There are people who will say I have not been sober long enough to write this book, that I should wait until I have eight years without a drink, or eighteen.
Perhaps they are right. But there is not a magic number of years of sobriety that suddenly confers authority or expertise, or even a guarantee that it will last.
I am not an expert on alcoholism. I do not claim to know all the secrets to getting better, and as you will read, I have learned painful lessons about what is important. I just know what finally worked for me, and that my sobriety, while new, is hard won and my life is so much better for it.
I am not an expert on anxiety, either. But it has been a part of my life since I can remember. In 2013 the National Institute on Mental Health estimated 40 million American adults suffered from anxiety, and that number did not include the many children growing up in its grip, as I did. I am just one of many who struggle, one of the lucky few who finally found a way to not let it run my life. That, too, is a daily battle.
What I do for a living is tell stories… on television. They can be big, sweeping tales of bravery and tragedy or smaller gems about kindness, perseverance, and quiet courage. I am always honored when people share their stories with me, when they trust me with their deepest fears and secrets.
This book is my story. It is personal and it is evolving. I don’t have all the answers, and life didn’t magically get better all of a sudden when I stopped drinking. My anxiety didn’t vanish forever. But it is so much better than it was, and I am grateful to be able to tell the story of how I finally found a place of grace.