I’ve found myself again
I am a 34 year old alcoholic/addict who thought my life was completely hopeless. I was adopted and grew up in Ascension parish. I have two older brothers who are not biological, and my family structure was stable and successful. I have always been very close to my immediate and extended family. My extended family is very large but we always made time to have family functions. My childhood was really good but there is also some sexual abuse in my story.
I was a very hyperactive kid growing up, so I was always getting myself into some kind of trouble. I grew up with very strong morals and values. By my high school years, I was involved in a lot of extracurricular activities like dancing, modeling, and cheer leading. I also started drinking and using at this phase of my life. This was the beginning of my chaos. By the 10th grade, the effects of my drinking and using really started catching up to me. I dropped out of school and got my GED. I stopped dancing, modeling, and cheer leading. I started working my way into restaurants because I wanted to bar tend. I started working two jobs, both in bars, by the age of 18. Things started to really become reckless at this point. I was losing myself in my using but that still did not bother me.
When I was 24, I got married. I thought that starting a family would be the turning point in my life and solve my problems. I had two boys—one was at was age 25 and one at age 26. By the time I turned 27 I crossed that imaginary line where things went from bad to completely out of control. I left my husband and my two beautiful boys to live a street life where no one or nothing else was more important than getting and using more drugs. I was in a car accident that almost paralyzed me. I started going to jail and collecting felony charges. I lost my kids, my whole family, my home, and myself along the way. When I came into Grace House I was completely beat down, broken, and feeling like all hope was lost. I stopped having faith in anything and lost all of my morals and values. I knew I had to either change my ways or I would end up dead.
Coming into Grace House and learning coping skills and other tools to use my recovery process has surely saved my life. After working with my sponsor through the 12 steps, my weekly one-on-ones with my counselor, and meetings with my treatment team at Grace House, I’m happy to say that I’ve found myself again. I’m back in my family’s lives again and I have a relationship with my kids again. My life is completely turning around. I have complete trust and faith in my higher power. My life is also filled with hope again and I’m amazed by that daily. I know that as long as I stay sober one day at a time and follow my program as suggested, things will only continue to get better for me. Grace House has given me my life back and it feels new and improved today. I am truly grateful for Grace House and all the staff involved in my recovery.
Miranda A.