I grew up in a home where fear felt normal. My dad used meth to cope with his mental health struggles and the pain of losing his father, but it came out as anger. He lashed out at my mom constantly, and I was surrounded by yelling, chaos, and instability. I never felt safe. By the time I was a teen, I had turned to drugs myself—starting with marijuana at 13, then cocaine, and eventually meth by 1-It felt like the only way to numb everything I had absorbed growing up. At 23, I hit a breaking point and made the decision to leave hard drugs behind. A few years later, becoming a mom gave me a new purpose. I looked at my children and knew I had to give them something different. That meant healing, taking accountability, and learning how to parent with love instead of fear. I’ve worked hard to break those generational patterns, and I’m proud of the mom I’ve become. Now I support others who are trying to rewrite their family story because I know what it means to grow up in pain and still choose to build something better.

My life has been full of transitions: grief, motherhood, heartbreak, identity loss, survival, and rebuilding. Every transition reshaped me. I learned how to listen to myself through change, and now I support others through theirs.

I know what it’s like to feel weighed down by past choices and unsure how to move forward. I’ve lived through periods of deep shame and self-doubt, and I understand how isolating that can feel. Over time, I learned that change doesn’t come from punishment or perfection, but from patience, honesty, and support. If you’re carrying regret, feeling stuck, or questioning whether starting over is possible, I offer a calm, compassionate space to talk things through and feel less alone.

I started as a 12 or 13 year old divorced family. Attempted suicides in the family. Plus I never felt right or fit in. Then I found the booze and drugs and when I say drugs ive done them all. I've done a little time in prison, county jails homelessness. And still being there for my 3 wonderful children. I have 30 years active addiction and I wouldn't be clean today if it wasn't for finding peer support online and I want to start helping others.

I struggled for a good 30 years inactive addiction I've got two and a half years clean and sober now a little bit more I have been around the rooms for a very long time I enjoy just talking about whatever you want to talk about what do you got going on what are your thoughts for the future what are your plans was talking about

I didn't realize how much I had on my plate at first when I was hiding behind unhealthy vices like a few drinks after work, binge watching TV and eating or shopping my feelings away. It wasn't until I stopped feeding these habits that I was able to really lighten the loads of my day to day by actually learning to hold loving space for feeling emotionally or physically fatigued. Sleeping it off doesn't really sleep it off, but learning to lovingly sit with myself and offer myself or seek the additional support needed when necessary to move through difficult times has made those bumpy days way less rattling and helped shorten my turnaround time to returning to a charged battery with capacity to move forward and continue to advance in my life, no longer just barely keeping my head above water. I have a hefty tool box of self support practices I'd love to share and discover what it might help you to discover what can help you move through life's tough patches.

Once I began to know better for myself and do better, I instantly felt the shift in the connections in my life. I felt more & more alone as what I thought held us together was no longer sustainable to maintain relationships with those from my past. That loneliness stepping into my new season of growth was intense, and made it feel so tempting to return to old habits that I knew deep down no longer aligned with my life's journey. Sometimes others were even hurtful towards me emotionally and verbally as we went our separate ways, and those feelings were difficult to navigate alone. Continuing along the path I knew was right for me, that I felt deep down in my gut and could see the proof of in my surroundings as more doors began to open was affirming, and I know I made the right choice as I am attracting the community that best supports the path that I am on today.

My life has been a journey through pain, loss, and resilience. I grew up with I felt was an abusive parent and lost another at a young age. I survived a 15-year abusive marriage, faced infertility, and was blessed with twins through IVF. I became a caregiver to my terminally ill spouse and later endured the heartbreak of losing both my spouse and later one of my children who was 24 years old. Alongside these losses, I’ve faced my own health challenges and disability. For years, constant crisis defined my life, and when it finally quieted, I struggled to live what others call a “normal.” life. Through it all, I’ve learned that even in darkness, growth and hope remain possible. I’ve dedicated my career to helping others survive and heal—abused children, sex-trafficking survivors, women in crisis, and parents rebuilding their lives. Life is hard, but you can survive—and thrive.

