Written by: Shanon N, Renascent Alumni
Before I truly began “Living in the Flow,” I had to stop fighting the current. For a long time, I tried to manage life, grief, addiction, and the aching silence of loss on my own. But there came a moment—a sacred moment—when I realized I couldn’t do it alone anymore. I was suffering in silence, drowning in a pain too deep for words, clinging to control while everything around me crumbled.
That moment of surrender led me to Renascent.
Renascent wasn’t just a treatment center—it was a lifeline. It was where I finally stopped pretending I was okay. It was where I met myself again. I walked in afraid, broken, and ashamed. But what I found there was one of the most humbling and life-changing experiences of my life. The counsellors—every single one—had walked their own path of recovery. They didn’t speak from theory; they spoke from experience. They saw me. They heard me. And for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel alone.
The group sessions were raw and real—spaces where I could cry, scream, or sit in silence, and still be held. The one-on-one therapy was powerful, and it helped me begin unpacking the years of unresolved trauma I carried. But what truly cracked open my healing was the Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. I was paired with an incredible EMDR therapist who helped me process the unbearable—especially the deep-rooted grief of losing my son, Christian.
That combination of clinical support, spiritual awakening, and emotional safety became the antidote I needed. It was the medicine my soul had been starving for.
Renascent taught me that healing isn’t linear. It taught me that I am not my past. Most importantly, it taught me that asking for help is not a weakness—it is the bravest thing we can do.
How Treatment Impacted Me
Today, I have been a year sober, I can say with my whole heart that Renascent was a rebirth. It gave me the foundation to rebuild my life, not just without substances, but with meaning. It reminded me that even in the ashes of what was, new life can bloom.
Recovery is not just about abstaining from a substance. It’s about reclaiming your worth. It’s about living honestly, loving deeply, and forgiving fiercely. It’s about learning to sit with discomfort instead of running from it. It’s about making peace with the past, holding gratitude for the present, and believing in the possibility of the future.
Thanks to Renascent, I’ve taken everything I’ve learned and turned it into my life’s purpose—helping others heal. Today, I work as an Addiction and Mental Health Counsellor, supporting those who, like me, are ready to stop suffering in silence and step into the light of their own transformation.
Final Words from the Heart
If you are struggling, please know this: you don’t have to carry it all on your own. There is no shame in starting over. There is grace in surrender. There is a life beyond addiction—a beautiful, meaningful, connected life. And it starts the moment you say, “I need help.”
Renascent helped me remember who I am. And now, I help others do the same.
