My name is Tyler Larson and I have been a firefighter with San Diego Fire-Rescue for 5 years. I was born and raised in San Diego and am very grateful to be able to help others that are in need of support. In 2013, I started seeking help for my alcoholism and depression. I was spinning out of control and after a while, alcohol was my number one priority. It came before family, friends, my career and, most importantly, myself. Drinking cost me a DUI, multiple friendships, endless relationship and family problems and almost cost me my dream career as a firefighter twice. But none of that was enough for me to quit as alcohol was more important than all of that. After many ups and downs, I got to the point where suicidal ideation became frequent and I was eventually taken to UCSD by SDPD. I knew as I sat in the ER, that I was going to stop drinking and change my life. I was tired! Tired of losing, not liking myself, being broke, and always being depressed. I checked myself into my second inpatient rehab and have been sober and happy ever since. My sobriety date is 5/12/2017. Since that date, I have changed everything I didn’t like about myself and my life. I have a life better than I have ever dreamed of. I am solid in my recovery and in all aspects of my life. I work hard at it every day but the work has paid off 10-fold! I currently sponsor another firefighter and am active in the AA fellowship. I have been seeing a therapist every other week for over 5 years, I attend frequent AA meetings, and I am in a solid place to help others. I am extremely grateful for everything I have and remind myself every day. I am a firm believer that anyone, no matter what type of issues, can be resilient and grow from life’s experiences.