It may appear that you have it all as Billy Murphy did. He was a former basketball player at Lafayette College, had a good job, friends, and a supportive family. Billy Murphy is an example of someone who did not let alcohol ruin his life and became an inspiration for others.
The Start of Addiction
During his senior year of college, Murphy realized his alcohol consumption was going too far during the last season of basketball. He was surrounded by students who wanted to celebrate graduation. He felt like alcohol should not be a problem for him despite the fact that alcoholism ran in the family. It was not until Murphy started working that he realized his drinking habits did not just occur on the weekends, but on weekdays as well. He realized he was drinking every day.
Becoming Sober
It took Murphy eight months to realize that sobriety was the best choice for him. While he was struggling to stay sober at first, he spoke to a work mentor that made him understand he was making the right decision. His mentor told Murphy that he had a bright future ahead and would make a great salesman if he let go of his drinking. Murphy knew he was not going to reach his potential and be his best at work if he was hungover all the time. He spoke to his mom about his alcoholism and asked a friend to help him connect with someone he knew who was in recovery. On August 28, 2018, Murphy promised that he would never take a sip of alcohol again.
Staying Sober
Murphy had a good support group with Alcoholics Anonymous as well as a great sponsor. He speaks about what it is like not to drink anymore and how tough it is to come to the decision of sobriety. Murphy wants to change the stigma of A.A. as he feels it allows you to have a new perspective. He was able to see how lucky he was that he never got arrested or pulled over for drinking compared to others in the fellowship. Murphy goes to A.A. one to three times a week. Murphy’s advice is to look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if drinking is making you a better or worse person. If you are asking that question a lot, it is time to reach out and seek help.
Located in Georgetown, Texas, Alma Loma is a transformative living center to help those struggling in early recovery to transition out of our Psychiatric and Substance Abuse residential center. Alma Loma believes that addiction is born from an untreated mental illness in which our facility is here to help you. Our facility offers residency, medication management education, individualized treatment, life skills education, 12-step support, and more tools to bring patients the confidence to be able to live an independent life. For more information, please call us at 866-457-3843.
