Albert is a 41-year-old male Caucasian. He has battled with substance abuse (mainly methamphetamine and heroin) since high school, but has been clean for 5 years now. He has a 7-year-old son with his girlfriend, a 28-year-old Caucasian female. He currently works as a merchandiser for PepsiCo.

Did you tend to choose your substance over your family?
I did, I did. I brought a lot of pain to my family over the years and manipulated my mother from the rest of my family. My mother contributed a lot to my drug use by providing for me financially. She was in denial with my problem and loved me unconditionally. I was burning through any money I could squeak out of her.

While around your family, were you under the influence or use the substance in their presence?
I never used in front of them, but there were countless times that I was under the influence in front of them.

Did your family play the defining role in your decision to become sober?
My son was my focal reason for getting clean. I had gone through rehab twice before, but I wasn’t completely committed to it. I finally realized that I was responsible for more than myself, and wouldn’t be able to be a good father with the lifestyle I was living. When a person is ready, that’s when they can get the help they need.

Was your family supportive during your recovery process?
Yes, my sister and brother-in-law played a major role in my recovery. My sister made all the arrangements and planned out my rehab. My mother helped out with my son and helped provide a stable home environment while I was in treatment.

Bobby is a52 year-old Asian American male who has battled alcoholism throughout his adolescence up until he was 40. He has been sober for 15 years and is married and has one son who is 23. Bobby owns his own barbershop and has been successful since his sobriety.

Did you tend to choose your substance over your family?
Yes, unfortunately I did. When I was younger, I was living with my wife at the time and chose to drink at the bars rather than being home. My addiction to alcohol influenced me to spend more time at bars than at home or with my family. My addiction also made me broke and alone as it continued.

While around your family, were you under the influence or use the substance in their presence?
I was generally always under the influence around my family. Whether it was family events or coming home from a bar, I always drank in their presence.

Did your family play the defining role in your decision to become sober?
My family did play a role in my decision to become sober. I abandoned my family and friends because I chose alcohol over them on numerous occasions. One day I had a long talk with my mother and father and after our conversation I signed myself up for Alcoholics Anonymous.

Was your family supportive during your recovery process?
After my decision, my family was what kept me going. Without them, I don’t believe I could have made it through these 15 years of being sober. I now have a child of my own and I am married, and they are my motivation to stay sober for the rest of my life.

Similarities: There were many similarities between the two recovering substance abusers. Both Albert and Bobby chose their addiction over their families. After talking to my partner about his interview, we both found that our interviewees had some form of regret during this first question. We both explained how the emotions were high after Albert and Bobby answered the first question. This may be because of their similarities of how their families played a defining role in their decisions to become sober.

Differences: In our two interviews, there was only one major difference. We found that Albert, who had a more severe substance abuse problem, did not use his drug of choice in front of his family. Bobby explained how he was constantly under the influence and would drink in front of his family on a regular basis.

FCS