Our Recovery Story

Melinda's Story

I’m Melinda, and my story is one of struggle, survival, and growth. For 17 years, I worked in law enforcement. During that time, I experienced countless critical incidents that took a heavy toll on me and eventually led to complex PTSD. I didn’t know how to cope with the pain, the memories, or the constant weight I carried. So I numbed myself the only way I knew how—by drinking. Most nights, I drank until I blacked out, just so I didn’t have to feel anything or remember my actions.

Eventually, I hit a breaking point and found my way into trauma therapy. It wasn’t easy, but it changed everything. I slowly learned to face the pain instead of running from it. I stopped drinking completely and, in time, I built a new life for myself. I became a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, and in December 2024, I graduated from the University of Kentucky with my Master of Social Work. Today, I provide therapy to children and adolescents—something I never could have imagined back in my darkest days.

My recovery hasn’t been smooth or easy. The growing pains have been messy, raw, and sometimes brutal. But I wouldn’t trade any of it. Those experiences, as hard as they were, shaped me into who I am today—someone who understands what it feels like to be broken and what it takes to begin again.

It was during this chapter of rebuilding that I met Rodney. At the time, he was working as a Peer Support Specialist and I was a Counselor Aide. We met later in life, and while it might have seemed late to some, we know now that the timing held deep purpose. Both of us had to fight our battles separately before we could recognize each other as soulmates.

Rodney's Story

I’m Rodney, and for most of my life, survival was all I knew. I grew up with profound losses and adverse childhood experiences that left me feeling like I never really had a chance. I spent years unhoused, in and out of prison, and stuck in a cycle of treatment facilities. Life was about getting through the day, not about living.

Eventually, I reached a point where I couldn’t keep going the way I was. I was tired of barely surviving and finally became ready for real change. I completed a treatment program, and for the first time, I started to believe in the possibility of something better. I earned my Peer Support Certification, and I found purpose in sharing my recovery story with others who were still in the dark, just like I once was.

Today, I work as an Engagement Specialist. I go into SUD treatment centers, sit across from people who are where I used to be, and remind them that hope is real. My job is to share my story and to connect clients with the resources they’ll need once they leave treatment—because I know how hard that transition can be when you feel alone.

Meeting Melinda was something I never could have planned. By the time our paths crossed—me as a Peer Support Specialist, her as a Counselor Aide—we had both been through our own storms. If we had met earlier, neither of us would have been ready. But when we finally did, we recognized each other instantly. We had walked through fire separately so that, when the time was right, we could walk forward together.