Episode
I Was A Teacher With Two DUIs | 30 Years of Alcoholism & Finding Sobriety
- Published
- May 19, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3446
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Summary
Elisa Nicole Saunders was a Palm Beach County schoolteacher, standing in front of classrooms every day — and quietly drinking and drugging her way through 30 years of addiction. Two DUIs. A five-car pile-up. Crashing drunk into a tow truck while two people had to run for their lives. Sitting in a jail cell staring at her wrist, wondering how it got this bad. She never wanted to get sober. A judge gave her the nudge. Now, coming up on 15 years of sobriety, Elisa has rebuilt her life from the ground up — from losing her teaching certificate, to borrowing gas money to attend an addiction conference, to becoming a respected professional in the drug and alcohol rehabilitation industry in Los Angeles. In this honest and deeply moving episode of Rise Above, Elisa shares: Teaching school hungover and in active alcoholism for over a decade Two DUIs — including a drunk driving crash that nearly killed two people What it really means to be "dry" versus truly sober — and why she was more miserable without drinking than with it Relapsing after treatment and spending years "white-knuckling" without a program Why financial amends took her 14 years to complete — and why she finally did it Losing both parents in sobriety and navigating grief without picking up How a deep spiritual connection became the foundation everything else was built on Going from Hurricane Liza — the woman who wrecked every room she walked into — to a woman who gives back without expecting anything in return This one is for anyone who thinks they're functioning just fine — and for anyone who's been sober a while but still feels like something's missing. 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week 📲 Follow Elisa: @elisansaunders (Instagram & Facebook) | linkedin.com/in/elisansaunders If you or someone you love is stru…