Topics: Alcohol, Food and Drink, Health
Warning: this article discusses addiction which some readers may find distressing.
A woman has spoke candidly about her severe alcohol dependency and how she managed to turn her life around.
Most shockingly, a former alcoholic has said she went to her first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting when she was just 9-years-old.
40-year-old mom Ashley Carter Cash is essentially unrecognizable after ditching drugs and alcohol and choosing a life of sobriety.
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However, the writer and recovery coach has admitted it was a difficult journey but one she was able to overcome through assistance and determination.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, she offered advice to those struggling with addiction as she reflected on her own struggles.
Cash admitted that she did feel great shame and guilt for the wasted potential but is happy she isn’t in the same place she was while addicted.
She even noted that looking at old pictures she can see the yellowish tint in her skin and is glad she has moved away from it and is sober. Compared to now, her skin is looking healthy and her eyes are no longer puffy.
She has also explained that her upbringing was far from ideal as she had a very chaotic home life, with her father being an alcoholic and her mother being addicted to crack cocaine.
Cash ditched education aged 14 and was ‘homeschooled’ by her mom who was jailed two years later.
Alcohol soon took a grip on her life, and by 25 she was scouting for discarded glasses at last call and at 35 she was secretly drinking in wardrobes after becoming a mother.
Despite numerous setbacks and relapses, noticing the physical impact it was having on her helped her successfully become clean.
She has now shared her personal five-step approach to conquering addiction, dubbed the R-R-R-R-Ready method.
Step 1 asks people struggling with addiction to self-reflect as well as focus on the power to be motivated to get better.
Step 2 is understanding that there are support systems available to aid in your recovery.
Step 3, according to Cash, is realizing the importance of managing stress and tensions in life to prevent relapses and previous drinking patterns.
Step 4 is the focus on ditching old drinking habits and finding other healthy ways to increase dopamine levels.
For Step 5 Cash stated that documenting experiences, both inspiring and embarrassing is a crucial part of the journey to sobriety.
If you've been affected by addiction and want to speak to someone in confidence you can call American Addiction Centers on (888) 830-7624 24 hours, seven days a week, or contact them through their website.
