, like only drinking on the weekends and only after a certain hour. But I consistently broke those rules, so they kept getting looser and looser.”

Struggled with:
Addiction
Anxiety
Depression

Helped by:
Exercise
Rehab
Self-improvement

Therapy

Rachel Miller Featured Image

Case studies

My Journey to Get Back on My Feet After Alcoholism and an Ischemic Stroke

“The dual journey of recovering from a traumatic neurological event while also protecting my sobriety has felt daunting, perilous, and isolating. It felt like I’d been just practicing recovery from alcoholism for the past seven years just so that I’d be ready for the big test this year.”

Struggled with:
Addiction
Depression
Stress
Stroke

Helped by:
Reinventing yourself
Self-Care
Self-improvement

Elijah Meason Featured Image

Case studies

How Accepting Help and Mindfulness Became the Turning Point in My Life

“Drugs and alcohol were common place and I was constantly moving around. That’s not to say that my parents were using in front of me, just that it was fairly obvious as to what was going on. Because of this, I actually grew up attending AA meetings and was introduced to “recovery” pretty early on. Even so, I would go on to spend 16 years in an alcohol and drug-induced nightmare that almost consumed my life. Irony at its finest.”

Struggled with:
Addiction
Childhood
Depression
PTSD

Helped by:
Meditation
Mindfulness
Reinventing yourself
Therapy

MaryAddison Yates Featured Image

Case studies

How the 12-Step Program and Therapy Helped Me Deal With Addiction, Depression & ADHD

“I met my future husband when I was 26 but I never felt truly connected to him. I felt just as invisible to him as I did to everyone else. When we decided we wanted to have children, by some miracle, I was able to abstain from drinking just before and during my pregnancy. I coped by being very controlling, a shopaholic, and a workaholic. The twins were born when I was 31 and postpartum depression led me back to the only solution I thought I had: drinking”

Struggled with:
Addiction
ADHD
Anxiety
Depression
Panic attacks
Suicidal

Helped by:
Rehab
Reinventing yourself
Self-Care

Therapy
Treatment

Jonathan Featured Image 2

Case studies

My Journey From Alcoholism to 1 Year Into Sobriety and Better Mental Health

“Being sober or being ‘okay’ isn’t about becoming perfect. A lot of people expect to look better or earn more or fall in love and so on. Sure, it can happen – but those are not pillars to build yourself on, because they can fade. You need to do an inventory with yourself or a therapist, look into who you are that brings you such shame or guilt, and start confronting that.”

Struggled with:
Addiction
CPTSD
Depression
Eating disorder
Suicidal

Helped by:
Rehab
Reinventing yourself