Alisha: Every Time She Got Back Up

Note to Readers: The following story includes themes of substance use, relapse, and moments of deep emotional distress. These experiences may be difficult for some readers. If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available—please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.

Alisha grew up in a small Ohio town, the only child of a single mother. Her father, who battled substance use, was in and out of her life. Alisha often told herself she would never end up like her dad, but when she was twelve years old, she began drinking and smoking marijuana. When someone first offered, she didn’t say no—looking back, she isn’t even sure why. To this day, it still surprises her how easily that moment changed everything. 

Like many kids her age, she was searching for a sense of belonging. She loved to perform, and when she sang, she felt seen and confident. Though she shone on stage with a big personality, Alisha continued to feel deeply self-conscious and concerned about how others saw her.

High school was a blur of parties and rebellion. She ran away more than once, even trying to live with her father for a time, but quickly realized his home wasn’t safe—he was using drugs, and the environment was chaotic. During that time, she was exposed to harder substances for the first time. A friend's father, who struggled with crack use, introduced her to the drug, and she even smoked it on the way to school with that friend. Alisha describes that moment as shocking and confusing; she wasn’t looking to dive deeper into drugs, and she still didn’t fully understand why she said yes.

Despite the turbulence of her teenage years, Alisha graduated and went on to college in New York City, chasing her dream of becoming a singer. But her substance use followed her there. By day, she attended classes and rehearsals; by night, she drank heavily and used drugs, spiraling deeper into dangerous habits. When a vocal injury forced her to return home, she was ashamed and angry, and her substance use escalated further.

Over the next several years, Alisha moved from state to state—Ohio, Florida, Michigan—trying to escape the environments and people that fueled her substance use. At twenty-four, exhausted and hopeless, she prayed for God to either take her life or help her change it. Within days, she was arrested. The arrest was a pivotal start to her first attempt at recovery. With her mom's support, Alisha entered treatment and began rebuilding her life. She became a mother herself, went back to school, and earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree.

But substance use is a disease that doesn’t fade easily. During graduate school, Alisha relapsed. Her alcohol use turned into meth and opioids, and before long, she lost her home and was living without electricity, estranged from her young son. She describes those years as a cycle of chaos—wanting to do better, but constantly surrounded by people and environments that pulled her backward. “I always wanted to get clean,” she said, “but I didn’t know how to stay clean when everyone around me was still using.”

Her body began to break down. She developed endocarditis, pneumonia, and sepsis—all nearly took her life. When she woke up in the hospital, her mother was by her side, along with a pastor’s wife who had prayed for her. After two weeks in intensive care and eight weeks in a nursing home, Alisha began to see glimmers of hope. But after leaving, she relapsed again, drawn back into the same circles that fueled her substance use.

That’s when The HopeLine, a program of OneCity for Recovery dedicated to helping people overcome substance use disorder, stepped into Alisha’s life. Her mother reached out for help, and Care Coordinator Victoria became part of Alisha’s support network. 

Over the next several years, even through multiple arrests, hospitalizations, and periods of homelessness, Alisha always stayed in contact with Victoria. Each time she was ready to try again, Victoria was there, helping her find treatment and reminding her she was worth saving. Her mother, too, never gave up—even after traveling across the state to get her daughter to treatment, only for Alisha to have changed her mind. Their unwavering care planted a seed of hope and resilience that Alisha would carry with her into recovery.

“I would call Victoria from jail and ask her to help me get into treatment,” Alisha recalled. “I felt like such a burden, but I knew she could offer me and my family some kind of hope.”

In 2019 and 2020, Alisha entered and left treatment several times, struggling to break free from an abusive and co-dependent relationship. She described the cycle as one step forward and two steps back. Every time she tried to recover, her partner would begin using again, pulling her back down. “If he was high,” she said of her partner, “I knew I would relapse.”

After years of fighting for her life, a tragic turning point came when her partner, sadly, overdosed and died. Alisha had survived so many overdoses herself that his death felt almost unreal. "I had already overdosed so many times," she said, "and I couldn't believe he was actually gone for good." That loss, and the realization that she could easily follow the same path, became the moment she chose to change for good. 

In early 2024, Alisha entered a treatment center in Greene County, Ohio, and completed six months of treatment. For the first time, she says, she experienced genuine support—not judgment, not pity, but real people walking beside her. “Things just started to fall into place,” she said. “It was the first time I didn’t feel alone.”

OneCity for Recovery, in partnership with Crossroad Church’s Hope for a Home program, provided Alisha with essential items to furnish her new apartment. That small act of care helped her feel stable, safe, and proud of the life she was building. She’s been living independently for over 2.5 years, has a steady job, a car, and regular contact with her son, who is now a teen. She recently signed a lease to move closer to him, marking another full-circle moment in her recovery.

Alisha says she hopes to use her story to help others who are still struggling. She knows how easy it is to fall back when the people around you aren’t ready to change, and how important it is to create distance from the environments that trigger relapse. “It’s not just about quitting drugs,” she said. “It’s about changing your whole world—your people, your habits, your surroundings. You can’t heal in the same place that hurt you.”

Today, Alisha calls herself a line of hope, a bridge between where she’s been and where she’s going. She wants others to know that recovery isn’t about perfection; it’s about persistence. “Don’t focus on what you’ve lost,” she said. “Celebrate what you’ve gained. Just get back up—every time.” The perseverance Alisha experienced from her mom and The HopeLine’s Victoria is reflected in her own life. She continues to work toward long-term recovery, rebuilding her relationships and fully reconciling with her son.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use disorder, The HopeLine is here to help. Reach out today and take the first step toward recovery.