Day Job:
CEO and Clinical Director of Active Recovery in Shreveport, Louisiana; founder of Active Recovery Foundation, Inc.

The fallout from my addiction:
I spent 23 years in the drug-infested world of IV meth use. Over the course of my life, I had gone to prison three times for distribution/manufacturing of meth . . . my kids had to move three states away with my mother, and they grew up with deep-seated resentments. I’m still dealing with the aftermath of those resentments as they are now grown with children of their own.

Initially, I went to college for a medical profession to appease my mother, but lost the opportunity to work in the medical field because of my felonies.

Favorite recovery quote:
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” ~ Philippians 4:13

What worked for me:
I didn’t care for 12-step programs . . . I’d had treatment in the past, but it never ‘stuck.’  I realize now that every time I went into a rehab program, I gleaned something good out of it, even though I typically relapsed afterward.

My parole officer had always forced me to attend AA meetings and I just never got anything out of them.  I later decided that I could start a different kind of addiction program that centers on teaching 10 core concepts:  empathy, spirituality, gratitude, honesty, commitment, integrity, respect, initiative, communication and responsibility.  I came about these concepts one day after thinking about all of the things I had “lost along the way,” and started to write them down, eventually creating what is now our treatment workbook.

My life today:
I spend at least 15 minutes each morning outside in meditation and gratitude.  I use my drive time to process my day and listen to soothing music before I get to work, where I talk to clients about their drug screens if they are still positive.  Then I facilitate three hours of group time.  After work, I meet my husband for dinner at least once a week.  I run an evening group as well.

I’m glad to finally have some time to go to yoga and take an oil-painting class.   Before arriving home, I stop and visit my grandchildren, who live nearby.  The evenings are spent reading or enjoying our pool.  At the moment I am having an Art Studio built on our property to that I can oil-paint and create pottery from throwing clay.  My husband and I both ride motorcycles, and on weekends we are often riding around several lakes, trying out different restaurants along the way – especially during crawfish season!

On my bucket list:
My husband and I want to travel across America, visiting many of the State Parks across the land in a motorhome.

Stigma I faced:
Because I had four felonies and three prison stays, I knew the odds were stacked against me.  My son was born while I was in prison, and the family friend who took him on a temporary basis had always wanted a “prison baby;” that’s the label the local church gave him.  It was humiliating.

Once I obtained my Master’s Degree, I still had to go through the process of trying to get a full pardon twice in order to get my LPC license.  I decided that the only way to get a decent job is to create it myself.  I went against all odds, got my Master’s Degree at night while working a full time job and raising teenagers.  Today, I own two gorgeous facilities and help over 300 clients each month find recovery.

On finding purpose:
Every day that I come to work I am reminded of my own addiction, as my clients go through the struggle.  I am able to see the transformation from Day One to 8 weeks later, when they successfully graduate Phase 1.

I have found my purpose, and would not trade anything in the world for it.  God provided the tools and the timing; I just walked it down.

SHED THE STIGMA:   
If you’re a person in long-term recovery who wants to share your insights, please contact us at [email protected].