April Williams

I’ve always been an alcoholic, but I never knew it. I thought I was just really good at partying.

It never ended up being a problem for me either. I did amazing in school, graduated third in my class, went to college, worked a full-time job, and bills always got paid. All the while, I was drinking heavily.

After I had my son, I was put in pain management for chronic pain. I didn’t know I was an alcoholic so the thought that I might misuse my prescription never crossed my mind. By the time I was 30, I was abusing my pain medication.

I was arrested for the first time at 31 and was put on probation. I stayed clean for almost a year, but they weren’t drug testing me. That’s when I found Meth. I was always afraid of street drugs and to this day, I still don’t know why I started using.

I got away with it for nine months, but finally landed myself in jail. I spent the next nine months in jail, finally made parole, and got sent to the Brighton Recovery Center for Women.

I was at the Recovery Center for Women for 10 months. The Center utilizes a strict schedule and routine. Every day was planned out; we woke up at a certain time, had classes to take, we had to eat at a certain time, we had to trudge, attend community, and clean. I was never good at doing what I was told either. Even though I hated the rules in the house, I stayed. I stayed for my freedom and I stayed for my son.

I have my whole life back because of the Recovery Center. I now live in Sober Living and I am able to do things for myself. I continue to come back and volunteer for the house a lot. I get the girls to meetings, teach class for the girls, and come back for community. I am still very vocal about the struggles I faced throughout the program because I want to show the girls that you can hate it every step of the way and still get so much from it. I came away with gratitude and a new way of looking at life.

There is a solution, you just have to push yourself to achieve it. When I was using drugs and alcohol I felt so hopeless. I didn’t think there was a way out, but there is. Before going through treatment I always thought I wanted to get back to the way I was before drugs. After going through the Recovery Center, I realize I am a better person now than I ever was before.