BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Chris Thompson woke up one Thanksgiving on the streets of Los Angeles and made a decision that would change his life: to seek help and go sober.
“I committed to making it day one of my comeback story, and I was super lucky for the people who showed up for me that day. I hadn't known them for long, and they were just people, not mental health professionals. They had been on this journey, through hell and back. Those people showed up for me, and they're friends to this day.” Said Thompson.
Thompson had dropped out of college and was an alcoholic sleeping from park bench to park bench, but it just took a few people to save his life.
“I'm someone who would not be alive had the right people not shown up for me at that time. You know, I'm someone whose alcoholism and addiction destroyed my life and almost killed me,” said Thompson.
After seeking help from others, he wants to do his part for people currently struggling.
“I want to create something that is there for others the same way others were there for me,” Thompson said.
That’s when he got the idea for Sober Sidekick, a sober living app that connects you with others struggling with addiction.
“I asked myself, 'What if there was a way we could build a platform where connecting with those right people at that right time is no longer up to chance?'” Said Thompson
And for Thompson, the app got off to a dream start.
“I saw people I didn't know download the app and support each other. That told me right there that there's something here. This app has no marketing budget. I don't even know how people are finding it, but the fact that five people on day one gave support to each other showed me there's something here.”
Thompson's main goal is to help his peers get over their addiction with no judgment.
The app is available, just look up Sober Sidekick in your app store to get started.
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