Hi! My name is Elizabeth... and I am an addict...

 In 2020, I turned lived experience into purpose, joining my local Community Services Board—now serving full-time in the Crisis Center. I connect through real experiences and storytelling, supporting organizations like Narcotics Anonymous and Celebrate Recovery. I also participate in local programs such as CORE, ALPHA, and Good News Jail Ministry. Over the past 2 years, I helped facilitate outreach efforts and hosted recovery events uniting 300+ people in the recovery community around hope and community.

I’m passionate about expanding access to recovery resources—especially in rural areas—and stay active with White Oak Worship Center, RASAP, and the Harm Reduction Committee.  My mission: to be a voice of hope—offering lived experience and professional support while advocating for recovery and mental health resources that create lasting change.

Through leading groups like WRAP and APPR, I’ve seen that recovery transcends all backgrounds. I’ve had the privilege to serve in diverse spaces—from churches and youth camps to treatment centers and jails—proving that no label defines who we are and addiction and mental health do not discriminate.

 Ready to become a confident, effective public storyteller? Step out in faith—not fear—and take action!! YOUR STORY MATTERS! When you share it, you turn pain into purpose, strengthen your own recovery & healing, and give others the hope they are desperately searching for. Don’t wait for confidence to come first—confidence grows when you use your voice.

START TELLING YOUR STORY TODAY!

Don't know where to begin? Click the link below. The CRG will help you identify, shape, & share your story. It includes starter questions, strategies, & ideas you can use as well.

As someone who’s been through the roller coaster of many types of addiction, I know first-hand the shame, guilt, & chaos that come with each substance & phase of it. 

For 15 years, I kept my addiction a secret, using it as a temporary escape from unaddressed mental health struggles & childhood trauma. 

I functioned at a high level for about 12 years... until I couldn’t anymore. The last 3 years of my addiction took everything from me. I had to walk away from my marriage, became separated from my kids for the first time, & spiraled through confusion, self-hatred, manic episodes, & even time in jail. I felt like a total failure. I thought my story was over...

But God was just turning the page...

I am living proof of God’s grace & mercy — even when I felt too far gone for Him to care. Through my faith & the support I found within it, I’ve learned that recovery isn’t just possible — it’s sustainable... Support matters! That's why sharing your story is so important. There is hope, no matter how broken or lost you feel.

My goal now is to spread one simple, yet powerful truth:

RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE!

People with ADHD don’t burn out from doing too much, we burn out from holding ourselves together all day. 

Watching what we say & how we react. Making sure we don’t come across as too much or not enough. Masking isn’t just social. It’s being switched on constantly. Even when we are exhausted. In conversations, we’re not just listening. We are reading tone. Reading faces. When we are talking, we are reading hand gestures & eye movement. Second-guessing ourselves. Wondering if you even care about what we are saying.

By the end of the day, our body feels heavy. Our brain feels frazzled & small things feel overwhelming. Stopping at the store for a few things is now impossible to do. That’s not laziness. That’s a nervous system that’s been running on 1,000 all day long! 

So, when we finally get space, we might shut down. You might find us sitting in the car, after work, staring out the window. Cancel plans & go quiet. That doesn’t mean we don’t care. It means we’re depleted. We are not broken.

You are NOT broken NOR alone!

WOMEN: https://www.womenandadhd.com/

 My recovery journey took me from accumulating debt & living shift to shift as a server, to being financially responsible & accountable.

For me, this included Dave Ramseys "Financial Peace University" (FPU) classes. FPU helped me by providing simple, structured, & a literal step-by-step guide for managing money. 

The program breaks finances into clear, manageable actions, such as, budgeting, paying off debt, saving, & future planning. Straightforward lessons, repetition, & practical tools make it easier to stay focused, form healthy habits, & follow through.

Taking control of your finances ultimately it promotes self-control, empowerment, & long-term success - key foundations for sustained recovery. I also began to tithe. This alone has changed my life! If you want to know more, send me a message.

Don't let past "money problems" stop you!