A Fresh Start After Teenage Addiction
As a 5-year old girl, Sabrina had her whole live ahead of her full of love, promise and hope that any young child should be able to enjoy. However, Sabrina’s life was turned upside down when her father, a police officer, was killed in the line of duty. The emotions that any person would feel in a moment like this would be gut-wrenching and would leave a scar that would likely stay forever, especially for a girl of just 5 years of age. Sabrina was understandably met with anxiety and depression in the following years, a pain that she would desperately try to cover up by any means necessary. What started with drinking and smoking in the sixth grade, Sabrina quickly found herself using much more dangerous drugs and by the end of her freshman year of high school, she was addicted to heroin.
Throughout her time in high school, Sabrina had attended assemblies with Chris Herren as the speaker. Sabrina found a sense of comfort in his presence knowing his story and seeing that there may be hope for her future. At one assembly in particular, Chris reached out to her personally to offer help which she says was the turning point in her journey. Sabrina realized that she did have a problem and decided it was time to get help.
After a 30-day residential treatment, Sabrina decided it was best if she didn’t go back to the environment she was in before, one that was not conducive to her newfound recovery. She reached out to Herren Project and was awarded a recovery scholarship for a sober living home. The sober living arrangement gave Sabrina the chance to meet women with similar stories and who shared the same goals to live a life substance free. Additionally, Herren Project provided Sabrina with a recovery coach who, along with recovery guidance, taught her basic life tools that she had neglected in her active use. Sabrina learned how to shop for groceries, apply for jobs, and set goals that would set her on a path towards self-sufficiency.
Today, Sabrina celebrates a life in recovery and credits Herren Project for giving her the tools to turn her life around and turn what could have been a sad story into one of success and hope.
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