Story 1
SD's Success Story
The substance usage started at age 11. Incest was present. Beginning at age 13, there was the experience of statutory rape by a 21 year-old drugs supplier which all preludes 'The Harms of Addiction'.
The harms of addiction can lead to being an alcoholic, drug addict and or homeless. All occurred to SD before finding relief. SD entered treatment at Lighthouse Counseling Center (LCC) receiving the services of substance abuse treatment and housing. Through substance abuse treatment, she learned about addiction, how to prevent relapse, how to cope with life stressors, and how to accept herself. She also was able to learn about her substance induced mental illness and how to stabilize her mood through counseling and medication. The collaborative services she received from LCC and Montgomery Area Mental Health has resulted in mental stability and twenty-four months of being drug free.
SD was able to secure a home through a HUD funded grant that provides housing to homeless women with children. As a result of the HUD grant, SD has returned to school and is working towards a physical therapy degree that will lead to a better quality of life for herself and her dependent child. 'On September 27, 2006, Lighthouse put Chris and me in our own apartment where today we remain. I continue to go to the Lighthouse. I needed to understand me. I had to get rid of my pain. I do not want to ever live like that again. I had to understand my addiction. I had to understand my bipolar.' SD now serves on the Consumer Advisory Board at LCC and provides motivational speaking about her life cycle to various groups, agencies, and churches.