Megan – Hannah’s House Graduate

“I am so grateful to all the people at the Warren Family Mission who helped me get to where I am today and believed in me when I struggled to believe in myself.”

I’m Megan. I’m 37 and grew up in a small town in West Virginia with my mom and grandparents. I had a normal childhood for the most part, but I started smoking cigarettes at 11, often stealing them from my mom and the local convenience store to support my habit. I also started drinking and smoking weed at 15. I just wanted to be liked and fit in with the other kids. But I wasn’t like them; I was different. Because I was trying to fit in so much, I ended up starting to use cocaine and other drugs.

At 17, I was diagnosed with bipolar when I had a manic episode, causing me to end up in a spiral. That same year, I met Steve, who became the love of my life and my husband. I ended up pregnant with our first daughter, Brianna, who arrived 4 months after my high school graduation.

I continued to smoke weed every day, and I would drink as often as I could get it. In 2010, things changed fast when I found out I was pregnant with our second daughter, Hannah. While I was pregnant with her that December, my whole world was crushed. Steve had an accident at work that killed him and two others. As my world crumbled, I ran more to the alcohol and pot for an escape, not realizing that it was destroying my life. I just wanted an escape.

As the years went by, I eventually found my best friend again. His name was Brian. We lived together and ended up getting married in 2017. I had two more children with Brian: a daughter, Jeweliann, and a son, Zane. The marriage became rough, and we ended up divorcing in 2021. I was granted custody of all 4 of my children, but I continued to drink, and smoke weed daily. Children Services ended up getting involved, and in 2022, I lost custody of my children due to my house being a mess and the city deeming it uninhabitable. That is when I began spiraling out of control and started drinking much more heavily than ever before. I found myself drinking daily and going to the bars every night. I also stopped taking my medication for bipolar.

I finally realized I needed help because things were so out of control. I decided to go to Trinity Health Systems for a month in their mental health unit. While there, my lawyer told me about a program called Hannah’s House. I doubted I could make it through the program, but I came to realize it was the best place for me. While at Hannah’s House, I found God. He showed me that I wasn’t alone anymore. I found my place to grow and to become me again. The Mission has helped me grow into a person who doesn’t give up. I would recommend Hannah’s House to anyone who needs a place to recover and become stronger. Hannah’s House is helping me get my kids back and become the mom God always intended me to be.

Once I have my kids back and adjust to being a full-time mom again, I plan to work towards becoming a Peer Supporter to help people who need help just like I did. I am so grateful to all the people at the Warren Family Mission who helped me get to where I am today and believed in me when I struggled to believe in myself.