My name is Elizabeth and I am 60 years old. I have been part of CMC twice in my lifetime. The first was in 2008 after I had completed substance abuse treatment for alcohol and began my new life in recovery. After living so many years with alcohol, I had to rediscover who I was and how to live.
I found that without alcohol I had tremendous anxiety that paralyzed me from EXPERIENCING LIFE. I worked with CMC staff to learn new coping skills and how to interact with other people. I learned budgeting skills that allowed me to save enough money to purchase a vehicle, something I hadn’t had for over a decade.
CMC staff also connected me to Veteran benefits for which I was eligible, and helped me find an apartment close to my work.
Things were going great for several years until my health started declining and depression set in. After 5 years I started drinking again, wasn’t eating, and was afraid to leave my apartment.
Somehow I still had one of the staff’s phone numbers. I gave her a call and told her that I wasn’t doing well. She began visiting me at my apartment, brought me food, and helped me with the cleaning that I had neglected. We talked about what I needed and I told her how I felt so alone and afraid. Her response was, “DO YOU WANT TO COME HOME?” I finally felt like I could breathe again and I gave her a big hug and told her, “Yes, I want to come home.”
Once I returned to CMC, the staff worked with me to make sure my medical needs were being addressed and helped me find activities I enjoyed again. When I was back on a strong ROAD TO RECOVERY, we started looking for an apartment. This time we were very thoughtful and found an apartment complex for people that are over the age of 55 that offered activities and support. This made the transition from my CMC community to my apartment community so much easier and the feelings of loneliness were not there.
Staff continue to be a support for me and have helped me continue to address my medical needs by taking me to appointments, advocating for me, and checking in on me regularly.
Learn more about CMC’s Women’s Services.