Honesty L

Honesty is a staff here at the McShin foundation. She is someone I look up to and love very much this is her story....

I am a person in long-term recovery and what that means to me is I have been drug free for over 4 years. I started using at age 12 and couldn't stop. Using was a lifestyle to me because I did it so young I just thought that was what everyone did. It was really fun at first, hanging with my friends and getting high and going to concerts. Then I found heroin at age 17 and my life started to go down hill. Nothing was important to me but using drugs. During this whirlwind I became pregnant and that didn't stop me from using either. I have been in and out of treatment for years until I finally threw my hands up and gave myself to recovery. I was done with the pain and the shame of addiction. The McShin foundation took me in with no money and showed me how to live again. I lived in the female housing program for five months and that taught me to love myself and gave my many tools of recovery. One of the main things I learned in early recovery at McShin was "Don't Use No Matter What." McShin and a twelve-step program helped save my life. After leaving the house I became a productive member of society and started working at McShin giving back to the recovering addict like it was given to me. Today I am surrounded by recovery and I love every bit of it. I am a proud wife, mother, sister, daughter, and friend. Recovery has changed my life around completely and I am truly grateful for all of it. And because of McShin being there to guide me in my recovery when I was completely helpless and broken I am able to live a very happy life today.