A Kenyan man, Elias Wanderi, has shared painful pictures from his past struggle with alcohol addiction alongside images showing how much his life has changed.
The old photos showed him lying helplessly on the street while drunk. He shared the pictures to remind people that recovery from addiction is possible.
However, some people have advised him to stop posting the throwback pictures because he has now recovered. But Elias believes looking back at his past is an important part of staying sober.
He explained that forgetting the damage alcohol caused him could make him less careful and increase his chances of returning to drinking.
“There are some people who tells me to stop posting this first two pictures because I’m now fine. Addiction doesn’t retire, it waits to return,” he wrote.
He further explained why he continues to share the pictures, saying:
“To make myself clear, remembering how I was during alcoholism is part of my recovery.
“Imagine what would happen if I forget how terrible it was and the suffering I experienced during that time? I won’t see any harm in Alcohol and chances of relapsing will be high.
“They always help me so much and maybe they might be an inspiration to someone else.
“Same person, different times. Recovery is Possible!! I’m still recovering from alcoholism, living a day at a time.”
