Alicia | Grand Junction, CO

“Don’t ever be afraid to reach out. There are so many people out there available to help, you just have to ask.”

I started life out as a goody-two-shoes with two loving parents. But, a troubled relationship with my brother made me feel unworthy and unloved. I tried alcohol and marijuana at just fourteen years old and meth by nineteen. I was in and out of treatment programs four times over the next few years with varying levels of success. At one point, I’d achieved four years free of meth use. During that time, I had a son and eventually got married. Unfortunately, my new husband and I began using heroin. In a short period, my mother passed away, I lost custody of my son and my husband went to jail. This period was the lowest in my life. I considered suicide. It was through those dark thoughts that I knew I was ready for recovery. 

I used Suboxone to fight cravings while my probation officer helped me get into a treatment program at Oxford House. The combination of medications for treating addiction and the program at Oxford House opened new doors in my life. My recovery paved the way for me to improve my relationship with my family, and most importantly, I’ve got partial custody of my son. Right now, I’m working toward earning more time with my son, and I have a full-time job at Oxford House as an outreach coordinator, connecting people with addiction to recovery communities.