Kat Von D is 6 Years Sober

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Kat Von D is a famous tattoo artist, model, and former LA Ink reality TV star who is an inspirational artist and with an inspirational story about her climb to sobriety. Kat Von D recently celebrated six years clean and sober as of July 7^th 2014. The 31-year-old professional tattoo artist, whose celebrity clientele includes Lady Gaga and Beyonce, has definitely carved out a name for herself in the art world as well as in the public eye both in and out of recovery, and finally decided to get sober after her drinking started to threaten her work.

#soberlife

She posted on her Twitter an image showing a beaming smile in a pair of bright red heart-shaped sunglasses, and with her holding up six fingers with the caption announcing,

“Today marks my 6th year of sobriety! Yay for not being a drunken a**hole!! :)”

Last year during an interview with Rosie O’Donnell on her daytime talk show she went on to open up about her sobriety and what had led her to recovery. When asked about her drug of choice, she told Rosie that she was primarily drinking, but that she had about a three month period where she had went on a drug binge and felt she mastered the art of using pretty quickly and the consequences of using escalated pretty quickly as well, so she was lucky to learn that lesson fast. However she stated that her drinking career was a little more ‘functional’ and progressive.

During the interview she admitted that while there was a lot of drama during this time in her life, a lot of which was exposed on the television show Miami Ink, she says there are plenty of things that happen behind the scenes that also fueled those situations, and in sobriety she is now able to see what an “awful time” it was and able to see her part in the madness. As most anyone in recovery would agree she is happy to have learned from the experience.

Relationships in Kat’s Recovery

Von D has also been romantically linked to several rock star celebs who themselves have continued sobriety. For some time she dated the Mötley Crüe bass guitarist Nikki Sixx, who also recently celebrated a sober anniversary and had a book published titled The Heroin Diaries about his time in active addiction and the turmoil’s it brought him while actively playing and touring with Mötley Crüe. Jesse James was another sober dude she had developed a pretty serious relationship with and to whom she was briefly engaged in 2011. After James was accused of cheating on his ex-wife Sandra Bullock in 2010, Von D urged others to show compassion. She even spoke out in his defense publicly, relating to her own experiences and urging the public to see the human side of the situation,

“I think we’re all human and we’re all capable of making mistakes. I think if I were to be crucified for my drug addiction three years ago now, it would be harder to live with that. I’m sober now, I’ve made mistakes too.”

Seeking a Solution

When Rosie asked Von D if her friends had intervened with her drinking and helped her get help, she said this was not the case. Von D talked about how she had made herself a promise that if anything ever got in the way of her tattooing and growth as an artist she would cut it out of her life, the same rule she had with relationships and other things became her motivation to stop drinking and she made the decision to seek a solution.

“When I realized that drinking was getting in the way (of my tattooing), I woke up one day and said I don’t want to drink anymore and I stopped. My friends aren’t really my friends, I’m just a party favor.”

She explained that once she decided to get sober, she was surprised to see how her phone stopped ringing, and her friendships and relationships changed once she was no longer living that life-style. But since getting sober, she hangs out with people who are “on the same frequency.” Kat Von D shared that while she knows that her being much more emotionally charged during her active alcohol abuse made for great TV, she is happier to be able to live consciously now. She is glad to actually be able enjoy her life today, and remember it more and more.

While she understands that with reality television she expected the producers would design episodes to feature 80% of drama and 20% of goodness to share with viewers, but she is happy to say if she was at any point able to reach someone with those moments, it was all well worth it. This July 7^th was a full year since that interview, but it is apparent that Kat Von D has continued to stay on a path of growth, and that tattooed sober smile says it all.

Alcohol and drug addiction touches the lives men and women everywhere, celebrities are not the only ones who have the opportunity to find help and recover. Kat Von D is one woman in recovery who knew that her alcohol addiction stood in the way of her relationships and her passion for art, and she made the choice to seek out a solution. If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll-free 1-800-951-6135