THREAD: Today I turned 31 and completed 30 days of sobriety after checking myself into an inpatient residential treatment program late last month.

I am beyond grateful for the support and love from people who supported me during this period, including @maxnesterak and @jpcoolican, my @MNReformer family who not only encouraged me to do this, but held down the fort in my absence.

I learned that admitting one needs help is not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of strength. It wasn't easy to admit I had a problem with alcohol, and it was harder still to take the time to take care of myself, but it was well worth it.

I was able to unplug from the world with limited phone and internet access and simply be, focusing on healing and understanding addiction. I made sober friends. I learned that connection and community are the antidote to addiction.

In the time of covid, community and connection are more important than ever. If you're struggling, wondering if you need help, my DM's are open and I'm here to support anyone finding themselves in a similar place.

My time in residential treatment was eye-opening and showed me that addiction does not discriminate on gender, sex, occupation, income or any other difference. That was a beautiful experience, and one more people should one day know - that we have more in common than not.

I'm returning to work on Monday, but sobriety and my #recovery are priority No. 1. The news will always be there, and I hope to continue using my voice to tell the stories that make sense of this world.

And I'm blond now, lol