Cheryl Burke is celebrating seven years of sobriety with gratitude, faith, and a renewed sense of self. The former “Dancing with the Stars” pro reflected on her journey this week, emphasizing how accountability has been the foundation of her transformation.
On Wednesday, Sept. 4, Burke, 41, posted a video on Instagram sharing how her perspective on accountability has shifted over the years.
Cheryl Burke on Finding Freedom Through Accountability
“I used to think accountability was this heavy word. Like it meant punishment or blame,” Burke said. “For so long, I pointed fingers outward — at circumstances, at people, at timing. I told myself stories that protected me from facing the truth. Those stories kept me stuck — and stuck became my identity.”
Burke admitted that taking responsibility for her drinking was initially frightening, but ultimately empowering.
“When I finally decided to take accountability for my drinking, I was terrified,” she said. “In all transparency, I just didn’t want to have to admit that I didn’t have any control. But saying those words, ‘I am responsible for my life,’ it broke something open for me. And as scary as it was, it actually gave me a strange kind of freedom because when you own it, you realize that you have the power to change it.”
She added in her Instagram caption, “Accountability was the hardest pill I’ve ever had to swallow — yet it saved my life. For me, it wasn’t just about sobriety, it was about finally looking in the mirror and saying, ‘No one else is coming to rescue me. I have to choose me.’”
Her message concluded with encouragement for others: “Accountability is where transformation begins. It’s not blame — it’s freedom.”
Cheryl Burke Celebrates 7 Years of Sobriety
In July, Burke marked her seven-year milestone with a powerful reflection. She shared side-by-side photos on social media from before and after sobriety and opened up about her growth.
“7 years ago, I thought sobriety would mean losing everything. The fun. The freedom. The fearless version of me I thought only showed up after a drink,” she wrote. “But what I didn’t realize back then…Was that the escape I craved was really from myself. And the girl I ran from? She was the one waiting to save me.”
Burke went on to acknowledge that alcohol once felt like “liquid courage,” but in reality, it took away her confidence, joy, and peace.
Cheryl Burke on Living With Peace & Purpose
Since quitting drinking in 2018, Burke said she has found new strength and fulfillment.
She credited her sobriety with bringing “presence, peace, self-respect, and a relationship with my Higher Power that reminds me I was never walking alone — not even in my darkest moments.”
Faith, she added, gave her the resilience to move forward. “God didn’t take the pain away… He held my hand through it and gave me the strength to rise.”
For Burke, accountability and sobriety have been more than milestones — they’ve been lifelines. And today, she continues to share her journey as an inspiring reminder that healing is possible, and that freedom begins with choosing yourself.
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