I started drinking when I was 12, sneaking shots with friends and laughing like we were invincible. But even then, I was chasing more than just a buzz—I was trying to escape. Drinking made the chaos at home fade, so I kept chasing that numbness until it became all I knew. I partied through middle and high school, surrounded myself with people who could help me stay intoxicated, and ignored every warning sign. I experienced some of the darkest moments of my life while drunk, including being raped and repeatedly taken advantage of while too intoxicated to defend myself. I carried that pain for decades, burying it under more alcohol, more drugs. When I was 32, I lost custody of my children because I couldn’t stay sober. That shattered me—but it also woke me up. I went to jail, then rehab, and then straight into therapy. I did the work—every raw, painful step of it. I fought to be the parent my kids deserved, to be the woman I didn’t think I was capable of becoming. I’ve been sober since October 2021. Now, I help others because I know how terrifying and lonely that first step can be. I’m here to walk beside you, without judgment, because I’ve been there and I remember how it feels.