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Robert ‘Bobby’ Glorioso grew up in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, where he enjoyed a happy childhood surrounded by a loving and supportive family. A young Bobby wanted for very little. His parents provided almost everything he needed, including love in abundance. On reflection, all that was missing was the same degree of love for himself.
This difficulty in loving himself made it hard for Glorioso to fit in with his peers. Despite his best efforts, he struggled for much of his early childhood. By the time he was a teenager, his focus had shifted from trying to fit in to escaping reality. Robert turned to drugs. And, as with most addicts, the progression of his addiction was rapid.
At just 16, Glorioso entered rehab for the first time. This initial visit marked the beginning of his long path to recovery. However, in this instance, that part of his path to recovery was short, with a still-teenage Glorioso relapsing barely a fortnight after leaving his preliminary stint in rehab.
A Turn for the Worse
By 18, newly-turned-adult Robert Glorioso had progressed to abusing the drug that would ultimately define the next period of his life.
Multiple car accidents, overdoses, and arrests followed. Over the coming years, Glorioso attempted recovery several times. He tried all manner of approaches at various rehab facilities. But, time and time again, he returned to a life of addiction and one crippled by ever-growing self-hatred.
It wasn’t until a decade after first becoming addicted that things finally began turning around for the Keystone State native. At 27, police again arrested Pennsylvania-born Bobby Glorioso, this time for a probation violation. At that moment, finally realizing the gravity of his situation, he set his heart squarely on recovering, once and for all.
Glorioso promised himself a new start. This new start would involve finally finding that long-missing love for himself, working a recovery program, and staying clean for good. He entered intensive outpatient therapy that year and quickly began realizing his true potential in life.
Shooting for Success
Now entered into intensive outpatient therapy, for the first time in his life, Robert Glorioso was free of the grip of addiction that had consumed him for a decade and a half.
Instead of losing himself in a haze of drugs, he focused his mind solely on shooting for success. One-on-one therapy was a turning point. His therapist at the time taught him how to save himself from the ravages of self-hate and the addiction it had inspired since his youth. The same therapist also recommended Glorioso for a 12-step program.
That program saw him become a part of a support group, find a sponsor, and painstakingly work each of those dozen steps to recovery to the best of his ability. While the process was far from easy for the now long-time addict, the instructions were clear and, like never before, quickly began to benefit his recovery positively.
He steadfastly threw himself into his recovery. Soon, his life had a brand-new purpose. He started to feel the all-important love for himself that had been missing since childhood. For the first time in his life, Glorioso also found gainful employment. He set his heart on working his way up the employment ladder, using everything he’d learned during his recovery to ensure success.
Steps Toward the Future
Since embracing his 12 steps to recovery, Robert Glorioso has successfully proved his value to himself and those around him. Buoyed by a new-found love for himself, Bobby also found solace in giving back to the community. His journey down the path of recovery has subsequently seen him donate money, time, and resources to help those in need.
Over the years, Glorioso has increasingly recognized how his actions have directly dictated his circumstances, both for better and for worse. He now accepts beyond doubt that, above all else, his life has been a product of his actions. And, now, so will be his future.
When Robert Glorioso finally decided to follow the 12-step path to recovery suggested to him, giving himself a fighting chance, he began to turn his life around and not look back.
The saying goes that rear-view mirrors are smaller for a reason: so that people don’t focus on what’s behind them but, instead, put their complete focus on what lies ahead. Today, Glorioso looks wholeheartedly forward to what his future holds as he continues on the enduring path of recovery toward a long, healthy life that’s free of addiction and without limits.
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