Editor’s Note: September is the National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. The Spanish Fort Sun has focused on recovery centers, recovering addicts and their story. This is the final part of the series.

The road to recovery is multifaceted, sometimes bumpy and takes time. People who suffer with substance abuse or addiction must address core issues, break free of destructive life behaviors and learn coping skills that will help them lead a recovery lifestyle.

To learn how to maintain abstinence from substance abuse and addiction, many consumers have entered into treatment programs tailored to meet their needs. Two of this area’s substance abuse programs are The Shoulder and the Special Women’s Program at Mobile Mental Health.

The Special Women’s Program at Mobile Mental Health offers women, age 19 or older, who have children, treatment for substance abuse or substance dependence problems. Women may often have no source of income, have children, and have no one they can leave their children with, Cynthia Stargell, a team leader, said. Inpatient treatment for women is limited in this area as most facilities require either insurance, self-pay or Medicaid, she said.

“We need to come up with answers that are specific to women,” Stargell said.

A woman’s decision to enter the Women’s Program may be boosted by involvement with legal and Department of Human Resources issues, Stargell said. One consumer, Chimere, said she knew eventually she would be charged with child endangerment and could even lose custody of her children.

Chimere opted to call DHR and report herself as not being able to take care of her children. With DHR, custody of children and visitation of children is sometimes dependent on how well consumers do in the program.

“Most [women] are very motivated to comply with the program,” Stargell said.

For six months, Chimere participated in a special women’s program at Mobile Mental Health, but she relapsed a couple of weeks later.

The Special Women’s Program is grant funded so women can attend at no cost.

“We try to eliminate various barriers they have to treatment,” Stargell said. This may include helping them with applying for Section 8 housing.

“If we don’t try to assist them, we may be setting them up to fail,” Stargell said.

The program emphasizes that consumers need to take responsibility for getting the “wreckage of the past cleaned up,” Stargell said.

Chimere graduated from the Home of Grace when she was five months pregnant and stayed clean for the duration of her pregnancy. She then went back to Mobile Mental Health Women’s Program for outpatient treatment after she graduated from the Home of Grace and before delivery of her third child.

The Shoulder offers residential treatment to men. Approximately 46 percent of clients at The Shoulder come from Baldwin County, while 33 percent come from Mobile and 21 percent come from other areas.

The Shoulder hopes to offer residential treatment one day to women. Shoulder Director Phillip Drane said it is often difficult to measure the success rate. Every six to eight months, The Shoulder tries to contact a significant other to find out how alumni are doing.

John, a former resident of the Shoulder, said when he was addicted to heroin he craved it every eight to 10 hours.

“It was agony to wake up,” he said.

John said everything changed when he stepped into recovery. He said he feels joy when he wakes up.

“I was hostile, resentful, selfish and angry. Now, I have joy, peace, serenity and laughter. I am getting back into the Bible and knowing who I am in Jesus,” he said.

The Shoulder provided John with a very stable and safe environment, he said. John said if you don’t try to change your behavior, then nothing else in your life will change.

Consumers still have to go back into their environment and face things that can act as triggers, Stargell said. Some may require treatment for any other mental health disorders they may have and need to avoid high risk situations.

Chimere said the skills she has learned through the Mobile Mental Health program is how to increase self esteem, how to cope with drug use, and how to cope with her “crazy” environment. She also learned that she had to change her friends, as well as places she used to frequent.

“You have to absolutely reconstruct your whole life,” John said.

Now, Chimere has petitioned the court to get custody of her two older children, she said. She said her daughter now has respect for her and she works hard to be a good parent.

“I face my responsibilities for being a mother,” she said. She is starting school in January and supports her family by doing hair weaves and other beauty shop services.

John is excited about his new job working for a nonprofit organization. He now takes better care of himself physically too by performing routine exercise and eating healthier foods.

Both Chimere and John had to leave their old lives behind. Both said they are different people now and they look forward to waking up in the morning and starting a new day.

“Recovery gives you your life back,” John said.