Hear the real stories of hope

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 For as long as I can remember alcohol, drugs, and mental illness have been an ongoing issue with not only me but my whole family. From the time I was a child being sent away for substance use to prison at 21 and countless jail and treatment programs since. I have had some lengths of sobriety but I always seemed to trade one addiction for another.

My last jail stay I said enough is enough my children missed their mother and it was time to come home and stay home. I got out of jail and started to put my life back together. When I got out of jail for the last time the next day I was on my own, three kids and a house with so many bad memories that I desperately wanted to leave in the past. I felt overwhelmed and defeated and that I had no one to turn to but I wasn't going to give up.

My probation officer recommended Free Through Recovery, and I was willing to give it a shot and now I wouldn't know where I would be without it. You don't understand how important a support system like Free Through Recovery is until you've had one. It's like having people that have been there and understand. The most important to me was they were not there to judge me. They were there to help me and guide me every step of the way. I was starting from the ground up with three kids and one on the way, but I wasn't alone. It was a long process especially with a few new additions to my family. Now with a thriving family of five, I am trying every day to make sure I do everything in my power to break the cycle with my children.

My hard work and the help of Free Through Recovery brought me here and now I have 2 1/2 years of sobriety, 2 jobs, my license, a car, and I have finally turned my house full of bad memories into a home. Through my eyes the only direction to go from here is up. Now I am in a great place in my recovery where I can help people who just need someone to be on their team and with a little hope, they can make it too!