I struggled with a lot of mental health issues when I was growing up in Virginia. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a lot of support from my family. So I always felt like I wasn’t good enough or that I always had to prove myself.By the time I was 12, I was already experimenting with alcohol and drugs — including inhaling lighter fluid, gasoline, and paint markers. I never felt at home with my parents, so I ended up running away a lot. Eventually I dropped out of school and found crack cocaine. That really did a number on me — I got suicidal and was in and out of psych wards.But even when I wasn’t doing drugs, I had a hard time holding down jobs because of my emotional problems. I also isolated myself more and more from friends. And the more isolated I got, the more hopeless I felt. I was convinced that relationships don’t work, so I hit the road and wasted the next six years of my life hitchhiking the country and doing drugs.

The Real Help I Needed

I did try to quit. Several times, in fact. I’ve been in recovery programs all over the United States. But it never lasted. The longest I ever stayed in a program was four months. But last year, I got beat up pretty bad over drugs. That got my attention. I was determined to get the help I needed. So when someone recommended Springs Rescue Mission, I came.I’ve been in Christian programs before, but not like this one. They gave me the biblical education and spiritual counseling I really needed. They gave me structure and space when I needed it, but they also helped me forge real friendships with people for the first time. They genuinely cared about me. So the more I trusted people here, the better it got. I received so much love and support, it gave me a whole new outlook on life. Now I’m ready to give adulthood a second chance.God really has his hand on Springs Rescue Mission. I never felt at home anywhere in my life. I do now.