From Party Girl to Passion and Purpose: A Journey Through Addiction, Sobriety, and Holistic Healing

Freedom Date: June 1, 2017

What It Was Like

For years, I thought I was a functional party girl.

I never thought of myself as someone who had a problem. It honestly never crossed my mind because partying was the norm in my world.

I worked in ski towns in the restaurant and bar industry and later for an airline where partying was part of the culture. I was technically a professional partier.

In those environments, drinking after a shift, going out late, and partying with coworkers was part of the lifestyle. I was surrounded by people doing the same things, so I never questioned whether I had a problem.

I compared myself to the people around me and used them as my reference point. If I was not partying as hard as they were, I convinced myself I was okay. I thought I had everyone else fooled, except myself.

I grew up in Utah as a fourth-generation Japanese American. I often felt different from the culture around me, being a minority surrounded by beautiful blonde-haired, blue-eyed people and not belonging to the predominant religion. I learned to adapt, fit in, and search for connection wherever I could find it, carrying a deep desire for belonging and acceptance.

I was a competitive dancer and struggled with self-esteem and the need to be thin. I used uppers because they gave me the energy to work out 24/7 and helped me suppress my appetite.

The truth is, I loved drugs more than I loved drinking.

In recovery meetings, I introduce myself as an alcoholic/addict. I know myself well enough to understand that one drink could lead to a phone call for drugs.

A surfing accident changed my life forever. On Friday, December 13, 2013, I was hit by another surfer in the water and knocked unconscious. I was pulled from the ocean with a traumatic brain injury and a ruptured eardrum. The injury left me struggling both mentally and physically. My memory, thought process, hearing, and vision were affected, while my senses of smell, taste, and touch became heightened.

I experienced a level of depression I had never known before and reached a point where I experienced suicidal ideation. I was struggling to understand what was happening in my mind and body, and I was searching for answers.

As my brain began to heal, my perspective on life changed. For the first time, I slowed down enough to appreciate the present moment and reconnect with my mind, body, and spirit.

The medications I was given after my injury made me sicker. I felt like they were masking my symptoms instead of getting to the root cause of what was happening in my body.

That experience changed the way I viewed health. I began exploring Ayurveda, yoga, mindfulness, and holistic healing as I searched for a deeper understanding of the connection between the mind, body, and spirit.

The irony was that I was learning about healing while still using psychedelics and plant medicines with the other hippies.

What Happened

After my dad passed away, everything changed.

I was no longer just partying socially. I was self-medicating solo while trying to numb grief I did not know how to process.

My rock bottom came when I was lying on my parents’ living room floor in the fetal position. I looked up and saw my friends and family around me, laughing at me and telling me I needed help.

At that point, I already knew.

So I did what any good addict would do. I decided to have one last experience. I took a bunch of psychedelics while repeating the mantra, “This is my first and my last time in rehab.”

By that point, I was ready.

I had already been to the hospital because my fingers and toes had been numb for so long from nitrous oxide. It took a couple of weeks before I even realized I had injured my ankle and knee. I had become so disconnected from my body that I did not recognize how much damage I had done.

When I walked through the doors of rehab, I was ready for a different life.

I checked myself into rehab for 45 days.

On June 1, 2017, I chose sobriety.

What It’s Like Now

While I was in rehab, I started realizing how much of life I had missed. I had not participated sober in simple things like playing pool, golf or darts since I was a kid. For the first time in a long time, I was learning how to have fun, connect with people, and experience life without substances.

Rehab was the gas that got me moving forward. It gave me the foundation, tools, and support I needed to begin my recovery journey.

AA became the oil change that helps me maintain my recovery. Just like a car needs regular maintenance to keep running, I need to continue doing the work. Meetings, community, sponsorship, and service help me stay spiritually, mentally, and emotionally healthy.

For years, I thought I was depressed and had psychiatric disorders. Through recovery, I realized those symptoms were onset by my substance use.

Today, I live with a level of gratitude I never knew was possible. I am grateful for my recovery, my family and friends who loved me enough to tell me the truth when I needed to hear it, and my AA network that gave me community, support, and accountability throughout my journey.

Sobriety gave me everything back. It gave me the ability to think more clearly, respond more rationally, recognize patterns, and build healthier relationships.

Sobriety also taught me the importance of boundaries. I became more vigilant about the people, places, and things I surround myself with because I understand how deeply my environment influences my healing and growth.

Even after getting sober, I knew there was something more. I wanted to continue growing, healing, and discovering how to fully transform my life. I wanted to level up my recovery by addressing the mind, body, and spirit connection.

I continued investing in my personal development and attended Tony Robbins events, where I gained new tools for mindset, growth, and creating the life I wanted to build.

My recovery journey brought me back to the holistic practices that first sparked my curiosity after my surfing accident. I continued studying Ayurveda, yoga, mindfulness, and trauma-informed healing, eventually turning my own experiences into a path of service.

Recovery gave me my purpose and passion to help others find healing so they do not have to suffer like I once did.

I became an Ayurvedic Health Coach, earned my RYT-200 through Sivananda Yoga, completed Yoga of Trauma Therapy training, became a Level 2 Reiki practitioner and Deeksha facilitator, and graduated as a Substance Use Disorder Counselor (SUDC).

I specialize in holistic mental health and wellness, integrating Eastern and Western approaches to support the connection between mind and body. Through personalized wellness plans, I help clients create sustainable lifestyle changes through Ayurvedic health consultations, recovery lifestyle coaching, sobriety support, nutrition guidance, herbal support, digestive health education, mindfulness practices, and holistic wellness strategies.

I combine my lived experience in addiction recovery with my professional training to support others through recovery coaching and holistic wellness. Holistic healing gave me the tools to rebuild my own life and the passion to help others find their own path toward healing and lasting transformation.

If you are ready to level up your recovery and create lasting transformation, learn more at InspireJewel.com

Follow my journey @InspireJewelWellness