Today, recovery looks like freedom.
I am an influential speaker and coach for alcohol and addiction. I believe in meeting myself and people where they are. Follow me into a journey of happiness, and if you need help, allow me to help you find where you fit in your puzzle.
Website: sparklelindsay.com
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Book: Being a Better Me for Me
I have had to fight to take my life back, and in doing so, I found that it is important to enjoy a little bit of sunshine each day. Learn more about her Book.
What was your life like before recovery?
Before recovery, my life felt like I was trapped in a deep, dark cave with no way out. The chaos and constant noise in my mind blurred everything I couldn’t separate what was real from what I was trying to escape.
I was struggling with my mental health, substance use, and autoimmune pain. And yet, most days, I looked like I was living my best life.
From the outside, it seemed like I had it all together. But internally, I felt chaotic, scattered, and overwhelmed. I was constantly masking hiding anything that might expose what I believed was weakness. Smiling when I was breaking and showing up when I was barely holding on.
What happened that made things unmanageable?
There came a point where I couldn’t ignore it anymore.
I experienced a deep trauma something that shook me in a way I wasn’t prepared for. I tried to keep going like nothing had happened. I told myself I was fine and showed up like I was fine.
But I wasn’t.
The weight of it followed me everywhere. The nights became the hardest I was having nightmares, reliving what I hadn’t allowed myself to process.
Instead of slowing down, I tried to outrun it. I used cocaine to stay awake just to avoid closing my eyes and facing what was waiting for me, that’s when it hit me.
I felt like I was screaming as loud as I could in a room full of people, and no one could hear me. Or maybe I didn’t know how to let them.That was the moment I knew something had to change.
What does your life look like now in recovery?
Today, recovery looks like freedom.
It feels like I’ve pulled myself out of the quicksand of my own mind no longer sinking, no longer stuck.
It’s stepping into my power and, for the first time in my life, truly falling in love with myself. Not the version of me I pretended to be, but the real me the one who feels, the one who heals, and the one who no longer has to hide.
What helped you get sober / stay in recovery?
What helped me get here was the willingness to fight for my life.
It was the shadow work the kind where I had to look at myself honestly and call myself out every single day. It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t pretty, but it was necessary.
And I didn’t do it alone.
There were people who held on to me when I wanted to quit people who loved me even when I was difficult to love. They didn’t let me go, even when I was ready to let go of myself.
What would you say to someone struggling?
If you’re struggling right now…Today will never come again. So what are you going to do with it?
This moment right here is the only thing that’s real. Don’t let the opportunity to get to know yourself pass you by because of fear.
Lean into faith, even if it’s small, even if it’s shaky because you’re worth it.
What are you grateful for today?
Today, I am grateful for a second chance to grow forward and fulfill my dreams.
I have so much gratitude to be sober and free to make decisions on my own, to see life through my own lens, and to be creative whenever I choose.
I’m grateful for my family, my health, and life after the trauma. I’m grateful to finally reveal the secrets behind the secrets in my life that need to be released.