I was born in Colorado but grew up on a farm in Oklahoma. From an outsider’s perspective, we had the “perfect” home. My stepdad was a Staff Sergeant in the Air Force, my mom worked full-time as an office manager, and my older brother was a straight-A student and a two-time state football champion. Then there was me — always struggling in school, hanging out with questionable groups of kids, and almost always getting into trouble.
I never really felt comfortable in my own skin. I constantly compared myself to others and would change my actions and behavior depending on who I was around. At the age of 9, I started smoking cigarettes and marijuana. By age 11, my stepdad had reached his limit with my rebellious attitude, and I was given an ultimatum: “Shape up, or grab your things and figure it out for yourself.”
Out the door I went.
Thankfully, I had an aunt who lived just a mile away, and I walked to her house. She agreed to let me stay, but there was one rule: “Everyone has to earn their keep.”
My aunt and uncle had three daughters, and the oldest was 18 years old. She decided she was going to teach me how to “earn my place” there. At the time, she was deep in her addiction and knew plenty of people who could help keep money flowing. Before long, I was experimenting with much harder substances and selling whatever I came across. You could say I got a crash course in just about everything under the sun.
At first, I felt better than I ever had before, but over time I slowly began losing everything, little by little.
When I was 18, I found out I was pregnant with a baby girl. Although I had stopped using, her father had not. One night, not long after entering my second trimester, we got into a terrible argument, and suddenly things turned violent. That night, I lost my daughter at the hands of her father.
That was when my addiction came back full force.
I no longer cared how my actions affected anyone else or what they would do to my future. By the age of 21, after years of being in and out of jail, I found myself sitting in a courtroom once again, hoping and praying they would give me another second chance.
I was wrong.
I was sentenced to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. I received a 20-year sentence for nonviolent charges — 10 years to be served in prison and 10 years out of custody. I learned a lot during my time in prison, and I truly believed I had finally beaten my addiction once and for all.
I was able to stay clean for a few years, but unfortunately, I relapsed again in 2021.
At that point in my life, I had a good job, two beautiful sons, an amazing boyfriend, and my dream house. I thought I had finally reached a place where I was strong enough to use “just one time” and then stop again.
I was wrong.
That one time took everything from me in an instant. I abandoned my children, lost my job, lost my house, and was disowned by my family. I had completely lost hope in life.
Then, in April 2025, the power of desperation finally gave me the strength to reach out to my dad and ask for help finding treatment. For the first time in a long while, he responded.
I entered Harmony on May 7, 2025. When I first arrived on the beautiful campus, I was greeted with warmth and acceptance. The staff were amazing, supportive, and easy to talk to. In the past, I had always struggled to open up to people, but my counselor was patient with me and helped me work through my emotions and past trauma. She found creative ways to help me cope with triggers and painful experiences, and she also helped me create a relapse prevention plan.
Harmony taught me how to begin trusting again.
After completing treatment, I chose to move into sober living in Loveland, and it was one of the best decisions I could have made. I built a strong community of people in recovery, and I attend meetings five to seven times a week. Today, because of the hard work I’ve put into staying clean, I get to be a mom to my boys again.
It has only been a year since I got sober, but my life is already a million times better than I ever could have hoped for. I am forever grateful to Harmony for providing me with the foundation for my new life.
– Sara S.