Sunset Addiction & Mental Health Recovery

01/08/2026

Sunset Reflection 🌅 | Addiction & the Mental Battle of Being Traded

Being traded can feel a lot like early recovery.
One day, everything familiar is gone. Your people, your routine, your sense of control. You’re told to “be grateful” for the opportunity, while inside you’re battling fear, anger, and loss.

For someone living with addiction or in recovery, that sudden change can wake old coping patterns. The urge to numb. The urge to escape. The voice that says you’re disposable, replaceable, not enough.

But sunsets remind us of this truth: endings don’t mean failure. They mean transition. The real work happens in the quiet moments, choosing not to run back to what once comforted but harmed you. Choosing to sit with the discomfort. Choosing support over silence.

Being traded tests your mental wellness the same way recovery does:
Can you stay grounded when your identity is shaken?
Can you ask for help when pride tells you not to?
Can you believe you still matter, even when the uniform changes?

The sun sets… not to disappear, but to rise somewhere new. 🌅

01/07/2026

Nature Heals What Words Sometimes Can’t 🌅

Recovery isn’t just about stopping something it’s about starting some new things

Out in nature, the noise fades.
The nervous system slows.
Breathing becomes easier.
Thoughts settle.

A quiet lake at sunrise, boots on a forest trail, a campfire at dusk, these moments remind us that we’re part of something bigger, something steady, something patient.

Nature teaches recovery the same way it teaches life:

☆Progress, not perfection

☆Seasons of rest and growth

☆Storms pass

Roots grow deeper when tested

For many on the journey of addiction recovery and mental wellness, time outdoors restores balance where chaos once lived. It offers space to reflect, strength to rebuild, and hope to continue; one step, one breath, one sunset at a time.

At Sunset Addiction & Mental Health Recovery, we believe healing happens both inside and outside. Connection, support, and the natural world work together to remind us who we are and who we can become.

If you’re struggling, you’re not alone.
If you’re healing, keep going.
If you’re ready, we’re here.

🌲🌅 One day at a time. One sunset at a time.

Connect with us today.

Sunset Addiction & Mental Health Recovery

01/05/2026

What does it take to get started on the recovery process?

It doesn’t take perfection.
It doesn’t take willpower you don’t have yet.
It doesn’t take knowing all the answers.

Recovery starts with one honest moment, the moment you admit something needs to change.

It takes:
• Willingness to ask for help
• Courage to be uncomfortable
• Openness to support instead of silence
• A decision to try one more time

You don’t have to hit rock bottom.
You don’t have to do it alone.
You don’t have to have it all figured out today.

At Sunset Recovery, we meet you where you are, whether that’s curious, uncertain, struggling, or ready to act.

One conversation can change everything.
One step is enough to begin.

When you’re ready, we’re here. 🌅

01/02/2026

Thinking about making a change in your relationship with alcohol, substance use, or gambling?

If you’re even asking the question, you’re already taking the first step.

There is no better time than now to invest in yourself and your well-being. Sunset Addiction and Mental Health Recovery is now accepting participants for 10 sessions of Peer Support Services, rooted in lived experience, understanding, and practical support.

Peer support isn’t about judgment or labels, it’s about connection, accountability, and learning tools that actually work in real life. You’ll be supported by someone who has walked a similar path and understands the challenges of change.

You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to be willing to start.

Change begins with one decision. Take that step today.
Sunset Addiction & Mental Health Recovery

01/01/2026

January 1st

Dear Me,

Today I pause, not to rush ahead, not to prove anything, but to honor you.

Twelve years sober.
After decades of chaos, destruction, burned bridges, broken promises, and surviving things you never thought you would. This day matters. You matter.

I know where you came from. I remember the nights filled with shame, fear, and self-loathing. The mornings where you swore it would be different, while secretly wondering if you were even capable of change. I remember how heavy life felt when you were running from yourself, numbing pain you didn’t yet have words for.

And still; you stayed.

You stayed when leaving would’ve been easier.
You stayed when the cravings screamed.
You stayed when the guilt tried to convince you that you didn’t deserve a better life.

You learned how to sit with discomfort instead of escaping it.
You learned how to feel again, joy, grief, love, anger, without destroying yourself in the process.
You learned that strength isn’t loud or dramatic; it’s quiet, consistent, and often invisible.

Twelve years ago, you didn’t get sober because you were confident.
You got sober because you were desperate, and brave enough to ask for help.

Since then, you’ve rebuilt a life with honesty, humility, and purpose. You’ve turned pain into service, scars into wisdom, and survival into leadership. You’ve shown up for others in ways you once needed someone to show up for you.

You are not defined by your worst years.
You are defined by your decision to change.

So today, I thank you:

For choosing life.

For choosing accountability.

For choosing growth, even when it hurt.

For becoming someone you can respect.

This journey was never about perfection. It was about progress, integrity, and staying true to the work, one day at a time.

I am proud of you. I trust you. And I am deeply grateful that you didn’t give up.

Here’s to twelve years of sobriety. Here’s to the man you’ve become. And here’s to the quiet promise you keep every single day—to keep going.

With gratitude and respect,

Me.

12/31/2025

As we reflect on 2025, we recognize a year filled with growth, hard conversations, resilience, and hope.
We showed up in communities, rinks, classrooms, and quiet moments where people needed support the most.

