My recovery began with me learning to love and respect myself. I had to learn that I could depend on myself without basing my self-worth on a boyfriend. From there, I worked on getting out of the bad relationships and situations I created for myself. My dad was always there to help me as well. The boarding school I went to also help me make the changes in my behaviors. I think if I had known about all the resources that were available, I could have prevented a lot of my problems.

To this day, I still am haunted by the ghosts of my past. I worry about running into the wrong people. But I am staying confident, healthy and safe by remembering to love myself and talking out anything that tempts me back into the life I lived. I feel like I went from living in a dark pit to living on top of a mountain."