Finding Your Passion: How to Discover and Pursue Meaningful Causes.
Passion is a powerful force that propels individuals toward meaningful endeavors, often rooted in personal experiences and a desire to make a positive impact. The journey of recovery from substance abuse and mental illness is usually marked by profound challenges and transformative growth. For many, the path to healing becomes a beacon of hope, guiding them to a life of purpose and service. In the following paragraphs, I will share my struggles with substance abuse and how my journey of recovery ignited a passion for peer support work, empowering me to help others navigate similar challenges with empathy and understanding.
My journey into the depths of substance abuse was filled with pain, turmoil, and a sense of profound loss of myself entirely. Growing up with drug-addicted parents, experiencing homelessness, sexual abuse, domestic violence, and pure neglect from the ones who were supposed to love me set the tone for my life. It shaped the choices I would make in the future. What began as a means of coping with life’s challenges soon spiraled into a cycle of addiction, wreaking havoc on my physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Despite my best efforts to break free from the grips of addiction, I found myself trapped in a seemingly endless cycle of relapse and despair. No matter how badly I wanted it, I couldn’t break myself from its strong grasp on my life. But low and behold the consequences of my actions caught up to me, and now I was the one causing chaos in my life, and the lives of my children. I had no one else to blame but myself. Losing my children was my rock bottom, and it was then that I finally realized I truly had a problem and that I needed help.
Amidst the darkness of addiction, a glimmer of hope emerged, a turning point that would ultimately redefine the trajectory of my life. Though losing custody of the kids was the worst day of my life, it opened up the door for me to get the help I so desperately needed. Though I didn’t have unwavering support from loved ones, at first, I did receive support and guidance from compassionate professionals. I embarked on a recovery journey marked by courage, resilience, and self-discovery. It was during this transformative process that I began to recognize the impact of peer support in my journey and the power of empathy in fostering healing and growth. I started my journey of recovery at a mental hospital, where a therapist said something to me that I truly feel is what ended up saving my life. He told me “You have to find your worth outside of being a mother.” It took me a while to see that he was right. If I want to break those chains of addiction and all the toxicity in my life. I have to see that MY LIFE is worth saving. That I am not just a mother, a daughter, a sister, a wife, or a friend. That I am so much more than that. I am so much more than what others see. I am Sadee Nicole Barrett, and I am beautiful, I am smart, I am creative, I am compassionate, and love adventure, I strive to always go above and beyond, I am not perfect, I do have my flaws but that is what makes me, me. And me is worth saving.
As I navigated the challenges of recovery, cause of course there will always be challenges in every chapter of your life, I found solace and strength in connecting with others who shared similar struggles. Peer support groups, meetings, and God became a lifeline, offering a sense of belonging understanding, and acceptance that transcended stigma and judgment. Shortly after I lost my kids I went to a 28-day rehab but I felt even more lost than I did going into it. So, I chose to take a year to better myself, because to me recovery isn’t just about being sober, it is also about bringing all those underlying issues to the surface and learning how to cope with them. I decided to make a drastic decision and I went to a yearlong rehab so that I could become a better person for myself first and for my children 2nd. Recovery is more about learning to sit in the pain and overcoming it than it is about getting rid of that pain. Unfortunately, pain is inevitable.
My pain is what fueled my passion to get into the field of peer support. If I can just help one person then what I went through had a reason behind it. While peer support is very rewarding, it also presents its own set of challenges, including, navigating boundaries, managing others’ trauma as well as your own, and confronting stigma. However, the profound impact of witnessing growth, resilience, and healing in those I support far outweighs the challenges. Each encounter reaffirms my passion for this work and reinforces my commitment to fostering compassionate communities where no one feels alone in their struggles. I embarked on a journey to become a peer support specialist, equipped with the knowledge, skills, and compassion to help individuals who are struggling in silence, to be able to recover out loud, and to finally see their worth. Because others showed me grace and kindness when I didn’t deserve it, I can help others see that their lives are worth fighting for too.
In conclusion, my journey into peer support work has been guided by a deep-seated passion for empathy, understanding, and human connection. Through embracing my own experiences and using them to support others, I have found purpose and fulfillment in aiding individuals on their paths of recovery. I can use my rock bottom to help lay a solid foundation for others who are struggling to climb out from their own. And that people, is a miracle all in its own.
Written by Sadee Barrett
