Holly’s Recovery Story

When I think about recovery, I think about how hard it was just to get here (Alcove) in the first place. Walking through those doors takes real courage – more courage than most can ever understand. Most of us didn’t just arrive because of substances. We came here carrying so much shame, pain and trauma.

I know what it feels like to be in a place where you’re tired and just want to give up. Stuck in a place where you’re scared to change, or that change is even possible. But then there is a part of you that knows you want your life to be different. It’s that part of you that knows you can have so much more.

Recovery for me hasn’t been about becoming a completely new person. It has been about slowly learning how to be myself again – with improvements. It means sitting with feelings that used to feel unbearable. It means that when everything is tumbling down and falling apart, to ask for help instead of saying everything is fine.

Addiction tried to define me, but it does not have the final say. My recovery is proof that my past does not dictate my future. Alcove has reminded me that I am not alone on this journey. With each step and each moment of strength, I reclaim my life piece by piece until the full picture of who I really am becomes clearer – Resilient. Worthy. Free.

~ Holly ~