Mind over Miles: MiSide Mental Health Awareness Walk
Join MiSide for the month of May and get moving for Mental Health Awareness! Sign up to track your miles and raise money to stop the stigma and get people the help they need. Register now and invite your family and friends to join you!
$2,776Raised of $10,000
Alicia's Story
Alicia is no stranger to suffering, but now she is channeling her experiences into helping others overcome their struggles.
Growing up, Alicia was raised by two parents in active addiction. Her mother struggled with untreated bipolar disorder, while her father was in and out of prison for Alicia’s whole life. Not only did that mean that Alicia was predisposed to become an addict, but it also meant that she had to deal with things that no child should.
A survivor of child sexual abuse, Alicia attempted to take her own life at the age of 12. Soon after, she was taken from her parents and placed in foster care.
From age 13, Alicia was raised by her grandparents. They gave her the best life they could, but Alicia still struggled having faced all she had when she was younger.
Unfortunately, Alicia faced more abuse as time went on. Surviving emotional and psychological abuse from her second husband, Alicia got a divorce and got herself out. Then, she met the man who would end up putting her in the hospital three separate times.
Leaving her abuser, Alicia was now homeless and living in a domestic violence shelter. All of this, while being a single mother to her daughter, Ava.
Fast forward to March of 2020; right as the pandemic began Alicia knew she needed help. After two stints in rehab, Alicia found MiSide and began receiving services like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, physical healthcare, support from a peer recovery coach, and eventually employment support.
“I was really broken, and I still have a lot of work to do.”
When Alicia came to MiSide she needed support to get sober from cocaine and alcohol. Soon after she started attending sessions through MiSide, on April 4th, 2020, she got clean from cocaine. But her biggest obstacle was her addiction to alcohol.
Ava lived with Alicia’s aunt while she went back to rehab for a third time. Finally, after her second stay in the domestic violence shelter, Alicia got sober.
She now celebrates nearly 3 years of sobriety.
“I feel like I broke the generational curse.”
Now, Alicia spends her time working for Hope Network as a peer recovery specialist. After graduating from the Detroit Recovery Program, Alicia has dreams of helping other women recover because she knows how hard it is to struggle alone.
“I plan on opening up my own recovery home for women one day because there’s a lot of Alicia’s that need help.”
It is because of you that Alicia was able to get the help she needed. Without your support these services would not exist and so many other Alicia’s would suffer.
Thank you for saving lives. Thank you for saving Alicia.