My father passed away in 2011 and that changed everything for me. My solution to cope was self-medicating with alcohol. Eventually, my husband and sister made the decision that I was not able to safely care for my kids. Being displaced from my kids and husband, my drinking and trauma symptoms only progressed.
I moved in with my other sister in Minnesota and found a job, but I lost it within 5 months for showing up drunk. I got another job and lost that within 2 months due to my drinking as well. I had it in my head that I deserved the life I was living, and everyone should just let me self-destruct and leave me alone. I fought hard for that self-destruction. I ended up living in a homeless tent community where I was sexually assaulted on a regular basis by a group of guys that used me to get drugs and alcohol. A definitive traumatic event led to a suicide attempt, but God had other plans. By the end of the night, a friend that also happened to be a Wellcome Manor employee was able to get me to the hospital and detox and set me up for an intake to Wellcome Manor.
There were many times I found myself wanting to leave, and because I was there voluntarily, I knew that I could, but I also didn’t want to give up on myself. After graduating I earned my PRS and PSS certificate and became a certified Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Advocate. People had been telling me for a while I should put in an application to work at Wellcome Manor, so I did. I was hired, and it’s wonderful to see things come full circle and it’s amazing to give back what was so freely given to me.