In this deeply honest share at AANP, Chelsea Hermsen speaks about life with cerebral palsy, sobriety, and learning to accept the reality of who she is and where she belongs.

Born with brain damage that led to progressive physical disability, Chelsea reflects on a childhood shaped by low expectations from medical professionals, fierce advocacy from her parents, and a lifelong struggle against being underestimated. She shares how losing her ability to walk, navigating higher education, and facing mental health crises challenged her sense of identity and independence.

Chelsea opens up about how alcohol entered her life later than many, how heartbreak changed her relationship with drinking, and how quickly isolation and loss of control followed. After being placed in a group home, resisting it, relapsing, and returning, she reached a quiet but decisive realization: drinking could never again be part of her life.

She speaks candidly about recovery without romanticism — about choosing the “best possible” situation rather than a perfect one, finding connection without always fitting in, and discovering secular AA online when she needed it most. Her story is one of resilience, realism, and the courage to keep showing up, even when circumstances limit how much you can give.

A powerful share about disability, dignity, sobriety, and finding community on your own terms.