Kassi Underwood & Healing from Alcohol Addiction

Those who have battled with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, and have gotten sober despite the obstacles, each have their own unique journey. Substance use disorder (SUD) or an alcohol use disorder (AUD) have a huge impact on the users as well as their families. And although that initial impact may be negative, the positive effects made as a  result of sobriety are forces to be reckoned with. Healing from alcohol addiction is definitely transformative. Kassi Underwood knows how healing can be transformative, and she took some time to discuss the process with AAC.

Kassi Underwood on Healing from Alcohol Addiction

Joy Sutton, hostess of American Addiction Center’s (AAC) new talk show, Addiction Talk, interviewed an amazing individual who has been featured in both The New York Times and Marie Claire in an episode entitled “A Journey of Healing with Kassi Underwood.” Kassi is an author and speaker, and shares her experience of battling addiction, anxiety, and depression and her healing journey towards long-term sobriety.

If you’re facing an addiction and are not sure what you should do, you’re not alone. AAC, a nationwide leader in addiction treatment, provides compassionate care under licensed medical professionals within a supportive environment. If you’re struggling with an addiction to alcohol or drugs, please reach out to get the help that you need.

And be sure to listen to the recording of this moving episode that includes a personal interview with the inspiring Kassi Underwood. Plus, continue to look for announcements to new episodes of Addiction Talk!

The Beginning of an Alcohol Addiction

When asked what age did she start to realize that she had a problem with alcohol, Kassi remained very open and genuine with her response. “Well, I think when I look back, I probably should have realized it with my first drink because I felt like I’d found the secret to life. The first time I took a sip of alcohol, I felt like stars were shooting out of my head and hearts. Like I just felt completely alive. And it was the solution to all of my problems. I literally felt like it fixed me. And I don’t think that that is a normal reaction to taking a drink of alcohol.”

And although Kassi is correct in that most people do not have that reaction to alcohol, her response is very telling about why she was drawn to drink. Drinking was the “solution” to her “problems.” She “felt completely alive.” Kassi said alcohol “fixed” her. Technically, at this point, she didn’t feel she had a problem; she felt she had a solution.

And it wasn’t until she was in college when she realized that she did, indeed, have a problem. “It was literally like I needed it [drinking] the way I needed to take a vitamin or the way I needed to eat my breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”

Kassi Underwood’s Journey to Recovery

Kassi went on to say, “I needed to drink alcohol to deal with my thoughts. And my dad got sober when I was 19, and I got a care package in the mail shortly thereafter. It was the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous. And so, I opened it up. I started relating instantaneously to what I was reading. It was like it glowed for me. So, I’d read it while I was drinking, but I wasn’t ready to get sober yet. I just knew I had a problem.”

Although an individual struggling with an addiction may see that they have a problem and can even appreciate the help that is being offered by their family and friends, if they aren’t ready to take the first step towards sobriety, it makes the road to recovery that much bumpier.

This road to recovery can be riddled with many bumps even if an individual is more than willing to enter treatment. Sobriety is a process. But the journey is more than worth it. And Kassi’s authentic and honest way of sharing this transformation is definitely an episode to watch.

To learn more about Kassi Underwood and her journey of transformation, please watch this recording of Addiction Talk. And if you find yourself battling with substance or alcohol abuse and struggling with co-occurring mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, please reach out for the help that you need today.