Monday, June 14, 2021

[PHOTOSTORY 4: STRUGGLE] A Recovering Alcoholic

By: Alexis Hampton

In the home of Justin Unkel, a book for Alcoholics Anonymous rests on the dining room table. Unkel is a recovering alcoholic, going on 2 years sober.

Unkel's milestone chips are out on display on the dining room table as well. He likes to keep them visible to remind him how far he's come and for the sake of motivation.

The yoga mats rest against the wall by the back door. Unkel says that a big part of staying sober is meditating and setting a routine, of which yoga plays a huge role.

Unkel's dog, Pepsi, runs around the living room freely. Pepsi was a rescue, as a result of Unkel's impulsivity.

Unkel tells the story of how he met his girlfriend. They live together and she fully accepts and supports him in his lifelong journey to recover

Motivational books that help keep Unkel on track are always out in the open. Since, he reads them every day, he doesn't feel it necessary to put them away.

Unkel shows off the projector that he bought on a whim. He struggles with impulse control, but acting before thinking is a coping mechanism that he has acquired to maintain his sobriety.

A ceramic meditation symbol rests on the window sill. Since, meditation is a large part of Unkel's recovery, symbols like this are all over his home.

Unkel's plant hangs near his other meditation symbols. Becoming a plant dad helps shift his focus and keeps him in a routine.

Another meditation symbol rests near the living area. Unkel's girlfriend likes "hippy stuff and positive vibes," so their home is littered with items like this.

Unkel is showing off his girlfriend's blanket, another item that showcases her love of "hippy" things. This blanket is one of his favorite comfort items.

Unkel addresses his dog and his need for a haircut. Taking care of Pepsi provides a sense of responsibility on Unkel's life, which he didn't have while during his addiction.

Unkel grabs his journal to write out his progress for the day. Journaling is an important part of his healing process.

Here, Unkel shows some of his journal pages that he and his girlfriend work on together. This particular page highlights how they plan to implement meditative practices in their everyday life.

Unkel shows his Longhorn's logo tattoo. Unkel worked at Longhorn's and got the tattoo to convince his boss not to fire him when he messed up on the job.

Unkel disposes of his insulin needle into this container. Unkel is a diabetic, so taking insulin is sometimes a struggle, as he used to use needles during his addiction.

Unkel shows off another impulse buy, a 70 inch flat screen TV. Unkel told a story about how his father bought a 75 inch TV as soon as he found out, just to one up him.

Unkel shows a picture of him with his father. Unkel says that he and his father are just alike.

Unkel shows another picture of him with his father when he was younger. He mentioned that his father also struggled with alcoholism, as it is hereditary.

Finally, Unkel heads off to his Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. He attends the meetings almost everyday.


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