Hello, my name is Lacey. I am a single mother of 4 beautiful children. My journey has been marked by significant losses due to drug abuse, time, money, respect, dignity, pride, and relationships with family and friends. Growing up in a traumatic environment led me to begin using drugs at the young age of 12, and I struggled with addiction until seven years ago. I have spent most of my life on the streets, in rehab facilities, jails, and prisons. For a long time, I didn't know people were willing to help me navigate my challenges. Despite the pain I have caused myself and my family, I stand here today with resilience. I have been a student here at Colorado Technical University for over a year now, pursuing a bachelor's degree in psychology. My dream is to become a counselor for traumatized children or a substance abuse counselor. If I could save one family from the pain I have experienced it would all be worth it. Substance abuse is an epidemic that destroys lives everywhere. Everyone is affected by this crisis and we must all come together to combat it. No one can win this battle alone. Addicts need to know that someone out there cares about their well-being. In most cases, people resort to using drugs to numb their pain because they lack support or healthy coping mechanisms. If we can find ways to cope without drugs most would choose that path. Motivation is crucial in recovery many of us can not do it for ourselves alone. As an addict, I know the importance of support. If I could help change someone's path and guide them towards a better life, it would be one of the most rewarding achievements. I will never forget the horrors I witnessed or experienced during my time using drugs, and I can only imagine far worse situations I didn't witness. It's heartbreaking to think of one of my children getting involved with drugs and having to endure one moment of what was once my reality. The cycle must end; way too many lives are lost, and if not, those people are wishing it would end even if death seems to be their only way out. We all want the suffering to end; we all wish for better lives. I know in kindergarten when the teacher asked everyone what they wanted to be when they grew up no one ever said they wanted to be a strung-out junkie alone in this world, we all wanted to be policemen, firemen, doctors, lawyers, and some wanted to be a princess no one wanted to be stuck in drug addiction we all wanted to be heroes and loved, we all still want that even if we're too embarrassed to say it out loud. This lifestyle some of us find ourselves stuck in is tragic. While I wish I could snap my fingers and make drugs a forgotten thing I, unfortunately, can't but I can help teach, navigate, and steer, and I can care enough about others and I have the history to better help those know that I've been there now I'm here and the differences of the lives I've lived and how Even though I struggle every day within myself, with my family, with bills and just maintaining being clean is worth it it is more amazing then I could have once believed. There are so many out there stuck in despair desperately seeking a way out. I am driven to share my story with anyone willing to listen- not just for their sake but for mine as well. I heal a little more every time I speak about my experiences. I gain insights, and it gives me something to be proud of, a reason may be that I went through hell and back, a reason to continue fighting. I believe my journey from where I was to now serves a purpose. I didn't get here overnight or easily; I had to work at it every day. Seven years later, and I'm still being judged for my past, I'm still building trust within my family. It is a constant battle, but it's worth it; I am worth it, and my family is worth it. Thank you for reading my story.

I was introduced to drugs at age 12, It was my only escape from the reality I called life, marked by trauma no child should know, let alone carry. , being clean for years. Recovery is not merely the absence of substance use. It is a profound transformation that encompasses emotional, mental, and spiritual healing. Recovery means reclaiming my identity and rediscovering who I am. I have faced moments of fear, doubt, and temptations, I gained valuable lessons in setbacks, teaching me resilience and the importance of seeking support through therapy. Education has empowered me, providing the knowledge and skills needed to understand mental health and addiction on a much deeper level. It has opened my eyes to the complexities of trauma. I want to work with children and individuals with drug addiction, creating a space where they feel safe, heard, and understood. I believe in the power of trauma-informed care, which recognizes the impact of trauma on a person's life and seems to provide support that is sensitive to those experiences. I want to advocate for comprehensive support systems that empower recovery by promoting mentorship programs, community resources, and holistic therapy. I envision a world where every child has access to the help they need to overcome any challenge, where they are heard and not afraid. In conclusion, recovery is a transformative journey that has reshaped my life I am committed to helping others. Addiction has touched everyone in some way and has left its mark on this world.

Hello, I'm Lacey, a single mom of 4. I have struggled with mental illness and substance abuse my whole life, and it's taking its toll on my children, my family, and myself. I have been trying to build a new life by going back to school for a degree in psychology. My dream is to save people like me who are hurting and feel that the only escape is drugs. My childhood looked great from the outside, but I was living a nightmare on the inside. From a very young age, I was taught how to do bad things and use drugs by those I was supposed to trust. There seemed to be no way out for me. I've made a promise to myself to keep pushing until I get that degree and can help someone who has been out there hurting. Not only has my past hurt me, but it has also affected the ones I love and promised to keep safe. I finally got clean when I realized my daughter was begging for a mother who was never there or was locked up, and when I was there, I mentally wasn't. I'm trying to break the cycle in my own family and others. Drugs take so much away from everyone and add mental issues, and it's a game-changer for sure. I believe most people with substance abuse problems also have or have had mental health issues. If not, they end up with them. I also strongly believe that if you haven't experienced these issues firsthand, you can't truly understand what we go through daily. I still find that doing simple tasks requires so much more effort sometimes. I have to talk myself into going into a store, so afraid of what everyone thinks. It is a daily struggle, but I want to help other people avoid going down the same path I did. And if they do, I want them to know I've been there and that there is life after - we can do normal things, we can enjoy life instead of numbing it, and there are people out there to talk to. I never knew that; I was stuck thinking I was the only one, that no one would understand, that maybe I deserved this - and no one does. Everyone deserves to be loved and heard. I'm sorry if I made this about my life, but this is who I am, and I truly want to help others because the life I lived is not supposed to be like that. Everyone should have someone, and if it doesn't change, everyone is somehow affected. Thank you for taking the time to read my essay.

