One Woman’s Journey to Recovery
National Recovery Month takes place in September and is an important time for us to acknowledge the number of people who are suffering from substance use disorders across North America and the rest of the world. There are approximately 20 million people across America suffering from different substance use disorders. Very few receive the treatment that they need due to lack of resources. It is imperative that we help as many people as possible gain access to treatment if they are ready to start the process of recovery.
Iesha Walker Recovery Story – January 2016
My name is Iesha Walker and this is my journey to recovery.
Like most I’m the child of two addicts – both my parents. My mother was addicted to crack cocaine. My father was a heroin addict. I went through a lot when I was a child; you name it and I went through it! By the grace of God we became CPS involved. With that said, I was able to get counseling so my drug use did not come from past trauma.
An injury
On August 8, 2008 I was working as a CNA at the Portland VA hospital. It started out as a normal day. I was asked to help transfer a patient. Unfortunately, that transfer resulted in a traumatic injury. I tore my hip muscle and the right side of my vaginal wall. The doctors started throwing pain meds instead of trying to fix the problem. Now, fast forward to 2012 when I was taken off my pain meds because I smoked pot. I had never been through withdrawal in my life; it was horrible. I thought I was dying. I was then introduced to heroin by a friend. Heroin is something I thought I would never do. Everything went downhill from that moment.
A meeting
On June 4, 2012 my children were removed from my care. Unfortunately I continued to use resulting in a deep depression. In 2014, I finally was ready for recovery. My husband and myself started to attend a meeting called the Light House. The message that struck a chord with me was “all you need is the desire to stop using”. While attending that meeting someone told me about Pre-bed.
Pre-bed
My husband and I started attending Pre-bed and finally and I got my bed date for June 24, 2014. When I arrived at inpatient treatment I rocked it! I loved it because I was ready to make that change. The week I was to be discharged I had not found stable housing yet. So I asked for an additional week to find housing. I was accepted into an Oxford House. By the grace of God I started to build a solid foundation for my recovery. Today I am the mother, wife, and person that I should have been all along. My motto is: “Do everything to stay sober”. Today I have my own place and my babies are home and I am always making strides to be a better person.
How to get help
Everyone begins their recovery journey for different reasons but if you or someone you know could benefit from this list of added benefits and needs help, call us. Above all, we have a compassionate team of medical professionals here to help. Additionally you can visit Lifelineconnections.org or call (360) 397-8246 for more information.
