From Service to Sobriety: How Writing for Veterans in Recovery Helped Me Heal

Serving in the U.S. Navy allowed me to have and learn from a plethora of lived experiences. Two of the most influential were camaraderie and unspoken relatability.

The same can be said for the experiences felt in the recovery community. Though I’ve chosen this path for over a decade, it was only two years ago that I first received the chance to work with both the military and recovery communities as a professional.

A Familiar Sense of Camaraderie

In the fall of 2021, I came across a job announcement from a philanthropy-focused company, Dooner Ventures, to serve as a freelance writer for a project geared toward active duty military and veterans. The particulars entailed writing daily meditations of such persons in recovery from substance use disorder. With excitement, I applied for the temporary position and was soon contacted for an interview. During our engaging interaction, the interviewers shared the opportunity was a collaborative effort with Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. They soon asked me to serve as a freelance writer, a facilitator of the one-on-one discussions, and a contributor sharing my story in recovery.

Enthusiastically, I agreed.

Over the next few months, I felt every emotion under the moon. I laughed. I cried. I identified with service members I never met in person. The opportunity brought unspeakable joy to listen to their inspirational stories of hope amid hopelessness and triumph in the face of adversity.

 An excerpt from Leave No One Behind from yours truly. 

The profound opportunity also allowed me to step outside my comfort zone and share parts of my journey I hadn't fully or freely shared with others outside my close circle.

Without a doubt, the project included an amazing team effort with individuals from diverse backgrounds, long hours of writing, and daily reflection — which resulted in a beautifully crafted and encouraging product. It challenges individuals to continue to help a community fighting invisible battles of stigma beyond the field, air, and sea.

To commemorate Independence Day, the book was published by Hazelden Publishing on the 4th of July 2022.

These people are in a class of their own—they know what they experienced, they know how their recovery has been affected by their service, they know how to help themselves...and they know how to help each other. — Hazelden Publishing

Though the date serves its own significance for many, I’m a firm believer it also represents a different kind of independence for the people in recovery that served and continue to serve in the military.

Do you know a military service member or veteran in or considering recovery? Gift them Leave No One Behind for encouragement in their journey.

Until next time … Joyous Journey.

Ciao for now,

Elora