That “Married Couple…”
Ashley is 34 years old and lives in North Carolina with her husband, Roger, and their four children. Roger and Ashley have been married for 13 years; Roger is a firefighter, and Ashley is a stay-at-home mom. A typical day for Ashley consists of homeschooling her two oldest sons and chasing around her two very active toddlers. Somehow, she finds time to do 1:1 coaching sessions, writes for her blog, and is an active member of the IG sober community.
In August of 2020, Ashley unexpectedly lost her father. She created her blog as a way of coping with his passing. Not long after she launched her blog, she wrote about her unique journey from addiction to recovery. Ashley and Roger took the term “couples in recovery” and completely flipped the script. After two years of marriage, Roger had to have minor dental surgery. It was ultimately the catalyst of the couples’ introduction into the world of opioids. Ashley and Roger fell into a downward spiral that progressed rapidly. Eight years of lying, hiding, and manipulating others because of their addiction, finally came to a halt in November 2018. The couple came clean and agreed to go to rehab- but they had one request.
This husband and wife (married ten years at the time) insisted on attending rehab together. They didn’t care about the statistics or opinions of others. Ashley described their reason for wanting to recover together as “We started this shit together…and we are going to end it, together.” And that is precisely what they did.
Twenty-eight days in rehab together taught them many things, including the negative stigma surrounding “couples in recovery.” People would say, “it just isn’t possible, it’s not the right way to get clean, and the reoccurring “you will only bring each other down.” After coming home, the couple started to attend local NA meetings. Unfortunately, they only heard opinions that echoed the ones heard in rehab. How did they respond? Ashley and Roger stopped going to meetings, purchased a copy of the {NA} book and workbook, and began therapy- together and separate. They created a recovery plan tailored to their needs as a couple and individuals with different thoughts, emotions, and opinions.
In November of 2021, Ashley and Roger celebrated THEIR third year of sobriety. Ashley decided to become more involved with the coaching side of recovery, for…you guessed it, couples! She welcomes partners, spouses, families, and anyone who wants to get sober with a loved one or help a loved one get sober.
You can read a more in-depth version of their experience in rehab by visiting Ashley’s personal blog at herwritetoreign.com
In closing, I would like to clarify that I am in no way against AA or NA. Without any doubt, I know those programs have saved and will continue to save many lives. Meetings and step work are perfect solutions for many recovering addicts. I have no hard feelings or grudge against either of the programs, and I would encourage anyone to give it a try! Recovery is not about being right or wrong or casting judgment on alternative methods. Recovery is about you- and being content and comfortable with your plan.
If you would like to learn more or set up a consultation with Ashley- head over to the “coaching” page!