Growing up around addiction, poverty, and instability, I learned early on to cope by escaping my emotions however I could. As a teen and young adult, I turned to drugs and alcohol to numb myself, never thinking about the consequences. Even after surviving a house raid, an arrest, and a stay in a mental hospital, it took me years to confront the hold substances had on my life. Meanwhile, I found myself trapped in abusive relationships that mirrored the dysfunction I had grown up with. Through therapy, support groups, and a lot of inner child work, I slowly started to build a life based on self-respect rather than survival. I am now over two years sober from alcohol and several years free from drug use, continuing my healing journey with a focus on compassion and patience. I know how overwhelming it can be to untangle addiction from relationship trauma, and I want to be a steady, understanding presence for anyone facing that path today.

I stayed too long. Not just in one relationship, but in a few. I told myself things would get better, that I could fix it, that I was the problem. After a 17-year marriage ended in infidelity, I felt completely lost and unlovable. I drank to cope, remarried, and kept drinking. Then came a narcissist who used, lied, manipulated, and eventually tried to kill me. By the time I realized I had to leave, I was trauma bonded, emotionally exhausted, and terrified. But I did leave. I found a domestic violence shelter, got sober in rehab, and slowly began piecing myself back together. I know how hard it is to leave, especially when your sense of self is tangled up in trying to make it work. But I also know this: you don’t have to wait until you’ve lost everything to walk away. If you’re wondering whether it’s time to go, let’s talk. I’ve been there.

Being a mother in recovery is one of the hardest battles I've faced. I've had my children taken, felt the despair that relapse can bring, and fought hard to get them back. I know how it feels when the system meant to protect kids ends up pushing families apart. But I also know how to stay strong, rebuild trust, and reclaim your role as a mother. Through my own journey I discovered ways to survive, heal, and protect your family while staying in recovery. I'm here to help other mothers find that same strength and Hope.

I've walked through hell and back. Addiction, chaos, and darkness were my reality for years, and I've made mistakes that could have broken me - but I survived! I've cried at the gates of hell, and somehow, the universe reached down and pulled me out because it knew I was strong enough to turn around and reach back in to pull just one more out - hacksaw ridge status - one more person, one more life. Today, I guide people who feel lost, trapped, or hopeless to transform their pain into strength, reclaim their lives, and create hope for themselves and those around them. Together, we turn survival into purpose and lived experience into empowerment.

Grief has a way of changing you in ways you never expect. When I lost the people and things that meant the most to me, I felt like the world went quiet. The kind of quiet that echoes. I try to fill it with anything - anger, distractions, even denial - but nothing told the ache. Eventually, I realized brief isn't something you "get over." It's something you learn to live with, and if you let it, it can become your greatest teacher. Through my own pain, I found compassion, understanding, and the deeper sense of purpose. The same light I thought I lost was waiting for me to open my heart again. Grief doesn't mean you're broken - it means you love deeply. I'm learning to live again is how we honor that love!

I've always been the type that had to learn everything the hard way. I've always wanted to experience the extreme in life and because of that my life became extreme. Yes the things that I went through were horrible, but looking back now as a survivor, honestly- it's not a bad thing I went through them. I used to be so close-minded, aggressive, judgmental and quite frankly very dark. My life has never been boring and the energy I drew into my life was even darker. It's in the darkness though, that you find your light. I know that the universe heard me cry from the mouth of hell, reach down and pulled me out because It knew I'd be strong enough to turn around and reach my hand in to pull just one more out hacksaw Ridge status. I'm the only one in my family that never enlisted but fought a hard war here on our soil. I know what it's like to live without people you never wanted to live without, to lose hope and give up, to be invisible, homeless and pregnant and in addiction. We do recover.

