Elaine’s Story of Hope

January 13, 2026

Addiction is complex and unpredictable. It can be easy to assume that those who struggle with addiction were impacted by a rough upbringing or predisposed to addiction through inherited genetics.

While it’s true that genetics and the environment do impact a person’s susceptibility to addiction, the reality is that addiction is so much more complex and is not limited to a certain demographic.

Elaine was raised in a loving blended family, where addiction would have seemed unlikely. She went to church occasionally, played ringette and had lots of friends. As a teenager she got involved with the wrong crowd and was introduced to smoking pot and began partying on the weekends. Despite failing to graduate high school, Elaine got a full-time job in the oilfield industry, was engaged to be married and had a son at the age of 20.

“I thought I had a great life, with one major problem, I didn’t know Jesus.”

In 2006, at the age of 31, a traumatic motor vehicle accident changed the trajectory of Elaine’s life. She broke her femur, four ribs, pelvis, tail bone and suffered a closed head brain injury which left physical and mental trauma.

“Major depression set in as I couldn’t work or take care of my son and because the doctors labelled me with fibromyalgia, patella femoral, bursitis, arthritis in my back, degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis, and planters facia, I was considered disabled and no good. There was extreme pain, which reduced my mobility substantially. It was the worst pain I have ever felt in my life, so I wasn’t the happiest person.”

While in recovery at the hospital, she met someone who convinced her to self-medicate to take the pain away. Due to suffering a brain injury from the accident, Elaine was vulnerable. She ended up administering prescribed medication which unbeknownst to her was synthetic heroin and street drugs consisting of crack and methamphetamine.

Suddenly her world revolved around getting the next hit. She turned to theft, prostitution, and hurting others. As she would later reflect, it was all “to support the dependency to chemicals my body and mind developed to suppress emotions and reality. I thought it was the only way, and at the time it was the only option.”

After multiple hospital visits and time spent in jail, “the next destination was death.” Elaine knew she needed help to face her unresolved trauma, but despite her attempts at short-term treatment options, the support wasn’t enough. That’s when Elaine found Adeara.

When she discovered that Adeara was a faith-based recovery centre, she “knew it was the place to be because nothing else worked.”

In Elaine’s words, at Adeara, “I felt like I was in a whole other dimension, because of the type of love and care I received, I have never felt before. There was structure which was foreign to me because I believed I could do what I wanted, when I wanted.” She was “introduced to Jesus in a loving and compassionate way,” and received, “great education, but at the time,” she recalls, “I believed it to be superficial and unbeneficial to me as I still had a sick mind.”

Unfortunately, after three months, Elaine left Adeara. “I was proud and thought I could do it on my own,” she admitted. But not long after, she ended up in jail again. “I had enough of that debilitating lifestyle,” she recalled, “so while in jail, I called [Adeara] again.” Her old room was still available and Adeara welcomed her back. She ended up staying for 18 months and recommitted her life to Jesus. “Because of their guidance, support, extensive education, and the transformative power of the Lord Jesus Christ,” she reflected, “my mind was retrained and I had a new outlook on life.”

Ten years after her car accident, Elaine graduated from Adeara! However, recovery isn’t linear and after three years of living independently, Elaine relapsed. “I became complacent with my recovery,” she acknowledged, “the disease of addiction can creep up and take a person over if left unmanaged. At that time, I took the relapse warning signs very seriously and got my life back on track.”

Elaine became involved in Adeara’s Recovery Support Program that supports women who have left Adeara’s Addiction Recovery Program. The program connects women to resources and support that reinforce the tools and skills learned at Adeara to empower them to live healthy independent lives. This strengthened her relationship with God and other women who were on similar paths of recovery.

Today, Elaine manages her chronic pain and lives in sustainable recovery. She has pursued further education, discovered new passions and hobbies like yarning and gardening. She has given back countless hours to Adeara as a volunteer, leading devotions and facilitating Celebrate Recovery, while also offering support through our Recovery Support Program to clients transitioning into independent living. Elaine reflects that the opportunity to serve in this way “has strengthened my recovery, heightened my importance, increased trust and faith in God and the story God has written about me.”

“I have received countless blessings and unexplained peace that I want to help others experience God’s abundance through me.”

“I have an amazing relationship with our Father, my son who is now 28, my family, and I am becoming the woman God delights me to be. If it wasn’t for the Triune, Adeara’s guidance and love, giving me the opportunity to volunteer, and people like you to support and pray for me, I’d be lost and still suffering. Glory to God as He is my comforter, provider, counselor and healer. 

“Thank you for reading and taking time to connect with my amazing experience.”