Alicia Lancaster endured a series of heartbreaking losses in 2015, losing both her mother and experiencing a miscarriage within the same year. The pain from these events led her to begin using drugs in 2016, and soon after, she fell into a deep depression.
In 2020, following a traumatic breakup, Alicia’s struggles escalated, and she began using fentanyl and heroin intravenously. It was during this time that she found her way to Healing Transitions’ Emergency Drop-In Shelter. She returned in 2021 to begin her recovery journey through the Long-Term Recovery Program.
Reflecting on that turning point, Alicia shares, “It was either go to HT or end up dying.”
For the first six months, she resisted being there and tried to leave.
Then, she suffered another devastating loss—her grandmother passed away due to COVID-19. Alicia recalls feeling angry with her grandmother prior to her passing and was preparing to make amends.
This loss was incredibly hard for Alicia, and she attempted to leave the program to get a hotel room.
“The staff knew what I was trying to do, and that made a huge difference,” she says. “They cared enough to stop me, and if it weren’t for them, I may not be here today.”
Today, Alicia recognizes the profound role Healing Transitions has played in her recovery.
She explains, “I still stay in touch with the female staff there. Just this Sunday, I called one of them because we were trying to help someone get to Healing Transitions.”
Alicia continues, “I told the individual what people had shared with me when I was at my lowest point. I know alumni mean a lot to the participants. It’s a full-circle moment, helping others as I was helped.”
For Alicia, this sense of giving back is what makes her recovery journey so meaningful. “Healing Transitions changed my perspective on recovery,” she says. “Before, I didn’t think life mattered, and I didn’t believe recovery was possible for me.”
Now, nearly four years later, everything has changed. Alicia has transitioned out of a sober living home and into her own apartment. She’s thriving as a manager at Refuel and she recently got married on Valentine’s Day.
Alicia knows how far she’s come, and she also knows that her journey isn’t over. She’s determined to help as many people as she can, showing them that recovery is possible, and that life truly can be different.