Stephanie Douglas began dabbling with drugs at the influential age of 16.

 Longing for acceptance amongst her peers as well as her boyfriend, Stephanie began following the crowd with a little drinking then a little marijuana.  Like many young people who follow the influence of the party crowd, Stephanie didn’t think it was a problem.  Everything seemed under control.  It all seemed harmless enough and best of all she was accepted and fit in.

It didn’t take long however, for the so-called fun  turned into something much more serious.  At 17  Stephanie’s peers were using cocaine and she followed.  Then methamphetamine, “meth,” a drug that stimulates the central nervous system and creates a false sense of satisfaction became easier to find and cheaper to buy and quickly became Stephanie’s drug of choice.

What started as an effortless following of the crowd soon turned into a full blown addiction. 

“I realized I had a problem when I was house-hopping, getting high all the time and lying to my parents.” Stephanie recalled.

Although she recognized that there was a problem, it took years and heartbreak before Stephanie was ready for change.  Getting married and having three beautiful sons, whom she loved dearly, just a few short years apart didn’t break her strong addiction to meth. 

 Stephanie recalled how she hit an all-time low when she gave birth to her youngest son, Josiah and was told that he was born with drugs in his system because of her drug use during pregnancy. “He didn’t come home with me the day he was born. CPS (Child Protective Services) took him away.”

She was devastated and quickly spiraled downward emotionally. Fearing that CPS would take all of her children away, Stephanie and her husband Stoney, decided to have their children live with Stephanie’s mother until drugs were no longer a problem.

 Mentally, spiritually, and physically spent, Stephanie had an epiphany when she suddenly realized that under her mother’s care, her children were beginning to heal without her. 

“The idea of failing as a mother hit me and I just couldn’t live with myself” she admitted.

She began to reflect on how her mom, a faith-filled woman of God had never failed her, had never stopped believing in her even at her lowest drug addicted point.  It was then she decided, “I need to be the type of mom to my kids that my mom was to me and my siblings.”

Stephanie entered His Way Recovery (located at 1006 Virginia Street, Manteca), a faith-based drug rehabilitation program which provides a clean, sober, supportive environment where residents can begin their much needed healing process while they grow physically, emotionally, and spiritually. 

Through this program along with an abundance amount unconditional love and support from her family members, Stephanie was able to confront her addiction, accept responsibility for the poor choices she had made in the past and commit to making strong, positive, new choices one day at a time for herself, her children and her future.

Now 26 years of age, Stephanie has been clean and sober since Oct. 1, 2013.

She is beyond grateful for all the love she has received from her family and for the life changing guidance and support she received from His Way Recovery.  Most of all Stephanie is grateful for the complete healing and restoration God has done in her life as she and her husband along with their three boys and their new little sister all live together once again in a happy, healthy, drug-free, Christ centered home. 

 Stephanie keeps herself grounded by surrounding herself with positive people who continually lift her up and hold her accountable to her new life.  By confronting her addiction and getting the help she needed, Stephanie has learned that joy doesn’t come from the acceptance of others but simply from accepting the unconditional, merciful love of God. 

 Where at one time Stephanie spent her days looking for drugs, she now looks for opportunities to share her testimony and good spirit with as many people as possible.   She longs to tell others who may be struggling with addiction that there is hope. 

“God is real.” she said. “You don’t have to stay in your addiction you can recover.  You can go from being a complete monster and a mess to having an amazingly blessed life.”

When asked what advice she would give others who are wanting to stay sober she said, “Never, ever surround yourself with people that use drugs or have any type of addiction — they can cause you to relapse.  Stay connected with God, pray every day, read your Bible, listen to sermons.  However you can, keep your door open for Christ to work within you constantly because it is a never ending job. Addiction is a chapter in your life that you have to close completely but never forget the wounds you caused yourself or your family. Staying sober is not just a choice you make it’s a lifestyle that you have to live.”