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.