Interview Summary: Samantha A.

Learning Quotes from Samantha

“I don’t want no more pain. I don’t want to be inviting myself to the pain no more.”

“You can’t treat addiction without treating the mind. Mental health was my first step — not the last.”

“I took myself to detox. I was broken, but I wasn’t finished.”

“If I don’t pour into myself, I can’t expect anyone else to. My family comes with what I build — and that’s my four children.”

“It’s levels to healing. Therapy, prayer, and self-love are how I stay free today.”

Conversation Overview

Samantha’s story begins in Milwaukee but carries the weight of many cities and seasons. A mother of four and a survivor of multiple traumas — the loss of her mother, her son’s incarceration, her daughter’s near-fatal car accident, and a painful divorce — she reached a point where she says, “enough was enough.”

After years of using alcohol, pills, and heroin, she entered recovery for the first time in nearly 20 years. This time, she did it differently: she checked herself into Rogers for mental-health stabilization, entered detox, and later moved into sober living. She found structure, support, and a new sense of peace through therapy, medication, and prayer.

Her story underscores how untreated grief, abandonment, and mental illness can fuel addiction — and how addressing them directly can create lasting change. Today, Samantha speaks openly about her journey, reminding others that recovery isn’t about perfection; it’s about persistence, boundaries, and believing you deserve better.

Key Learnings

• Mental health is the foundation. Healing starts with the mind; stability makes sobriety sustainable.

• Pain can become purpose. What once felt unbearable became the force that moved her toward recovery.

• Environment matters. Recovery is harder when treatment centers are surrounded by drug activity — safety and stability are essential.

• Support saves lives. Many barriers come from lack of family or community support. Building new networks is part of recovery.

• Self-love is survival. Samantha learned to be her own source of strength — to give herself the care she once searched for in others.

Insight for Systems Change

Samantha’s story reminds us that recovery isn’t just about removing substances — it’s about rebuilding life. She shows how gaps in family support, housing, and mental-health care can keep people in cycles of use.