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PRO-ACT In Action-Reducing Stigma and Supporting the Many Pathways to Recovery
~Personal Story Submitted by an Anonymous Volunteer
For many years I had reoccurring conflicts with addiction from an early age. I grew up with close relatives struggling with alcohol and drug addictions. My parents were not addicts. I attended private school, grew up in a loving and encouraging home. My family did everything together and supported one another.
At the age of 13 I began to cut, by age 14 I was drinking, cutting and struggling with depression. This continued on through the age of 16 where I started to use and abuse my families and friends prescriptions. I was well hidden. I learned quickly how to lie about my pain to receive continued heavy medications from my primary physicians along with winning my parents concern for my fake physical pain.
By age 18 I almost succeeded in committing suicide. I left home and continued my destructive behavior and began to deal drugs on the streets of the city and became homeless. I married an addict who abused me. When he went to a rehab I began to attend Al-Anon. I became pregnant and left my husband to raise my son on my own.
By the age of 35 I continued my games with the physicians and abused prescriptions drank off and on and would dream of suicide. While climbing the corporate ladder, I held offices on the PTG of the school my sons attended, was director of a parenting center and lived a lie. I even took college classes thinking that would make me a better person.
During this time I had married again, another addict. We were two functioning addicts doing for the community, our children's sports teams, schools and church. By the time I was 38 my oldest had graduated high school and was using different substances since he was 12 and I was in denial and ignoring it. Six months after graduation he lost his scholarships and was in full blown heroin addiction and homeless.
I began to attend a support group Nar-Anon which is where I learned about PRO-ACT from someone in the fellowship. I attended their family program where I learned many useful tools, and information that helped me enormously. I remember leaving thinking had, I only known this, years ago, I would have done so many things differently and my son may not be still suffering.
I asked to be a family program facilitator and took the training. Immediately I began to share with others through teaching for PRO-ACT. In the process of the training and also working on my 12 steps I came to realize my own addiction. I began my own process of recovery. I would pray over and over that my son and husband would one day receive the gift of recovery too. I would take any and every training I could that PRO-ACT offered. I was equipped with how to approach those in active addiction to offer help and how to be a Mentor. I could be a Mentor and educator to family members who needed someone to understand.
I offered a 3 week seminar to other women to help with building self-esteem to those who were to beaten down from addiction or a mental illness. I got my church involved in helping men and women with care bags for those in recovery. PRO-ACT offered me ways to be a part of community forums, town hall meetings and panel discussions to contribute to the community efforts.
After 5 years of being introduced to PRO-ACT I now facilitate focus groups with my son who is also in recovery collecting data for Mentorship in our community and finding ways that can help our community and those struggling with addiction in it. My son also took the Mentorship training at PRO-ACT. Something he has wanted to do for a long time. PRO-ACT holds volunteer meeting every month, where we all have an opportunity to have a voice in how we can reach out and help others in need and help inform and educate the community.
In 2014 we began our first sports event. Each month we meet for volleyball offering those in recovery and their families a healthy and positive option to attend. We began with 10 attendees, and now see over 45 people each month. Our 16 year old son also enjoys playing with us. He has seen hope through our involvement and the change it has made in us as a family. This program has since blossomed a kickball league that has grown and been a positive influence in the community.
I know it is something simple, however I have seen heads hanging low and worried about judgment when they come in, and they leave laughing and they come back for more. And now I can say that not only has Pro-ACT been there to offer a way to contribute to the community and be a positive influence on others, such as myself, but not only my son is involved, now my husband too has started to attend our PRO-ACT volleyball team and is almost two months sober.
I have made great friends and positive connections through being involved with PRO-ACT as well. When I was offered something that showed me myself worth and gave me purpose, I was able to excel and use my gifts to help others. The importance of PRO-ACT and the Council is that with the growing amount of people supported and keeping sobriety through the many things the organization offers, imagine how many lives can change. Together we can make a difference and do!
For more information about PRO-ACT or to volunteer, please visit our website. | 
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