2024 Success Story – Chanelle

Chanelle’s Story: The Healing Process

In June 2024 Chanelle shared her story of hope and new life to a group of nearly 30 people who gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of Triumph’s Inspirations facility; a remodel that will increase treatment beds available statewide from 16 to 48 once completed.

Below is the story she shared, in her own words.

“My name is Chanelle and I’m a recovering addict. I have a clean date of 5-11-2021. Six years ago, I had a career, a house, the cars, the garage; I was what some would call a productive member of society. Life threw me some curveballs and I went through a bit of trauma, and I found myself falling into addiction. Within three months, I lost my home, my job, my children, everything I had worked so hard to achieve in my lifetime. I found myself in a domestic violence relationship and in no time, I was on the streets of Yakima living out of a backpack. I spent three years living on the streets, struggling to get clean. I had lost all my self-worth, my dignity and my will to live. I tried many different methods to get clean on my own, but nothing worked. I attempted treatment three different times without making it through their programs. My fourth attempt at treatment; I was there for 69 days and was able to graduate with a certificate, but I had no treatment plan in place upon discharge and five days after getting out I relapsed. I spent the next year in and out of psychosis and my mental health was at an all-time low. It was during this time that I found the desperation that I needed to give treatment another try. I went to our local detox center, and they set it up for me to go to Inspirations.

In my stay at Inspirations, my brain had the chance to begin the healing process, and I was able to start functioning as a human again. Inspirations wasn’t a cookie-cutter treatment center, my therapy was tailored to my needs. I was able to start working through my grief and loss and start processing where I was at in my addiction. I was introduced to a 12-step recovery program and was able to connect with my sponsor. Two weeks into Inspirations, through literature and the 12-step recovery program, I realized for the first time in my life that I was an addict, and everything that went along with that. I was able to accept the fact that I have a disease, and I will be in recovery for the rest of my life. I was able to reconnect with my mental health provider and come up with a treatment plan. For the first time in a long time, my basic needs were met, and I was able to focus on what I needed to do in order to stay clean. At Inspirations I was able to reestablish a connection with my children.

After Inspirations I moved into an Oxford house, started (intensive outpatient) and started cleaning up the wreckage of my past. I was able to get into and graduate drug court, along with outpatient (services) and through MRT (Moral Recognition Therapy, a therapy focused on moral reasoning and social consequences that may be associated with substance use).

After the Oxford house I moved into the Triumph (Family Emergency) Shelter where I transitioned into my own apartment and regained custody of my youngest son. We have been living together for over two years now.  Today I still attend 12 step recovery meetings regularly, I have a close relationship with my sponsor and am currently working through the 12-steps. Inspirations was the rock that my recovery was built on and I am happy to say that last month (May, 2024) I celebrated three years clean.”