Addiction: Janelle and Regan

Today's episode features a wonderful story of hope and
connection! Janelle and her daughter, Regan, are on the show to
talk about their experiences of Regan's struggles with drug use
and her time in rehab. We hear from both our guests around the
process, program, feelings before and after pivotal events and
where they are at as a family now. Regan opens up about her
story, how she started using drugs and progressed to dangerous
levels of abuse quickly, leading to her mother sending her to
live with her dad. Regan tells us about how, after ending up in a
rehab center soon thereafter, she managed to find a sense of
belonging that had been lacking in her life and both her and her
mother emphasize the power of the support network around the
rehabilitative treatment she went through. We discuss the
difficult period of transition and the horror of a short relapse
that occurred after returning home and the ultimate salvation
that Regan has achieved, finding gratefulness and acceptance
along the way. The conversation really underscores the need we
all have for love and happiness and how their absence can lead to
disastrous situations. Regan is now six months sober, having
completed high school and enrolled at college, a truly remarkable
story of overcoming hurdles! Be sure to join us for all of that
and more!





Key Points From This Episode:


A little bit about Regan's story and where is she is at with
her treatment. 

Janelle's experiences leading up Regan going to rehab in
Arizona. 

Finding the right treatment center and the positive
experience at Pathway. 

The period around the transition from hopelessness during
rehab. 

What it was like for Janelle during her daughter's time in
treatment. 

Difficulty around the periods of change; new normals and new
patterns. 

Regan's first job out of rehab, attending meetings and
finding her way back to her life. 

Relapsing for a short while and then returning, reuniting and
leaving home again. 

How Regan got fully clean and acknowledged her
powerlessness. 

The support group that Janelle has started at Life-Giving
Life!

Networks and peers; the indispensability of the groups that
help each other.

Healing and gratefulness for the whole experience and the
gifts it has presented. 






Tweetables:


“It was great, it was very intense. It was absolutely wonderful
and I am incredibly grateful that that was where she ended up.” —
Janelle  [0:11:11]


“Honestly, I didn't want to go to rehab because I wanted to
continue using. But I was relieved.” — Regan [0:13:45]


“I didn't have any goals for myself, I didn't see myself getting
anywhere at that point. I didn't see happiness for myself.” —
Regan [0:14:57]


“The main thing that I felt I was lacking was love from other
people, people that genuinely cared about me. I thought nobody
did. I quickly learned that everybody really loves you.” — Regan
[0:17:34]





Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:


Sherry Burkhard


Mosaics of Mercy


Community Impact Paper


Pathway Healthcare


Life Giving Life


Parents of Addicted Loved Ones