Sobriety: A Realistic Way of Life for Young Adults

“I was so inspired, because I personally know the owner of the skate apparel company, and a few years ago his life was so different than it is today. The art show came just days after his one year sobriety birthday, and he was able to create and follow through with this project because of his commitment to his sobriety.”

sobriety young adultsLast month I had the opportunity to attend “Gracias Por Nada,” which featured and represented San Fernando Valley skate culture through various art mediums. The show was represented by over 75 local artists who created custom skate decks and other mixed media artworks. 100% of the proceeds from these artists and the event will benefit the creation of the FIRST San Fernando Valley skateboarding non-profit serving at risk youth and 11:11 ACC’s public art and mural efforts.

The show was a collaboration between a San Fernando based skate apparel company, Val Jerks, and a local nonprofit art organization, 11:11 A Creative Collective. The opening was a success with over 500 attendees, and the majority of art sold the first night. When the collaborators were honored by the LA City Councilmember Bob Blumenfeld, I knew I was witnessing something really important for the business owners, the local art community, and the city.

I was so inspired, because I personally know the owner of the skate apparel company, and a few years ago his life was so different than it is today. The art show came just days after his one year sobriety birthday, and he was able to create and follow through with this project because of his commitment to his sobriety.

He has been sober for over a year now and is fully committed to working his 12-step program. I was so impressed with all that he is doing for himself, both personally and professionally, that I wanted our participants at OPI to meet him and hear his story. In a way, the step work he committed to in both the anonymous program and while creating a business, reminded me of the opportunities we offer at OPI. Groups like our Goal Action Workshop, Life Coaching Workshop, and Job Search Support Club provide opportunities to work on individual projects and to be held accountable by our supportive staff.

I was able to gather a few old and new friends that were involved with and/or who attended the opening to share their individual stories about their sobriety, their jobs, their ideas about sober fun, and their lives in general. The Department of Career and Volunteer collaborated with OPI’s Addiction Department, and the turnout was great. Participants had the valuable opportunity to hear stories from people who have a connection to the staff that they see daily as opposed to random people at a meeting.

The purpose of the presentation was to have the participants learn that sobriety is a realistic way of life for many people and how this commitment can positively guide their paths.

Some of the important takeaways were about willingness, the opportunity to make choices, the true relationships/friendships that were being made, the importance of commitment to oneself and others, and the trust that was being rebuilt in each of them.

Since the panel was so successful, the departments have decided to collaborate to do quarterly panels to showcase and highlight different careers and sober fun from real people living these experiences.

At Optimum Performance Institute, we offer compassionate, clinically sophisticated intensive residential help for young adults who suffer from mental health issues and learning disabilities. Rather than a sterile, hospital-like environment, we offer beautiful accommodations in luxury apartments just outside of Los Angeles.  At OPI, we treat the individual, not the diagnosis.  We are a diverse community of passionate, highly skilled individuals working together with you to help you find your joy and express it.   For more information on OPI residential programs and our measures to help young adults with mental health issues and learning disabilities, call us at (818) 879-7724 or click HERE to submit an online form. We’ll be in touch promptly.