Help Me Fight Mental Illness and Save Lives!

Melisa’s Story of Hope - A New Perspective

After violating my parole by failing too many drug tests, my parole officer decided jail was not going to give me the help that I needed and that substance use treatment was a better answer. Due to my trauma, we chose Our Hope.

At first, I was against the idea and was just going through the motions. I had already been through treatment four other times. So, I was just there. After my first therapy session and just talking with my therapist, I started to change my mind. I started to try and take something from each group. Then I noticed that it was focusing more on the trauma part of my addiction and how the drugs affected me. See, my problem was my trauma from sexual abuse as a child and repeated abuse as an adult was never addressed. I learned the drugs were a way for me to numb and cover the real problem, my trauma.

After my first 30 days, I had a 360 outlook on everything in my life: my addiction, my friends, my family, even my job. Before my thought was, “Why didn't they help me? Why did this happen to me? What did I do to deserve any of this?” I came to understand that my parents did what they thought was best for me with what they had. I learned that the more it happens the harder it is to come back from. With an open mind and the willingness to change, no matter how hard it may seem, there is a silver lining. There is still good out there, sometimes you just need a little help to find it.

As my time finished at Our Hope, I had a new spark for life after getting a new perspective and the help I needed. I completed parole, changed the people in my life, remodeled a new home, and started working on my own business. I still participate in meetings, go to therapy, and see my drug counselor on a regular basis. I may never be completely fixed, but I'm getting better every day. It's getting easier to live with my addictions knowing that I now have control, not my addiction, not my abuser, and not that mindset of not enough. I am so thankful for Our Hope and all the people that helped me while I was there. Without their help, there is no doubt in my mind that I would be back in jail, prison, or even worse, dead.

Melisa is just one of at least 90% of our clients who experience a co-occurring mental health disorder (most commonly post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression), in addition to their substance use disorder.

For these women, each day without treatment raises the risk of serious harm or, even worse, death due to these mental health conditions.

Our Hope offers a holistic approach to treat both the substance use disorder and co-occurring disorder.

Will you join my mission to fight mental illness and save these women?

They are counting on us. Can we count on you?

Without your support, we cannot provide healing to women with substance use and co-occurring disorders. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month in May, will you help impact the lives of women suffering from these deadly diseases?

Make your gift online TODAY and save even more lives. They just cannot wait for tomorrow. OurHopeAssociation.org/Give.

Gratefully,

Heather Greko, MA, LPC, CAADC, CCS, ADS
Executive Director
Our Hope Association