I grew up in a home where religion was strong and drugs were never around, so I never thought addiction would be part of my story. But after a car accident in 2019, I was prescribed pain medication and found myself caught in a cycle I couldn’t seem to break. As a newly single mom to three kids, I knew I needed to find a way out. A trusted friend suggested medicinal marijuana, and with that, plus support, CBD, and physical therapy, I was able to finally get off all substances. It wasn’t easy — I had to figure out so much on my own, diving into books, podcasts, and eventually going back to school for psychology to better understand healing and growth. Through all the challenges, I found a new version of myself: stronger, happier, and more resilient than ever. I would love to walk with you if you're trying to break free, rebuild your life, and find your own strength again.

I am thankful for my humble beginnings. My Life is a true testimony that All things are Possible, if you believe. My Life journey has proven that you can choose to use your past for instruction and your future for construction in building a better life. I grew up in a very loving and secured environment. However, I struggled through many disappointments in life while trying to find my purpose, from seeking employment to maintaining relationships, I am divorced, As a single parent, I have raised two wonderful men. However working through my disappointments, financial woes, confusion and sometimes complete loneliness, my children kept me focused because they needed me. Today, I realized how much I needed them. For the last 25 years, the direction of my interest fell upon the needs of those who were charged with neglect & their children placed in the system for various reasons, victims of domestic violence & substance abuse issues. I dedicate my life to help restore, reconcile & heal

Recovery for me has always been a delicate balancing act. When one CPTSD coping mechanism comes into balance another one seems to get sent out of balance. Traditional 12 step programs, while helpful in some areas, segment maladaptive coping by issue e.g. food, relationships, alcohol. It took me nearly two decades to piece together a recovery framework that blended the wisdom of 12 steps with the more holistic approaches I found through Refuge Recovery, Charlotte Kasl's 16 steps, shamanic teachings, and Jungian-based therapies. These integrative approaches not only help me address the roots of these issues, but also give me a more compassionate language around and understanding of the fundamentally human challenge I'm experiencing. I believe everyone's recovery path is unique. But for me it was essential to find a way beyond conventional approaches.

I was a daily drinker for 18 years and now I have 18 years of continuous sobriety! My journey hasn’t been smooth sailing. I’ve faced addiction, mental health challenges, co-parenting struggles, and the heartbreak of losing loved ones. Through it all, I leaned into therapy and a strong support network to come out stronger. I'm now a Certified Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist, and helping others find their footing is something I care deeply about. Whether you're navigating sobriety, parenting kids with complex needs, or just trying to keep your head above water, I’m here to listen, relate, and support however I can.

I had my first drink at 10 years old and was binge drinking regularly as a teenager. By 18, I was drinking daily and using drugs. I stayed stuck in that cycle until I was 36. It took me over two years of serious effort to finally quit. I didn’t do it alone—I leaned into a 12-step program, therapy, and a lot of support from friends who had been there. Now, I’ve been sober for over 17 years. Helping others get sober has become a part of my life too. I’ve supported friends through relapses, connected people with local resources, and even watched someone go from crying in despair to four years clean and thriving. I know the shame, the cravings, the lies we tell ourselves, and I also know it’s possible to live differently. I’m a dad, a surfer, and someone who still works on my mental health daily. Recovery has given me a life I never thought I could have. I’m here to listen, share what worked for me, and walk alongside anyone who’s just starting out or struggling to hold on.

The holiday season is often portrayed as a time of joy, togetherness and celebration. Maybe for some, but not for all. Are the media’s unrealistic “shoulds” creeping up on you? The Blues could start with the time change, something many are sensitive to: shorter days, having it get dark earlier can result in lowering mood/energy. There could be a tinge of blues or, for some, a stronger dose of sadness, isolation, grief, financial stress, memories of old family conflicts or unresolved issues, and even a sense of inadequacy. While The Blues affect everyone differently, some common signs are feeling anxious or irritable; changes in sleep or appetite; difficulty concentrating; and, lack of motivation to participate in or withdrawing from holiday social interactions (or even thinking about them!). As others start to make plans, I shut down. I’m remembering the “fun people” are no longer with me, I’m aware the usual “trimmings” make me slightly nauseous today. Sound familiar? Join me!