Columbus Celebrates Addiction Recovery

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Columbus, Miss. (WCBI) — The month of September is recognized as National Recovery Month and the 3rd annual Recovery Month Block Party in Columbus gave those who have defeated the disease known to many as addiction a chance to celebrate their achievement.

Family and friends spent Saturday having fun and enjoying each other’s company.

But for many, Saturday was a celebration.

Like for Keunece “Keke” Carstafhnur.

“It is absolutely, positively, changed my life, I could not be happier…”, said the New Orleans native, “…there’s nothing, there’s no way I could ever repay this gift to the people that helped me get to where I am today.”

But for Carstafhnur, a recovering alcoholic, it took a lot of hard work to get to where she is today.

“My life had begun to spiral out of control, completely. I didn’t know which way was up, I thought I had no where to turn. I thought I had no where to turn. I thought my life was over…” Carstafhnur, “…but a friend that has lived here for 8 or 9 years that had been trying to get me to move here any way because she knew my situation, convinced me to come here to Columbus to recover.”

And now eight months sober, she says the change is clear.

“Even for family members, have noticed the change in me. People that have known me for years say I even look different. People that see me every day, say that I even look different now, they just don’t know, it’s a glow about me, its called happiness, and its called sobriety.”

“For anyone out there who thinks that everything is over and thinks that they can’t change and they’re too stuck in their ways, in their addiction, or their alcoholism is too much for them to recover from…”, said Carstafhnur, “…you can recover. If I can, anybody can.”