‘Some people are lost in their fires, others are forged in them!’

This is one of the positive affirmations that flashes across the screen once you take the pledge to remain alcohol free by hitting a button on I Am Sober. 

The app, which has become essential to my recovery, allows you to track your sobriety, build positive habits and connect with other members of the community. 

As someone who has been sober for just over three years, I find the way I’m helped to celebrate milestones incredibly empowering.

The app prompts you to post a photo and text marking your sobriety, which others can comment on, and it’s uplifting knowing you aren’t alone. 

I started experimenting with drugs and alcohol at age 15, when I lived at home in Canada. 

Struggles with trauma and depression have been with me since early childhood as a victim of sexual violence. At first, I coped through self-neglect but later, this became substance abuse

Now 31, and living in Berlin, I have come a long way since the incident in late 2019 that inspired me to get sober.

At that time, still living in Canada, I was regularly drinking alone at home in my room, sometimes downing an entire bottle of wine in a single sitting. 

While out with friends, I could drink six beers in the span of an hour or two. 

This was the only way to alleviate my constantly debilitating anxiety.

On Christmas Eve of 2019, a fight broke out when an outsider was invited to our family meal and began to cause trouble. 

The person in question was intoxicated.

Several people tried to intervene, including myself, my brother and father. 

I was shoved face first into the concrete driveway outside, resulting in a bruise across my chin and left cheek, my brother received a black eye, and worst of all, my father ended up in the hospital with a brain bleed, requiring 16 stitches. 

Amid the chaos, we were just thankful no one died, but given the scale of the violence involved, I was shaken to the core. 

I felt like I’d had a truly close encounter with death.

I woke up on Christmas Day with the sudden realisation that if I did not quit drinking, I would die, either in a tragic accident or at my own hands. 

I never wanted to experience a situation like this again without the clarity of sobriety. 

Nor did I want my being intoxicated to endanger my life.

Having feared I would die, I found a new reverence for life, and this gave me the resolve to go cold turkey and commit to an alcohol-free existence, once and for all. 

Armed with the knowledge in the app, I’ve been saving money and accomplishing things I never dreamed possible

A sudden love for my own life washed over me on that Christmas morning. Something shifted inside, letting me know I was worthy of getting better. 

The first thing I told my parents was that I was tired of hurting myself and seeing people I loved get hurt. Things needed to change.

Over the next week, I researched books, communities and websites. 

I was desperate for anything that could assist my journey, joining Facebook groups and cruising through forums dedicated to sobriety. 

I read about non-alcoholic alternatives for social gatherings and how to turn down booze when offered, as I was all too aware of the pressure to drink at events. 

In my search, I came across I Am Sober. 

I downloaded the app and played with it for a while, seeing what resources were available and what others had been saying. 

Eventually, after a few days, I made my own post in the community section, sharing a photo of my bruised face with a description of what had happened, and talking about my desperation to get better.

I started taking the daily pledge, which encouraged me to stay strong and soldier on. 

This helped me stay consistent and mindful about the direction of my life. 

I read the stories of others, finding out my struggles with trauma and depression were a common theme among many people struggling with substance abuse. 

In the weeks that followed, I kept posting, reading and commenting, celebrating one week, three weeks and eventually, one month.

Every time I made a post and celebrated a milestone, I felt encouraged to move forward, feeling that camaraderie with others who were experiencing their own small achievements alongside me.

Then, the pandemic began. 

By March 2020, as restrictions took hold, I was struggling to keep myself grounded and stable. 

At the time, I was living thousands of miles away from my family. 

This, coupled with lockdown, left me feeling isolated, lonely and depressed. I couldn’t easily see a loved one or access in-person support. With few options at my disposal, and mindful that I was determined to remain alcohol-free, I clung to virtual connection.

I Am Sober provided me with a lifeline when I desperately needed it. 

With this app, I made it through the pandemic without a drop of alcohol – not least because hearing the stories of others reminded me I wasn’t the only person feeling the way I did. 

It hasn’t been easy – I had to figure out how to be alone with myself, and as the world began to open up, I had to learn how to socialise without alcohol. 

Throughout the entire journey, I had to take responsibility for myself and my actions. I had to grow up, evolve and become a better human being.

Now, I don’t even think about booze anymore

The way I move through the world has changed. Armed with the knowledge in the app, I’ve been saving money and accomplishing things I never dreamed possible.

In fact, I just celebrated three years without alcohol. 

I’ve made enough progress that I don’t use the app as frequently as I once did, during the difficult days of the pandemic. 

But like the best support networks, I know it is always there for me, letting me check in and track my milestones from time to time as a reminder of how far I’ve come. 

To know that there’s such a support network there, just on my phone, is such a relief.

Today, I feel confident in my alcohol-free journey and like I am capable of tackling any obstacle that comes my way, no matter how large.

The Tech I Can’t Live Without

Welcome to The Tech I Can’t Live Without, Metro.co.uk’s new weekly series where readers share the bit of kit that has proved indispensable for them.

From gadgets to software, apps to websites,  you’ll read about all manner of innovations that people truly rely on.If you have a bit of tech you can’t live without, email [email protected] to take part in the series

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