Ruston Kelly Embraces Sobriety Following Life-Altering Accident

Country music singer Ruston Kelly has recommitted to sobriety after experiencing a serious setback. A golf cart accident in June led him to relapse, and he opened up about his struggles in a recent social media post.

Kelly, 37, shared his journey with recovery by posting an image of a gold Narcotics Anonymous token. These tokens are given in meetings to celebrate clean living milestones. In his message, Kelly reflected on his previous belief that avoiding amphetamines would set him on a ‘clean’ path.

‘I told myself back in 2021 that as long as I wasn’t using amphetamines that I would be on the right “clean” journey for myself,’ Kelly noted. ‘I had never been addicted to any drug other than those pills.’ He initially included alcohol and THC as substances to avoid but later became resistant to labels of addiction beyond amphetamines.

Before a recent realization, Kelly believed he could manage himself and his addictive tendencies. However, after a golf cart crash, his assumptions were challenged. The accident resulted in a severe arm injury, and he was prescribed strong pain medications, including fentanyl, morphine, and oxycodone, to manage the pain.

These medications soon led to a dependency. ‘I needed it for the level 15 pain but very quickly they started running out sooner and sooner,’ Kelly shared. He described the moments where he would consume medications as soon as he received them, concealing the true quantity he was taking.

Recognizing the reawakening of addiction, Kelly vowed to change. ‘On July 26 I decided to end any chance of ruining anything good,’ he wrote. He acknowledged his condition as a lifelong substance abuse disease and resolved to eliminate drugs, alcohol, and THC from his life, although he still grapples with nicotine.

‘I am 3 days completely clean and sober again, and intend to remain this way forever, one day at a time,’ Kelly affirmed.