Participant #1

Participant #1
M
Age 46
Divorced, currently single

Bio of Addiction

At the age of 19, M lived a drug fee life while working as an exotic dancer. M said, “I was always afraid of doing drugs.” M had two breast augmentations while working as an exotic dancer. After taking Vicodin for the first time, “ this is exactly how I always wanted to feel.” M began purchasing similar non prescribed drugs, but never heroin, from a local drug dealer at her work place. As drug use and the variety of drugs used increased, “things got really bad.” “ I was either sick or ….there was no peace.” M was divorced and living on her own as a substance abuser. Her life consisted of dancing, drug use, and living without peace.

Turning Point

“I went to bed one night, and I asked God, to let me die or to change something. I awoke everything shifted, things were lit, even walking the dogs, this is how it should be. All these little miracles fell in front of me. But I knew this wouldn’t last long.”

Rehabilitation
Recovery Attempts 1

“Grace!”

“One of the first guys I ever bought pills from, came into the bar. I said, “I have to get off of these fucking pills. He said, “ let me know when you’re ready, I’ll get you pills to get you off.” I did those for a few months, then weaned myself off.”

Life in Recovery
Over 10 years

“I found yoga, absolute grace. Let go, stop fighting, just trust, trust in God.”

“I never think I need to take a pill. I left that behind. What I do think about are the girls I use do drugs with, they are either in jail or hookers.”

“I’m just grateful.”

During M’s training as a yoga instructor M to do “talk in your pocket”. She chose to speak on animal rights and veganism. “As soon as I would talk about what animals had to endure, I would break down and cry. I couldn’t think about it.”

M is currently one of the driving forces and voices in the animal rights and vegan community in Rochester, New York.

Owner Vegan Army/Gopala
Owner Rochester Vegan Community Center

Organizer Rochester Vegfest
Anonymous for the Voiceless

Vice President Animal Rights Rochester

Yoga teacher

Legacy

“The words of Ramana Maharshi explain my experience and what I learned far better then anything I could come up with”

The greatest error of a man is to think that he is weak by nature, evil by nature. Every man is divine and strong in his real nature. What are weak and evil are his habits, his desires and thoughts, but not himself. Ramana Maharshi