My name is Sara. I lost my husband in a car accident, my mother to alcoholism and my three children to CPS.
I had become another faceless drug user, addicted and hiding in an isolated and lonely world.
I will be the first to admit, I sought comfort in drugs.
I lost sight of what life could have offered after losing it all. My entire life was filled with disappointment and tragedy.
Growing up in a family where addiction was present led to my very destruction. I resented my mother and her addicted and abusive boyfriend for what they put me through so I bottled my emotions and learned how to numb the pain with drugs.
I finally decided life wasn’t worth living if I was constantly chasing highs without my children. My children were the only family I had, and I began to realize the path I was choosing for them.
After years of chemical dependency, I checked myself into STEP2.
STEP2 taught me that I am worthy of having a safe and happy family. After 6 months of being in the program, I moved up to the Lighthouse Campus where I lived in a 2-bedroom cottage. STEP2 helped me get my children back, obtain a job and gain the confidence I deserved. For 18 months I underwent treatment and learned so much about myself and my addiction.
I now know that my past wasn’t an excuse for my choices, but a reason.
Now, as I see it, my reason for living is bigger and better than any addiction. Everyone has pain and everyone has a story.
Luckily, my story and my children’s story live on in a positive light.
