“I grew up in a traumatic household, with a single mother. From when I was about the age of seven, she was abusive. My dad left due to his own addiction problems when I was just three years old.

I separated my home issues as much as I could from most people, for fear of embarrassment, but mostly just feeling like no one would take me seriously or understand. By the age of 15, I started using drugs and drinking. Eventually at age 17, I dropped out of high school and started using heavily, and then ran away from home. I stayed where I could, with friends. In that time, I discovered hard drugs and was hooked. My 20’s were then filled with heavy drug use, progressing from one drug to the next, in and out of jail, and each time homeless.

A few days after hitting the absolute bottom, I got arrested. I was booked and there I sat in jail. I had heard of Epiphany through the probation department that comes in to help people enter programs, and just knew it was for me. I called everyday – sometimes three times a day, leaving messages and harassing my probation officer to get me into this program.

I came to Epiphany crying every day for the first month, just so grateful to be alive. I felt blessed to be at Epiphany and just so grateful. I came to Epiphany with an open mind, and willing to try anything to stay abstinent. I did acupuncture daily, attended classes daily, learned coping skills, checked in with a recovery counselor weekly. I started to feel good about myself as a productive person again. I am now enrolled full-time in school, taking the alcohol and drug certificate program at City College, and hope to transfer to state college and get into a social work program.

Today, I really see that I am worth it, and I can accomplish something. Epiphany helped me make a way through the trauma to see that there is something worth living for! A beautiful life full of wonderful things, things that I can accomplish. And, most importantly, that I’m a good person, capable of anything!

Growing up, I didn’t have someone to talk to. I hope to be able to guide a young adult through a bad day, or a bad experience at home, or drug or alcohol abuse. I want to be able to share with them that even though you don’t feel loved, you are worthy of love. That the capacity to love people and yourself can never be taken away from you. Love is a beautiful thing given to us in our hearts, and I got mine back from working hard at Epiphany Center.