Mom in Recovery Blog: Rehab Saved My Life

Before Rehab: Living in Darkness

When you’re trapped in addiction, every day feels hopeless. Every setback feels like the end of the world. You don’t want to live, but you’re terrified to die. That was me in early 2022, when depression and alcohol took over my life.

My drinking got worse during the last six months of my marriage, and after we separated, it spiraled out of control. By the end, I couldn’t stop once I started. The constant conflict with my ex, especially over phone calls and texts about our young son, felt toxic and never-ending. Drinking was the only escape I knew.

The First Steps Toward Help

That summer, I began attending AA and even asked a wonderful woman to sponsor me. But I still couldn’t “get it.” By November, I was desperate, so my sponsor drove me to a 5-day detox in Troy, Alabama. I only lasted three days sober when I got home.

In January 2022, things hit rock bottom. I ended up on 24-hour watch at the ER and was transferred to a behavioral health unit in Mississippi, where I was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and PTSD. My dad stepped up—keeping my older son, staying at my house, driving me everywhere. I wasn’t drinking, but the guilt, shame, and fear were eating me alive.

I tried an Intensive Outpatient program and went to daily AA meetings, but it wasn’t enough. I confessed to my dad that I was still having thoughts of self-harm. Back to the ER we went—paper pajamas and all.

The Turning Point: Choosing Rehab

It was in that hospital that I knew I needed something more. With the support of my family and a compassionate social worker, I decided to go to rehab. She found Twelve Oaks Recovery Center in Navarre, Florida, and once a bed was ready, my dad drove me there.

On the way, I thought, “This feels like the old days when Dad drove me to summer camp…but not.” I was terrified. Rehab meant leaving my life behind for at least a month, to live with strangers who were also fighting their demons. But it turned out to be the best decision I ever made.

Life Inside Rehab

When I arrived, the staff welcomed me with kindness and hope. I detoxed briefly, then moved into a dorm-style room with a roommate. The hardest part? No phone for the first seven days. But honestly—that was also the most healing part. No more toxic calls. No more texts that crushed me. After a week, I could use a landline for ten minutes each night to call my parents, my sister, my sponsor, and my son. Their joy gave me strength.

After those seven days, I earned one hour of cell phone use each evening. For the first time in years, my phone became a tool for connection and joy instead of fear.

Healing Through Therapy

Twelve Oaks is a Dual Diagnosis center, meaning they treat both addiction and mental health. That was exactly what I needed.

• Daily Routine: Mornings were three hours of small group therapy. Afternoons offered “choose your own adventure” therapy options. Evenings ended with AA meetings run by us, the clients.

• Outdoor Therapy: Cornhole, volleyball, walking, weights, or just reading on a blanket.

• Faith-Based Sessions: Bible-study style discussions for those who wanted them.

• Women’s Trauma Group (my favorite): Surrounded by women like me, I learned about PTSD, setting boundaries, and—most importantly—that what happened to me was not my fault.

• Professional Care: Weekly meetings with a psychiatrist to adjust my medications, and even EMDR therapy for trauma.

Finding My People

Spending time with the other clients was just as healing as the therapy. We were so different—young and old, doctors and drug dealers, tattooed and polished—but we all shared the same darkness and the same hope.

Together, we laughed, cried, and supported each other. We went on weekly field trips: bowling, kayaking, the beach. We piled into the “druggy buggy” (a big, white passenger van) for supply runs to Dollar General. On Sundays, a group of us always chose to attend a lively church service that breathed life back into us.

The Mindset That Made the Difference

I truly loved my time at Twelve Oaks because I went in with an open mind. I focused on the similarities I shared with others, not the differences. That mindset changed everything.

I was so grateful for the staff, the therapists, even the food service workers and housekeepers—everyone contributed to my healing. I extended my stay to 45 days because I knew I needed more time to embrace the new me.

Gratitude for My Support System

Looking back, rehab was a gift—not just from God, but from the people who carried me there.

• My dad and stepmom, who took over the daily care for my older son, ran my household, and paid my bills.

• My mom, who kept the family updated.

• My sister, who threw my older son a dragon-themed birthday party while I was gone.

• My sponsor, who answered every call, not knowing which version of me she’d get.

• My coworkers and bosses, who picked up the slack and held my job for me.

• Even my ex, who cared for our younger son while I healed.

I’m proud to say I’ve continued to grow since that stay. Today, I’m 3.5 years sober, and I love my recovery community more every day.

Is Rehab for You?

So is rehab for you, my friend? Only you can decide. But here’s what I know: rehab gave me hope, healing, and a future I never thought possible.

If you go in with an open heart and a willingness to push past the uncomfortable, it can change everything. Yes, it’s scary. But it’s far scarier to stay where you are.

Rehab saved my life—and it just might save yours too.