We were lucky to catch up with Donna Alexander recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Donna thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

My name is Donna and I am an alcoholic and a drug addict. There have been a few defining moments in my life that have changed the trajectory of my career path. The first was making the decision July 1, 2008 to embark on a recovery journey. The statement ‘It’s not the destination but the journey’ had whole new meaning to me. I was 18 months sober when I began my career with Crossroads Inc., I was hired to work at Crossroads for Women, a 58 bed transitional living facility for women suffering from the disease of addiction. I had not had the best of a childhood, or life really, up to that point. I questioned God often about why me? As I shared my story about my life with the women, it became clear to me why I had gone through so much physical, spiritual, emotional and sexual abuse in my life. It was the catalyst that I needed to help the women on their recovery path, to provide hope to so many women who had similar stories but didn’t feel yet it was possible to heal from.

For me, my career was chosen for me by God. In this field, there isn’t really a lot of money to be made but success is not always measured by monetary wealth. I am rich in so many other areas that I did not think was possible when I began this journey. I am blessed with my family trusting me, some of my grandchildren never seeing me under the influence, being employable and understanding what joy really is. I am grateful everyday for the defining moments in my life that brought me to this place where I feel worthy for all that God has had in store for me.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My life today is built around recovery from substance abuse, fellowship, service and the 12 steps of recovery. I work on a daily basis to do better each day, to share a part of my life with someone that may need to hear my experience, strength and hope. I have been in recovery for 16 years. I come from a very abusive childhood and began using when I was 11 years old. My older step brother started giving me substances
I was 46 years old when I began my journey in recovery. Before that I was a daily user of some type of substance. When I began going to 12 step meetings and hearing people say they were days, months and years sober, I didn’t believe them. I really didn’t think it was possible to go even a week without using some type of substance. Substances were my way of coping with all the trauma in my brain. Then I began to put together sober days that then turned into weeks and weeks into months and months into years. Even now that seems odd to say. I never want to take my recovery for granted, it’s too important and saves my life on a daily basis.

The blessing of Crossroads is that we are a peer and 12 step based treatment organization. Having peer support is one the main ingredients of the recovery process at Crossroads. First of all, we really understand how our clients feel, we’ve been there. The struggles, the doubts, the trauma that seems to appear from nowhere but really we have been carrying it around at a deep level most of our lives. Second, it provides hope to individuals that enter one of our facilities that feel irreparably damaged. With peer support it is a requirement in the state of Arizona that you be willing to share your story. When we share and our clients hear what we have been through to recover, they often feel like ‘if they can do it with that story I can do it with mine!’

This all goes hand in hand, for me, with a 12 step program. That is how many addicts and alcoholics have found recovery since 1939. We pass on our experiences, our strength and hope to each other. At Crossroads, we teach accountability, responsibility and structure. Each process taught to the clients is to get them ready for the next piece of the puzzle. The process of recovery at our facilities is done in a way as the build upon your previous step or process. Many of our clients come from a family of substance abusers. Often they lack the basic life skills you need to live a somewhat ‘normal’ life. We teach them about even making their bed on a daily basis. We have specialty classes that teach financial tools. relapse prevention and other basics. We want to set up our clients for success in their recovery journey and life.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When I had been working for Crossroads for about 5 years, I got really sick again. This time not in my addiction but in burnout or compassion fatigue syndrome. I was not performing my job in a positive way. I started researching this syndrome and located a facility in Kentucky that specialized in compassion fatigue for professionals. You were required to be solid in your recovery journey if you had substance abuse issues and a professional in the field in some capacity.
I went to Crossroads leadership and discussed it with them. Not only did they give me the time to go they paid for the treatment and I paid for the plane ticket. It truly changed my life and helped me discover new ways to deal with the issues that arise in the helping field. I never gave up and thank God I knew to ask for help and Crossroads was right there holding my hand. I feel I bounced back better than ever and I continue to use the tools I learned pretty much daily. I also acquired some life long friends I still reach out to for help.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

I truly belief that acknowledgement and value that has been attached to peer support over the last few years in substance abuse treatment has changed the landscape and outcome of the process. There is a place for the individuals that have gone to school to earn degrees but there is also a place for those of us that have lived experience, especially in this field. The clients appreciate when we share a story about something we have gone through that directly relates to an issue they may be having.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thecrossroadsinc.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_crossroads_inc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrossroadsIncAZ
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/crossroadsincaz/mycompany/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1pYDSCIAPxw8UAsuFxPNyg

Image Credits

Crossroads Inc