I am a person who lives with trauma and mental health challenges, which led me to join a 12-
step recovery program 23 years ago this month. During that time, my recovery journey has
widened and deepened in so many ways, including yoga, meditation, energy work, journaling,
Primal Trust, EMDR, talk therapy, exercise, nature, and so much more.
I am one of 10 children and was raised in a religious cult. Many of my siblings have struggled
with mental health and substance use challenges as a result of childhood trauma. Three years
ago, in June 2022, we lost our oldest brother to alcohol use disorder. That loss highlighted the
urgent need to address the root causes of mental health challenges and substance use disorder.
I promised my brother that I would bring trauma recovery to the forefront within treatment
and recovery systems, as it is rarely centered and is often shied away from due to concerns
about “liability” or the belief that it is solely clinical work. I’m happy to share that over the past
2 years, I have been part of the Primal Trust community, where I have learned and practiced
tools for nervous system regulation and deeper inner healing work, including parts work. I'm
feeling so hopeful and seeing huge strides in my physical health, mental health, and
relationships!
I have not personally experienced an overdose reversal, but I lost my brother to alcohol use
disorder. I have been trained to use naloxone and carry it with me, but I have not yet had the
opportunity to use it personally. We were excited to buy OAK Center naloxone boxes for the
We Bloom Recovery Cafe!
The overdose crisis has affected our community in horrific ways here in Indianapolis. We have
lost so many members over the years to fatal overdoses. We have seen this trend throughout
our state and across the Midwest as well. I’m very grateful for the progress we have made in
reducing overdose deaths as a country, but I am concerned about the reductions in funding we
are seeing at both the state and national levels.