For Tanya, recovering from drug addiction wasn’t the end of her journey; in many ways, it was just the beginning.
Tanya was in an abusive relationship for four years in her twenties, involving verbal, physical, and financial abuse. “I remember feeling like I couldn’t do any better, and that it wouldn’t get better,” Tanya said. “And it didn’t.” Her next relationship was even worse. This time, her partner’s abuse was exacerbated by drugs. Tanya found herself spiraling – from using drugs to fit in, then using drugs to get closer to her abuser, to developing a habit that needed drugs every day.
Eventually, Tanya felt like she hit rock bottom. The violence and drug use was taking a toll on every aspect of her life. She felt like she was living a double life, where during the day she cared for her children, and at night she was on the streets using drugs. She was tired. After one of the worst nights of her life, she woke up and knew something had to change. “I decided I couldn’t take it any longer,” Tanya said.
After one hard-fought year, Tanya was clean from drugs and fighting to build a stable life for her family. She had severed ties with her second abusive partner. But she was facing housing insecurity, and she was struggling to raise her six children as a single mom. “I needed to find some direction in recovery,” she explained. “I was in an outpatient program, a 12-step program, and a parenting program, but I felt like something was missing.” She needed more support to stay clean.
That’s when she found Women In Transition.
At WIT, Tanya saw a counselor and attended peer support groups. She learned about the ways that domestic violence and substance abuse are linked, and saw connections she hadn’t realized between her own abusive relationships and her substance use. “WIT is where I learned about domestic violence, manipulation and gaslighting - things of that nature that I had never heard of before,” Tanya said. “Before, I just didn’t know. It seemed normal before I got here.”
WIT also helped Tanya in more tangible ways. Through special funding, WIT helped her ensure that each of her kids had beds in their new apartment. Her family was able to enjoy a real Christmas holiday with toys and gifts through WIT’s Adopt-A-Family program.
When Tanya came to WIT, she was getting by. Now, she is thriving. Tanya recently celebrated 11 years of recovery. She received her associate’s degree in human services from Harcum College, and now works as a Supportive Service Assistant for the School District of Philadelphia. Tanya still meets regularly with her WIT counselor, because WIT has become a safe haven for her over the years.