Dive Into Life, Not Drugs

HEALTH SPIRIT

Spiritual Health and Substance Abuse Recovery

BY REV. DONNA DAVIS, RN (YPIR)

Have you ever found yourself feeling like something is missing in your life? Have you ever labeled yourself broken? I did everything a devote Christian would do, but I was still subject to the trials of sexual and physical abuse as a child, teen, and young adult. Why did it seem to always happen to me? When I was a stripper in the clubs, I noticed that others would “self-medicate” to numb the pain of life. I tried alcohol and even dove into hard drugs, but nothing seemed to fill the hole that seemed to get larger with each numbing drink. I felt that I was lost in a whirlwind that seemed to suck me down deeper and deeper.

The Bible says, “let not your heart be troubled”. That is hard especially when it is our own family, who are drowning us in judgment and shame. The very neighbors who should be protecting us are traumatizing us. The family who should hold us safe, that throws us into the street when we come out of the closet. How do we rise above when we are drowning in the same thing that was supposed to be our safety net?

I had a near drowning experience when I was 17 that ended up being the analogy for my life. The more I fight the current of adversity, the more it throws me about like a rag doll. I stopped fighting and decided to just let the water carry me away. Once I stopped fighting and faced the pain of life with determination, I started to float above the currents and went with the rush of water. That rush of water carried me to safety.

The journey of self-discovery is rough and sometimes knocks us around in the currents. We cannot know who we are if we keep running away from ourselves! If we are willing to stand, not cloud our pain with drugs or alcohol, not blame or shame ourselves, just breathe into the moment. The current of that moment may surprise us. We may be at our growing edge. We need to dive in deeper even when it looks rough. Get professional help if you need it. Keep your mentors and therapist on speed dial. Have your bestie available by phone. Dive into life, be you, all of you! Namaste!

An interfaith minister and life coach, DONNA DAVIS utilizes her life experiences to empower other people to overcome their struggles. Together with her wife, Norma, they manage Your Phoenix is Rising, a transformation coaching service focused on helping others rise from the darkness of despair and embrace their true Light Nature. Donna and Norma raised three biological children and served as legal guardians to several teenaged friends of their children during their time of need. Donna is a Registered Nurse at Parralion HCA Shared Services and Performance Director at Centers for Spiritual Living Ocala. She studied RN at Rasmussen College and psychology at Florida Atlantic University.