2025 reminded us that recovery isn’t about perfection, it’s about commitment, connection, and continuing to move forward.

As we step into 2026, our commitment is simple and strong:
to do better, reach farther, and support more people on their journey toward wellness, stability, and purpose.

Now (And always) accepting Peers for:
• Peer Support
• Player Assistance Strategies

If you or someone you care about is ready to take the next step, we’re here.

Here’s to a stronger 2026, together. 🌅

12/24/2025

From us to you.
Have a Merry Christmas 🎅 🎄

12/22/2025

The holidays can be beautiful… and they can be heavy.

For some, this season is filled with joy, family, and celebration.
For others, it brings loneliness, grief, cravings, memories, or the quiet weight of simply trying to get through the day.

At Sunset Recovery, we want you to know this:
You are not weak for struggling.
You are not broken for feeling conflicted.
And you are not alone.

Recovery doesn’t pause for the holidays and neither does support. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do this season is show up, ask for help, set a boundary, or choose rest over expectation.

If you’re in recovery: we see your strength.
If you’re struggling: there is hope.
If you’re supporting someone else: thank you for being a light.

May this season remind us that healing doesn’t need perfection, just connection, compassion, and one honest step at a time.

From all of us at Sunset Recovery, we’re wishing you peace, warmth, and the reminder that brighter days are always ahead. 🌅

12/20/2025

Is your child (17–30) struggling with alcohol/substances or gambling?

The holidays can shine a light on battles we don’t always talk about, but there is hope.

This Christmas, give the gift of support, safety, and a fresh start.

Sunset Recovery is here to help young adults find their footing, rebuild their confidence, and move toward a healthier life.

You don’t have to wait for rock bottom.
You don’t have to do it alone.

Reach out today. A gift of life can start with a single message Sunset Addiction & Mental Health Recovery

12/19/2025

Christmas can be one of the hardest seasons in recovery, more expectations, more emotions, more triggers. Getting through it isn’t about perfection, it’s about protection and intention. Here are practical, recovery-centered ways to navigate the holidays:

1. Plan before you participate
Don’t “wing it.”
Decide which events you’ll attend and which you won’t
Set arrival and exit times
Arrange your own transportation so you can leave if needed
A plan reduces pressure and panic.

2. Have a clear “why”
Remind yourself why you’re in recovery:
Your health
Your family
Your future
Your peace
Write it down. Read it daily. Especially before gatherings.

3. Bring your own safety
That might look like:
A trusted support person you can text or call
A non-alcoholic drink in your hand at all times
A grounding tool (breathing, prayer, mantra, walk outside)
You don’t owe anyone an explanation.

4. Practice simple boundaries
You don’t need a speech. Try:
“I’m good, thanks.”
“I’m driving.”
“I’m focusing on my health right now.”
Boundaries aren’t rude, they’re self-respect.

5. Limit exposure, not connection
You can still:
Show up briefly
Focus on kids, food, games, or conversations away from substances
Leave early and still feel proud
Connection doesn’t require self-harm.

6. Stick to recovery routines
Holidays don’t cancel recovery:
Attend meetings
Check in with peers
Journal daily
Keep sleep and nutrition steady
Structure = stability.

7. Expect emotions; don’t judge them
Grief, loneliness, anger, joy, it can all show up. Feelings are not failures.
Sit with them, talk about them, move through them.

8. Redefine what “celebration” means
Recovery teaches us:
Peace > partying
Presence > performance
Meaning > masking
A quiet Christmas can be a powerful one.

9. Have an exit plan for cravings
If urges hit:
Step outside
Call someone
Leave; no explanations
Remind yourself: cravings pass, consequences don’t

10. Celebrate the win
Getting through the holidays sober is a victory. Even if it’s messy.
Even if it’s emotional.
Even if it looks different than others
You’re not “missing out.”
You’re choosing yourself.

12/17/2025

Thank you

Abakar Kazbekov came to Canada hoping to find a better life for his family through hockey when he was just 15.

He died by su***de three years later, while playing for the London Knights.

I wrote about his life and the search for answers after his death.

His story highlights questions about the pressure Junior hockey players face, the isolation of international players, and the mental health support provided by major junior hockey teams for their players.

(Link in bio.)

12/17/2025

December 17, 2022 won't be forgotten for my entire life.
The phone call.
The denial
The shock
The sadness
The drive home.

Abakar Kazbekov was just a kid living out a dream. He was an incredible friend, an unreal teammate and one hell of a human.

Su***de doesn't discriminate, it doesn't care if you play hockey for the London Knights or any team for that matter. The ripples effect people for generations, the memories never fade, and the hope that it will never happen again is at the forefront.

While I was incredibly grateful to support the Knights after Abby's su***de, there is so much more to be done.

I've moved on from the Knights, they didnt replace me. They are a team now with no mental health support. Hockey business is wild that way. And although I'm on to bigger and better things(ask me), I'm still grateful for my time, space, championships, road wins and home losses with the Knights.

I would give all those experiences back for 1 more day with Abby here.

Talk to your Athletes, remind them Hockey is just a game, if you're not having fun, talk to someone, if you're struggling away from the rink, talk to someone. We don't need more super stars, we need more stars that are great humans.

ForEver Abby
AK15 🪽