For most of her life, Haley believed she was just learning to “handle her liquor.” Like many young adults, her drinking began socially—in high school, college, and after work with friends. But over time, alcohol took a stronger hold. What started as an occasional escape became something she couldn’t control.
“I always drank alcoholically,” Haley shared. “Once I started, I couldn’t stop.”
After college, Haley began drinking more often. She told herself she was just settling into adulthood, the after-work glass of wine, the small reward at the end of a long day. But the glass turned into a bottle, and the comfort it once brought slipped into anxiety. She began seeing a therapist, still believing the problem was how she drank, not the drinking itself.
As panic attacks and fear of leaving home grew, Haley began drinking earlier and earlier to calm herself. What started as a way to unwind soon became her only way to function. “A glass in the morning would get me on the Metro. Another at lunch would get me through the day,” she said. “It just took over.”
Her world shrank. Friends moved forward with careers, marriages, and milestones, while Haley found herself isolated and exhausted, organizing her life around alcohol. “It ruled everything. I’d skip social things, weddings, even hikes—because they didn’t fit around my drinking,” she remembered. “I was never present. I was just thinking about when I could drink next.”
By her late twenties, Haley’s health and spirit were breaking down. “It wasn’t fun anymore,” she said. “I was bloated, sick, and miserable—but still couldn’t stop.”
The Road to Ashley
It wasn’t an intervention or a dramatic confrontation that led Haley to Ashley—it was her therapist. After two and a half years of trying to help her moderate, he finally drew a line. “He said, ‘I can’t see you anymore unless you go to rehab,’” she recalled. “I was so confused. I didn’t even realize I needed that level of help.”
Within a week, she was admitted to Ashley in July 2023. Although she didn’t fully grasp what was happening, something inside her was ready.
She remembers the moment she arrived vividly—not for what she felt, but for what she didn’t. “Looking back, it makes me emotional because my husband was bawling,” she said. “And I just hugged him and said, ‘See ya.’ I was so numb. I couldn’t feel anything.”
But Ashley helped her start to feel again.
Finding Hope at Ashley
During her time in treatment, Haley began to strip away the layers that had kept her disconnected from herself and others. “Ashley gave me the space to just sit with myself—no alcohol, no scrolling, no distractions,” she said.
She immersed herself in the program, attending group sessions, learning about the disease of addiction, and hearing stories from others who had walked the same path. “I could connect the dots,” she said. “I started realizing what I was really dealing with.”
The foundation she built during those 28 days would prove essential—though the road wasn’t perfectly straight. After leaving treatment, Haley returned to work too quickly and relapsed. “I wish I’d taken more time,” she reflected. “Ashley’s counselors told me to ease back in, but I thought I knew best.”
Yet even that setback became part of her growth. “Ashley gave me the knowledge and resources I needed,” she said. “I stayed in touch with alumni, and when I was ready, I used those tools to get back on track.”
Life in Recovery
Today, Haley lives a life grounded in faith, community, and gratitude. She has been sober since returning to the program and has built a strong foundation in recovery through meetings, sponsorship, and service.
“I go to meetings, I pray every day, and I try to be of service,” she said. “If I’m having a tough month, it’s usually because I’m not giving enough back.”
Though she’s not religious, Haley has found great comfort in developing her own understanding of a higher power. “I remember thinking at Ashley, ‘Maybe my higher power will find me,’” she said. “It turns out, it was with me all along. Whether it’s God, nature, or just the universe—it doesn’t matter what you call it.”
For Haley, recovery has been about progress, not perfection. “My higher power just wants the best for me,” she said. “It’s not here to punish me—it’s here to help me grow.”
Now, she embraces a life she once thought was out of reach. “Ashley gave me the reset I desperately needed,” she said. “It helped me start unpacking everything and reconnect with myself. I’m so grateful—for the program, the people, and the life I have today.”
