Mariah's Story: Helping the next person

My name is Mariah. I am a 34 year old Washingtonian. I became a Recovery Coach & Peer Counselor after going through and coming out of addiction at 30 years old. I grew up surrounded by addiction, untreated mental health struggles, and nobody there to help make sense of any of it. 

What made me want to get into this field was having a Pregnant/Parenting Women’s advocate. I was assigned to her caseload while I was still struggling with addiction. By the time I graduated from the program in August of 2024, I had almost 2 and a half years of recovery and she had become the most consistent, reliable, real, honest, and encouraging part of my support system. What made her role in my recovery so strong wasn’t that she did things for me or told me what I wanted to hear. It was that she helped me see that I can do things for myself—that I am in control of my future—and that I am well equipped to create a beautiful life for myself. She also had a way of having me hear hard truths about my choices without running from them. She helped me not fear forgiving myself, those around me, and using unfavorable truths as motivation to do better.

 After getting sobriety under my belt and building stability in my life, I wanted to be what she was for me - for someone else. I wanted to show the next person that recovery is possible and the struggle doesn’t have to be forever.

Today I am well known in the recovery community in my hometown, a 5-time girl mom, a wife, and someone who values integrity, reliability, honesty, being there for those that want better, and doing the next right thing.