Guitarist Nita Strauss recently opened up about reaching a significant personal milestone. She shared her journey and ongoing challenges with sobriety in a heartfelt post on Instagram.
The musician reflected on her decade-long sobriety journey. She described how the initial goal seemed impossible when she first began.
“I remember my first few weeks of sobriety with this vague idea of ‘I’ll see if I can do 10 years.’ At the time, that number was PREPOSTEROUS. Might as well be a million billion years!!” Strauss said. “I thought I’d just bide my time, wait until things calmed down in my life and then everything could go back to normal. I had no concept of all the gifts sobriety would bring into my life and how much better the new normal would be!”
Despite reaching her 10-year milestone, Strauss emphasized that maintaining sobriety remains an ongoing challenge, particularly while touring.
“Sobriety still does not come ‘easily’ to me. I’m by myself a lot on tour and I have easy access to anything I want on the tour bus and dressing rooms,” she continued. “In fact I actually called the front desk in my hotel this week and asked them to please come and remove the massive quantities of alcohol from the room’s minibar, because I knew I’d be here today, and even after all this time I still don’t want to give in to that little voice that says ‘you’re alone in the room, you hit your goal of 10 years, no one will know if you have a lil celebration.'”
Strauss concluded her message by acknowledging the daily nature of her commitment. She offered encouragement to others facing similar struggles.
“It’s something that you work at quietly every day, on some days that it never crosses your mind and some days harder than others. Sobriety can be a solitary road but it’s important to know that you don’t have to walk it alone when you don’t want to!!” she said.
Strauss’s journey to sobriety wasn’t without its pivotal moments and support system that helped her reach this milestone.
Blabbermouth reported that a crucial turning point came when her now-husband and manager, Josh Villalta, delivered an ultimatum that changed everything. He made it clear that while he loved her, he could no longer watch her self-destruct. This provided the wake-up call she needed to commit to recovery.
The transformation that followed was remarkable. Louder Sound detailed how Strauss began experiencing significant positive changes in both her personal and professional life after getting sober. She started sleeping better, felt clearer headed, and noticed substantial improvements in her behavior and overall well-being.
Throughout her recovery journey, Strauss found unexpected allies in the music industry. Loudwire revealed that she credits fellow artist Demi Lovato as being a “huge ally” during her sobriety journey, particularly when they toured together. This support from someone who understood the challenges of maintaining sobriety in the entertainment industry proved invaluable.
The guitarist has also received encouragement from rock legends including Alice Cooper, Zakk Wylde, and Nikki Sixx. They have all supported her recovery efforts. Their backing demonstrates how the rock community can come together to support artists facing personal challenges. This creates a network of understanding and encouragement within an industry often associated with excess.
