In college, Kenny Dunn started drinking with his friends as many university students do. Only instead of drinking more responsibly over time, he developed a full-blown addiction.
By 2016, he realized he needed to get help, so he started working through a 12-step recovery program. To hold himself accountable, he decided to document his sobriety journey through pictures, and his four-year transformation is incredible to see!
The first picture was taken 24 hours after he hit his personal rock bottom, having consumed 19 beers over the course of just three hours.
Looking back on that day, Kenny said, “I didn’t care whether I lived or died. I’d look in the mirror and just wish I wasn’t a drunk. I felt very alone because I felt like nobody understood what I was going through.”
Despite the crushing disappointment he felt about himself, Kenny didn’t give up. Instead, he reached out to a friend for help. She picked him up and took him to his first AA meeting, and he has been documenting his sobriety ever since.
In addition to cutting alcohol out of his life, Kenny also completely changed his diet and dedicated himself to working out regularly. His philosophy is that sobriety was only the start of his story. The way he lives out his life is the rest of it!
These days, he said that first photo is a reminder of how far he’s come and what’s at stake.
“I like to look at that person in the 24-hour photo, because that was the person that I saw every day,” he explained.
The dad does have some words of wisdom for people who are just starting out on their road to recovery:
If you are a person who is struggling with addiction, the best advice I can give you is to reach out for help. I could never have taken my first step in sobriety, let alone come this far if I hadn’t reached out for help.
What a powerful reminder that we can turn our lives around, even when everything seems hopeless. You can follow his continuing journey on Instagram or listen to his podcast, “What’s Next? Evolving in Recovery.”
Be sure to share this story with your friends to encourage them.
Want to be happier in just 5 minutes a day? Sign up for Morning Smile and join over 455,000+ people who start each day with good news.