As we head into the third month of 2024, it’s easy to forget the resolutions you set at the top of the year.
Justin Kase, is here to help you continue the journey with discipline and accountability. The red carpet photographer, who is a recovering adderall addict, recently stopped by rolling out to give some words of wisdom.
What has your sobriety journey been like in 2024?
I’m good. In a good mindset, you know, smiling. Staying healthy. I’ve actually been out here running, too, so I can get rid of some of this stomach fat.
Those are some of your exercises to keep your thinking positive?
You have to have alternatives. If your mind starts going, “I might want to hit some cocaine,” you have to go outside and run the block or something like that. Because then, if not, you’re going to end up where you were like four or five years ago and backtrack.
Have you ever relapsed?
Nope, cold turkey. I went to rehab and quit cold turkey.
What words of encouragement do you have for those who have relapsed?
You have to have something to keep your mind distracted. As long as you keep your mind distracted, you’re good. I know people from rehab. I know some who died, relapsed 12 more times, even my therapist, Bill from rehab, he’s like, “I don’t know how you’ve remained clean this whole time.” And I’m like, “I don’t know. I just don’t want to go back to where I was five years ago.”
What are five tips you have for someone trying to remain sober?
Keep clean and stay focused; if you have to, find some kind of support group. You have to find hobbies to keep your mind occupied and then just pray. It doesn’t matter who your higher power is, but I mean, you have to have something to look up to. You have to say like, “This time next year, I’m living in a big house and I got this kind of car.” Whatever, and you have to put [that into] existence because if you sit there and keep dwelling on the past, all you’re going to do is sit there and think about the issues that you just [came] out of.
Outside of photography, what else are you working on?
We’re shooting my documentary called From Rehab to the Red Carpet. It’s a story about early childhood, life, addiction, radio, where I’m at now, [and] how I became a celebrity photographer. The hardest part is we have a trailer filmed, but we’re looking for invested sponsors, you know, so we could finish wrapping it up. That’s the hardest part because everybody we hit up is like, “It’s a recession” [and] they just invested all this money into a movie they shot.” So, I mean, it’s been a challenge. But that’s what we’re working on right now.
