I am not my addiction: I am a mom, a student, and a strong woman.
I am a student in the Human Service Associate program, and have been attending for the last year and a half with hopes of becoming an addictions counselor. My ultimate goal is to graduate, mainly before my 16 year old daughter does. Having been on and off in school for so long, I’m happy to be focusing on just staying enrolled and keeping my grades up. I had to overcome many challenges to stay sober, but stayed on track with the help of my kids and my support circle. They keep me real, keep me honest, and keep me going. Having a history of “having been there, done that,” I can better relate to those I'll work with in the future. Being at the bottom of life gives you empathy when you make it to the other side. You can recall the pain of others in that spot. Today, I stay on track by watching my kids at their sport events, going to the gym with my siblings and taking boxing classes with my daughter. When I was younger, I didn’t know that life could be this good. To those wanting to follow in my footsteps of recovery, know that “life gets better!” To get where I am today, my world had to completely change. I had to change who I was as a person and who I thought I was. I had to change my friends, and even my marriage. Everything I was had to be sacrificed to be who I am as a person. Today, I’m more than just an addict. I’m a mom, an actress, a student, and a success story.
