True Recovery

As a 17-yr officer, I spent most of my career in the field in some capacity, experiencing the darker side of humanity. As a single mother, I wasn’t afforded typical avenues to vent or decompress from each day as my primary job was raising two boys. As time went on, I found that drinking was the best way for me to numb and foolishly convince myself I could forget and just move on.  Depression set in, isolation, wine glasses became bottomless and my “cyclical hell” became all too common.  15yrs into my job with my boys graduating high school, I knew that if I didn’t get help, I ultimately didn’t care what happened to me or where I’d end up.   

Just as I was begging for help on my living room floor at 0800 hrs one Monday morning, the universe eventually brought me to the First Responder Wellness program. This is the place that pulled me from that hell. I was held accountable. Counselors showed me that it was okay to acknowledge my internal turmoil by providing a safe environment with other First Responders who experienced the same without judgement and with an abundance of support. The guidance to dig deep in my soul helped bring to the surface those things I tried to suppress. 

I will forever be grateful to every single person, staff or client, whom I encountered there. Although at times it was uncomfortable and scary, First Responder Wellness TRULY gave me my life back and gave me hope of a fantastic future without the need to numb.