Overcoming alcohol, new sober life starts at 59

At age 59, Danielle feels like her whole life is ahead of her. That's because she just celebrated three years sober last month. "Now I love my life. I didn't love it for years. But now I love God, I love my life, I love my job," she says There is a heavy pause. "I used to love alcohol. But I don't anymore."

Danielle grew up in a great family going to church every week. But at age 16, she fell for a man and married him. That's when the party lifestyle began. It lasted for decades. He died and that drove her to drink even more. She tried other treatment programs, but the longest she made it without a drink was three weeks. Desperate for change and a sober life, she came to One Eighty in 2020, at the height of the pandemic. "I felt like this was my last chance to have a life or I was going to die," she explains. Here she discovered the power of healthy relationships and a daily dependence on the Lord. It was what she needed to make lasting change.

After graduating from our residential program in 2021, Danielle moved into a One Eighty Stability home with other graduates. And she went to work for One Eighty, teaching other women in the program how to paint interiors. "It's so easy to fall back in the wrong way and not develop healthy friendships," she says. "The more temptations you have, the harder it is. That's why I'm thankful for my environment."

Danielle says that her new sober life is now full of community, healthy rhythms, and purpose. "When you see God is working in your life, things start getting better - your soul, your mind, your thoughts," she says. And she wants the same for the women she now mentors at work. "I want to see these girls win and thrive. And I tell them, 'This is what God does. He meets you where you are.'"

Thank you for believing with us that it's never too late for people who are enslaved to drugs and alcohol to turn their lives in a new direction. A sober life is possible at any age. We are blessed to walk this journey with you!