Misty does her best to describe what 21 years of addiction felt like. “It’s miserable,” she candidly explains. “You completely lose all your self-worth.”
Misty shudders with shame when she reflects on everything she did while enslaved to drugs. “You’re willing to sell yourself, break the law, or manipulate whomever to get that drug. It’s disgusting,” she shares.
But more difficult than admitting what she did to stay addicted, is reflecting on why she turned to addiction in the first place.
“There was a lot of dysfunction in my family grow- ing up. People I was close with passed away. I had to escape that trauma,” Misty reveals.
Initially, it was the numbing effect of drugs that lured Misty in. When she was high, Misty didn’t have to feel any pain from her past, the grief, or sadness. Yet once the high wore off, Misty was left alone with a deep sense of hurt that she had no escape from.
TRAPPED IN ADDICTION
“Then the more pain that keeps happening in life, the more you just want that high,” explains Misty. “My addiction just consumed me. I lost all hope of any happiness, any future, or of ever reconnecting with my family.”
One day out of the blue, Misty’s little sister, Caitlyn reached out. She was going through the women’s recovery program at Hope Place. “I saw the beautiful things the program was doing for my sister,” Misty recalls, “and it convinced me to come.”
THE MIRACLE OF A CHANGED LIFE
Now, after walking through recovery at Hope Place for herself, Misty’s experienced the miracle of a changed life too.
“I’m thankful to say that I’m clean from addiction. I’m reunited with my family, and Hope Place has allowed me to have a life that I never thought was possible.”
As Misty reflects back on her journey of recovery, one particular testimony stands out. Halfway through the program, Misty’s young daughter received a devastating autism diagnosis. “About eight months ago, I was told that my daughter would never speak,” Misty shares.
HOPE WITH JESUS
Misty was clearly heartbroken. “But I’m learning to process things without addiction and see that with
Jesus, there’s hope in every circumstance.” Misty’s daughter attended a six-month intensive therapy program. “Now, you can’t get my daughter to stop talking!” Misty joyfully exclaims. “She knows her ABC’s. She can count to 20. She knows all her animals and sounds. She’s doing great. She’s a smart little girl and will go far in life.”
“IT’S A BLESSING”
Misty is confident that the classes, counseling, and relationship support she’s found at Hope Place have set her up for success and stability. She’s working toward her GED and has a job interview coming up. “It almost feels like a dream. It really does,” Misty reflects. “Everything is coming together. It’s a blessing.”
Today, life feels new for Misty. Both she and her daughter have experienced healing. She has hope. Her future looks bright and promising. Thank you for your support in making her miraculous life change possible!
