Motherhood, Recovery, and Building Healthy Support

A Story About Recovery and the People Around Us

The people around us can shape our choices, our confidence, and our future.

For Sabrina, the company she kept as a young woman led her into a painful cycle of meth addiction, homelessness, and instability. But recovery also taught her something powerful: the right support system can help a person heal, grow, and become who they were meant to be.

Her story is about foster care, addiction, motherhood, treatment, and learning how to surround herself with people who build her up instead of pulling her back into harm.

Growing Up Without Stability

As a teenager, Sabrina moved through many foster homes and group homes. She was frequently rejected because of her sexuality and had to learn how to survive without the consistent love, safety, and support every young person deserves.

Eventually, she emancipated from the system and began preparing to start school.

She wanted a different life. But the environment around her made that difficult.

Sabrina was in a relationship with a young woman she had known since she was 15. Her girlfriend was using meth regularly and often tried to convince Sabrina to join her.

At first, Sabrina refused.

She was scared of meth and did not want to use it. She argued with her girlfriend many times and begged her not to use.

But addiction can pull people into situations they never thought they would accept.

The First Time She Used Meth

Sabrina was living in a group home in Pasadena when her first experience with meth happened.

Her girlfriend and roommate used meth in her room while Sabrina was in the shower. When Sabrina came back and saw what was happening, they fought for a long time.

Sabrina remembered:

“I was scared of meth. I wouldn’t touch it.”

Then her girlfriend said something that changed everything:

“If you love me, you’ll try it.”

That pressure became the final straw.

Sabrina used meth, and soon after, both she and her girlfriend were addicted.

Homelessness and Survival

After Sabrina and her girlfriend began using meth, they were kicked out of the group home.

Sabrina became homeless. She had not started school and was barely surviving with cash aid and food stamps. Even when she did not want to get high, her girlfriend would manipulate her into using.

For three years, Sabrina lived under a bridge in Pomona while stuck in a cycle of meth use.

During that time, she reconnected with an old boyfriend, which led to an unexpected pregnancy.

She did not know she was pregnant until she went into labor.

“I didn’t even know I was pregnant until I went into labor. I was so high and so skinny.”

When her baby girl was born, paramedics immediately took the child away.

That moment became a turning point.

Fighting to Get Her Daughter Back

Losing her baby after delivery gave Sabrina a reason to fight for recovery.

She said:

“I fought tooth and nail to get her back.”

Her social worker asked if she would be willing to go to rehab in order to work toward custody of her baby. Sabrina said yes.

She began calling every day to ask about getting into a residential program.

In March 2018, she was admitted to the Maple House program at Cedar House.

But at first, she was not ready.

When Treatment Took More Than One Try

During her first stay at Maple House, Sabrina struggled.

She was angry, rude, disobedient, and resistant to the process. By May, she had made very little progress, and her behavior led to her dismissal from the program.

Later, she entered another rehab program. There, she became a kitchen coordinator and began making progress toward sobriety. But after breaking program rules, she was dismissed from that program too.

Then she tried outpatient treatment and continued staying clean and sober. She moved into a sober living facility, but after one of her drug tests came back questionable, she had to leave that home as well.

Sabrina remembered:

“I ended up losing my home and losing faith again. I went back to the streets in Pomona.”

Recovery did not happen all at once for Sabrina. It took repeated attempts, painful setbacks, and the willingness to try again.

Returning to Maple House Ready for Change

On February 21, 2019, Sabrina’s social worker helped her return to treatment at Maple House.

This time was different.

Sabrina was ready.

She connected with her counselors and began learning from the people around her. The same kind of influence that had once pulled her into substance use was now helping her move toward recovery.

She said:

“They really helped me through it. Rosanna opened my mind. Rita taught me to cook and gave great advice. They were always there to listen, and they motivated me to do good. I could talk to them instead of getting angry.”

At Maple House, Sabrina learned how important it was to surround herself with kind-hearted people who cared about her, listened to her, and encouraged her to grow.

Learning the Power of Healthy Relationships

One of Sabrina’s biggest lessons in recovery was that relationships matter.

The people she had once been around encouraged drug use, manipulation, instability, and survival mode. At Maple House, she found people who encouraged honesty, responsibility, healing, and motherhood.

She began to understand that recovery is not only about avoiding drugs. It is also about choosing the people, places, and support systems that help sobriety last.

Healthy relationships gave Sabrina a new sense of possibility.

Instead of being pulled back into old patterns, she began to see herself as someone worthy of support, love, stability, and a better future.

Rebuilding Life in Recovery

Today, Sabrina has been sober for nearly two years and is the proud mother of two young girls.

Her story shows that recovery can take more than one attempt. It also shows that setbacks do not have to be the end of the story.

With treatment, support, and the right people around her, Sabrina began rebuilding her life and becoming the woman she was meant to be.

Her journey is a reminder that change is possible, even after foster care, homelessness, addiction, and family separation.

If you or someone you love is struggling with meth addiction, homelessness, or the fear of losing family, Cedar House can help you understand your options and take the next step.

Call 840-900-1004 to speak with someone about treatment and recovery support.