My name is Katesha.  I am 20 years old.  I have two sons, a four year old, Jordan, and Johnathan who is three.  I am expecting a third son, due in November.  I am currently in treatment at the Stephen Center.  And I am fighting hard to get my boys back from the State of Iowa.

Growing up through elementary school was really nice for me.  I truly enjoyed it!  Then my life started to tumble.  When I was 11, in the 5th grade, our house burnt down.  My family had to go live with my Aunt.  It was there that I was introduced to marijuana.  I began to skip school and get high on a pretty regular basis.  I ended up getting put on juvenile probation.  I would not straighten up and became very defiant.  They sent me to a girl’s academy in Esterville, Iowa called Forest Ridge for 1 year.  I was 14 when I was allowed to come home.

Right before my fifteenth birthday, I was introduced to Meth (crank).  I liked it-a lot!  I put down the pot; Meth became my drug of choice.  A few months before I turned 16, I became pregnant and dropped out of school.  I was afraid for my unborn child, knowing that I had been using Meth so heavily.  I quit everything-cold turkey!  I even quit smoking cigarettes.  Jordan was born September 18, 2002.  He was healthy and happy.  Two weeks later, I started using Meth again. When Jordan was 4 months old, I found out I was pregnant again.  I was 16, in an abusive relationship and a Meth addict.  I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to be pregnant.  I did not stop using during this pregnancy.  He was on his own.  Johnathan was born November 12, 2003.
(I recently learned he has a developmental delay.)  I had great family support and felt that I was providing a stable environment for my kids even though Meth still played a big part in my life. One day, while my sister watched my children, authorities with the State of Iowa took them.   I was eighteen.  I fought hard to stay sober; I knew that was the only way to get my boys back.  I realized that I could not do it on my own, so I went to outpatient treatment.  I failed!  My children are still in foster care.

This past April, one month before my 20th birthday, I found out I was pregnant again.  It was time to stop!  I started looking for inpatient treatment for the sake of myself and my baby.  I tried to get into numerous places; they would not accept me because of my pregnancy.  I finally heard of Stephen Center.  I filled out an application and got an interview almost immediately.  I was accepted to the HERO program, with an intake date of July 31, 2006.  I was one of the first 5 clients to enter the brand-new facility. 

I’ve been in treatment for 80 days.  I will be graduating within the next two weeks.  Being at Stephen Center has really changed my life.  Through classes like Co-Occurring Disorders and Relapse Prevention, I have learned the cycles of my addiction and behaviors.  The staff has given me the tools I need in life to catch my old behaviors from re-occurring and to come up with a relapse prevention plan.  The staff offers and encourages everyone to participate in Tuesday night Family counseling.  As a result of this class, I have developed a better relationship with my family and they are now able to understand my addiction as well. The classes and the 12-step Program the Stephen Center offers have filled me with courage, hope and strength.  With the help of Mark, my counselor, I have been given the chance to join an After Care Program in Des Moines, for my baby and me.  Hopefully, I can show the court that I am a good, loving mother and they will give me the opportunity to be a mom to Jordan and Johnathan.

In closing, I would like to thank the staff at the Stephen Center.  They are very understanding, encouraging, helpful and supportive.  They will not be forgotten!

 

 

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