The Power of Choosing Recovery: A Father’s Gratitude at 42

My name is Christopher Willars. I’m a person in long-term recovery. I’m also proud to work with Believe Detox Center in Granada Hills, California — a place dedicated to helping people from across the country take that first brave step into sobriety and build a life beyond it.

Today, I travel the country as a motivational speaker, encouraging others to reclaim their lives through recovery. But none of this would be possible if I hadn’t made one life-or-death decision years ago: I chose to survive.

What My Life Would Have Been Without Recovery

As I sit here holding my son — my first child, less than three months old — at the age of 42, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. This moment, this blessing, this life… none of it was guaranteed.

I know — with absolute certainty — that without choosing sobriety, I would not be here today. I would not be a father. I would not be present. I would not be alive.

Before recovery, I was sinking fast. Every morning I woke up drowning in depression. Grief and sadness were constant companions. I felt completely out of control. I remember staring at the bottle, telling myself my family would never forgive me. Recovery wasn’t even on my radar — it was just a distant, impossible thought.

I didn’t know a single person who had successfully stopped drinking or using for good. There were no examples around me. So I had to go find them.

The Moment Everything Changed

The first time I gathered enough courage to walk into a recovery meeting, my life changed forever.

That single step — showing up when I felt broken, ashamed, and hopeless — became the turning point. I met people who were living proof that recovery was possible. They weren’t just surviving; they were thriving. And slowly, I began to believe I could too.

Choices Shape Recovery – And Life

As outlined in this powerful article from Counseling Services of Lancaster, “Choices and Recovery”, every decision we make either moves us closer to freedom or pulls us back into chaos.

I know firsthand what happens when we make the wrong choices and avoid accountability. I also know the life-changing power of making the right ones — even when they feel terrifying.

Recovery isn’t about being perfect. It’s about choosing — again and again — to show up for yourself.

If You’re on the Edge Right Now

If you’re reading this and you’re:

• Still actively using and wondering if change is possible
• Teetering on the edge, unsure if you can take the first step
• Already in recovery but feeling isolated or discouraged

Hear this: You are not alone.

You don’t need to know every answer. You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to take one courageous step — like walking into that first meeting, making that first call, reaching out for help.

That step saved my life. It gave me a future I never thought possible. It gave me my son.

And it can give you yours.

Final Words from a Grateful Father

I chose recovery to survive.
Today, I live to thrive — as a father, a husband, a speaker, and someone who gets to help others find the same hope I once desperately needed.

If you’re ready to choose life, we’re ready to help you take that first step.

Believe Detox Center is here — no judgment, no shame, just real support for real people.

Reach out today. Your future self — and everyone who loves you — is waiting.

Call to Action: What was the moment or decision that changed your recovery journey? Share in the comments — your story could be the encouragement someone needs right now.