I would say that the more I put into going to school the more I'm going to put into my career. Being first- generation we usually don't completely know what we want to be or do, we have a general idea but it seems to change or shift a little bit as we continue our education. I just want to learn as much as I can to better prepare myself it makes me put more into it and I strive to do the best I can do it, I feel like you get what you put in it if you dedicate yourself and work hard you'll have something to show for it I know it can show a good example to my family and friends. It also shows my kids that you can always change your situation no matter what situation your in. I always want to make them and myself proud, it's not easy rebuilding your life especially with 4 kids but you can't quit. I'm the only person in my direct family that has even attempted to go to college and I hope it doesn't stop with me. Thank you for taking your time to read my thoughts on this.

I am 42 years old, a single mother of 4 beautiful, smart, and intelligent children. Drugs have taken everything from us, it has brought so many insecurities in my life, sometimes I find it hard to walk into a store because of the way drugs have made me feel about myself, it changed the way I feel about god or my higher power I no longer believe in things I can not see and only half of what I do see. I can finally see the toll it has taken on my loved ones, they don't trust me, and they hold a lot of hate for me, it has made them feel as if they are not good enough nor were they important enough for me to change my ways. they don't understand what it's like to be an addict just as I didn't understand the things that they went through. I don't feel as if I've ever truly had a real relationship because they were all based on lies and false feelings, I don't know how many times I thought I wouldn't live without someone that later I found out I didn't even like, and any family relationships were ruined due to lack of respect, lies, stealing, all the nights I kept people up worrying about me, ill truly never fully understand what I put people through over my selfishness, and they will never fully understand what I went through how alone I felt. Any ideas of a career never crossed my mind considering I couldn't hold down a job for more than a week if I made it past the interview or first day I would always call in with lies and excuses and in the end, I wouldn't show up at all, now all I can think about is giving back and helping other addicts overcome what took me years to accomplish. if I could help one person I would feel like some good came out of all this. I know that it helped me a lot being able to talk to someone that has been down the same road I have been down, it just made me feel more comfortable and I opened up and finally told the truth which is the key to getting clean, I mean you've got to start somewhere and the truth shall set you free. i can't go back and change the road I choose but maybe I can help someone else make better choices. drug abuse effects way more than just the addict it literally hurts everyone.

I am 42 years old, I have been struggling with addiction since I was 15. I have been in treatment centers, jail, and prison my whole life until 2017 after being in and out of trouble since I was 18 years old, I somehow managed to get off parole and stay out of trouble. I am a single mother of 4, ages ranging from 15 years old to my youngest at 4. It has been a nightmare; it still is some days for my family and me. It's really been hard on my kids, they had to go through life with only a shadow of a mother, living with my mom, and its things we addicts don't see until we are sober the toll or effect it has on them. They still have trust issues when it comes to me and for my oldest its resentment, hate, and feeling like she wasn't good enough, I hate what drugs did to my world and the people that loved me and always will, it has brought hate, selfishness, lies, emptiness, heartache, a lot of lonely days, a lot of bad decisions, and feelings of being unworthy. Today I still look at it as one day at a time, I get up and be the best person I can be or help wherever or whenever I can, I try to involve myself in my kid's lives even though it is hard for me to be around a lot of people due to the insecurities that drugs have introduced me to. I currently have all my kids under the same roof and I decided that I was ready to start a new chapter in my life and go back to school for psychology, I want to work with addicts trying to change their life. I know for me it was easier talking to someone that has been down the same road I have been and I've seen and been through some of the worse days anyone could imagine and if I could save even one person from the life I led or kept a family together maybe helped them sort and deal with the pain that comes with it, it would all be worth it, I can't change my past no matter how badly I wish I could but if I could bring some understanding and help someone else at least all the pain we felt could have something good come out of it maybe I could get my smile back maybe my kids could be proud of me just maybe we could all get some peace. i am dedicated to my school work and I will continue to pursue my passion no matter what obstacles come my way.

I am going to school to become a therapist. I am a single mother of four that struggles every day to become more educated, more dedicated, and all-around a better person so I can be an inspiration to my children, who have not had an easy life. I figure if I could change one person's life, turn them away from the streets I'm doing something, if I could help some child feel safe, wanted, smart, or just know that they have someone to talk to and to know it's ok to talk, I'm doing something. I know that growing up for me was different than others, we weren't allowed to indulge in things that were happening around us or to us I kept a lot of things inside, I was scared I didn't tell the things that were happening to me I figured someone would notice the light going out inside of me and I know that if I had that one place I could have gone to where I would have felt safe my life would have been completely different, I wouldn't have been searching for things to numb me, I wouldn't have a chip on my shoulder and mad at the world fighting all the time. I would have felt worthy instead of dirty and shameful. People I don't think understand that for every action there's a reaction and in my case it was horrible. I no longer feel sorry for myself I just had this need to help other people get understanding, help, or just someone to talk to them someone that's been there and knows how hard life can be and I'm going to work every day on bettering myself and the lives of my children and anyone that I possibly can. I feel like our world is becoming so cold and we could all use something heartfelt I want to be that person anyone can turn to and at the end of the day if someone smiles because of me I've done something right. I guess I want to still help the little girl inside me that screams for someone to see and understand how one thing can completely make or break you and we all need help and for some, that's hard to ask for. I wish I would have but now I have a chance to help others and I can't wait for the experience or the journey to my new life. Thank you.