Hi! My name is Colleen, and this is my recovery story.
Addiction began for me the way it does for so many others—innocently, with a legitimate prescription. I was prescribed pain medication by a doctor for chronic back pain. At first it felt like relief, but it very quickly became something more. I fell in love with the way those pills made me feel—the escape, the comfort, the quieting of everything inside me.
Over the years, what started as a prescription turned into something much darker. The milligrams increased. The quantity increased. The type of pill changed. I was always searching for something bigger, faster, and stronger than before. Before I even realized it, I had developed a full-blown addiction to pain medication.
Eventually, my addiction outgrew my prescriptions. I would run out early - too early to refill - and the withdrawals would begin. Anyone who has experienced that kind of sickness knows it’s unbearable. It was during that time that I was introduced to heroin. And that’s when everything truly spiraled.
Heroin wasn’t just something I used; it became something I needed. When I didn’t have it, I was desperate. When I did have it, it was never enough. My entire life revolved around avoiding being sick. That was my full-time job.
At the same time, I was a stay-at-home mom to my beautiful little girl. But instead of being present for her, my days were consumed with one thought: how I was going to get well. I had no job, no money, and no control. I began stealing from the people I loved most. I shoplifted from stores, returning items for gift cards or trading stolen goods for heroin. I became someone I didn’t recognize - and neither did anyone else.
My life became a cycle of bad decisions and consequences. I had multiple retail theft charges. The local magistrate knew me by name and was tired of seeing my face. But even that wasn’t enough to stop me.
Then came December of 2014, the day everything changed.
I was sitting in my car in a parking lot. There was drug paraphernalia inside. My three-year-old daughter was strapped into her car seat in the back. My sister was with me; we used together often. At that moment, an undercover DEA agent pulled up in front of my car.
That was the beginning of my rock bottom.
I was arrested and a few months later I was sentenced and spent six months in jail for paraphernalia. When you’re an addict in jail, no one cares that you’re withdrawing. No one cares that your body aches so badly you can’t sit still, that your legs feel like they’re on fire, or that the restlessness never stops. You’re just expected to endure it.
But during those six months, something shifted.
I was court-ordered to treatment, and for the first time in a long time, I felt a sense of hope. I was actually grateful to go to rehab—to be somewhere I could get help, somewhere I wasn’t alone, somewhere people understood what I was going through.
I spent a few short weeks in treatment before returning to county jail to finish my sentence. But something had changed in me. I had been given a glimpse of peace—real peace—and I knew I wanted more of it.
When I was released on parole, I wasn’t just walking out of jail; I was stepping into a second chance at life.
I was sentenced to the DRC - Daily Reporting Center - where I had to check in every day and gradually decrease the number of days I attended as I progressed. It was during this time that something incredible happened.
A woman came in to speak to our group. She was a CPS, a Certified Peer Specialist, and she shared her story. She talked about her lived experience, about the darkness she had been through, and how she fought her way back. I remember sitting there, completely captivated. For the first time, I saw that there was a purpose to everything I had been through. That there was actually a career where people could use their story to help others.
I wanted that.
Not long after, I was given the opportunity to apply for one of the first CRS - Certified Recovery Specialist - classes offered in our area. I interviewed, was accepted, and fully committed myself to it. I successfully completed the program and was credentialed through the PCB as a CRS.
That’s when everything truly began to change - not just in my life, but in my purpose.
My passion for helping others in recovery took off. I spent several years working as a CRS, and I loved it. Being able to sit with someone in their darkest moments and tell them, “I understand,” and truly mean it—that was something I didn’t take lightly.
Then in 2020, I came across an opportunity at Avenues Recovery Center, and the rest is history.
Since then, I have grown within the organization and currently serve as an Operations Manager. Along the way, I’ve worn many hats - case management, intakes, alumni, aftercare - and each role has strengthened my passion even more. I have a deep commitment to helping those in treatment and showing them that recovery is not only possible - it’s worth it.
Because I chose to live a healthier, sober life, everything has changed.
I now have an amazing career. I have an incredibly supportive family. I am blessed with two amazing daughters who I love and adore. I have been able to repair the damage I caused during my addiction and rebuild relationships that once felt completely broken.
Working in recovery has opened my eyes to just how deeply my addiction affected everyone around me - but it has also shown me the beauty of healing, forgiveness, and growth.
Today, I live a life I once thought was impossible.
And I am grateful every single day that I was given the chance to rebuild it into something so beautiful.