Addicts Are Just Healers In Training
I started my road to recovery in 2016.
After years of struggling with addiction, I was fortunate to have outlived my active use, but stepping into sobriety came with a whole new set of challenges.
I had endless internal conversations about my future.
Did I want to work in addiction recovery? Could I handle being surrounded by the struggles of others while still managing my own? Was I even strong enough for this work?
In 2018, my husband and I made a huge decision.
We moved from Oregon to California. I had never been that far from home before. I left behind my family, my support system, everything I had ever known. And on top of that, we had just welcomed our third son—only two months old at the time. With no outside help, we had to become completely self-reliant.
At first, the adjustment took all of my focus. But as months passed, I started feeling restless.
I knew I was meant to do more. I had tried school before—multiple times—but nothing ever truly clicked. The weight of student loan debt made the idea of trying again unbearable. Still, I couldn’t ignore the feeling that I was meant for something more.
Then one day, I came across ARCS.
I wasn’t looking for a major life change, just something that might bring clarity to my next steps. But when I read their opening statement, something inside me lit up. It was different. No rigid deadlines, no crushing tuition costs—just an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to build something real.
I jumped in.
From the very first lesson, I was hooked. I finally felt like I had found a place where I could turn my struggles into something meaningful. The course material was eye-opening, but what made ARCS truly special was the community. I met classmates from all over the country, each with unique experiences, yet we all understood each other in a way the outside world often didn’t.
Halfway through my training, life changed again.
We moved back to Oregon, and I transitioned from being a stay-at-home mom to working full-time. Any other program would have felt impossible to continue, but with ARCS, I didn’t have to choose between my responsibilities and my dreams. I could move at my own pace, continuing my education without sacrificing my family or my financial stability.
One day, during a class discussion, my ARCS Coach said something that stopped me in my tracks:
“Addicts are just healers in training.”
I had never heard anything like that before! I wasn’t just recovering from addiction. I was learning how to guide others out of the darkness I had once lived in.
ARCS gave me the tools, the knowledge, and—most importantly—the confidence to help others walk their own path to healing.
It made me realize that all of my struggles happened for a reason, and I don't have to be a "perfect Coach." Sharing my experience and listening to someone else's with an open heart and mind is enough.
It's our common human experience that heals us.
It's knowing we're not alone and reminding each other what we're capable of. Today, I know exactly who I am meant to be.
Thank you ARCS, for showing us a way worth showing to others....and especially for giving addicts like me an amazing second chance at a good career and a good life.
