Overcoming Addiction: How One Woman Turned Her Past Into a Mission to Help Others

Celestine S. of Trenton, New Jersey knows how hard it is to overcome addiction.

She took her first drink at just 8 years old. By age 12, she began experimenting with drugs. She left home that same year to escape an alcoholic mother and an unstable environment.

As a teenager trying to survive on her own, Celestine was using harder substances by age 16. Years of abuse, human trafficking and substance use shaped much of her early adult life. But she eventually found a way out.

A Conversation That Changed Everything

During a prison sentence in 2014, Celestine had a conversation with her bunkmate that shifted her perspective. The woman told her about a sober living house. That idea stayed with Celestine for the rest of her sentence.

When she was released, she had her charges dropped. She entered a supportive recovery community.

“It saved my life,” she said.

For the first time, Celestine felt safe and secure. She learned to trust other people and her environment. She realized that getting sober was about more than stopping substance use. It was a chance to build a life she never expected to have.

Helping Others Find Their Way

Today, Celestine is preparing to celebrate seven years in recovery. She uses her history to help people facing the same struggles.

“I wake up every morning with gratitude, asking to live and to help save the lives of others,” she said.

She brings that purpose to her work as a Peer Recovery Specialist at Hackensack Meridian Carrier Clinic’s Blake Recovery Center. She understands what the people she helps are going through. She listens without judgment and offers real support.

“I love my job,” she says. “I get to use my lived experience to show people that you can slip, but you can always come back.”

Michele Scasserra, LCSW, LCADC, CCS, Director of Substance Use Counseling Services at Blake Recovery Center, notes that having peers with lived experience is a vital part of the treatment process.

"One of the greatest strengths of peer recovery specialists is their ability to connect through shared experience,” she says. “They meet people where they are and help them see that recovery is not only possible, it’s achievable. Their support is an invaluable part of the care we provide.”

Treating the Whole Person

Celestine is open about her past because it helps others see they are not alone.

“There is nothing wrong with talking about being in pain and feeling hurt,” she said.

She knows that many people with substance use disorders also face depression, anxiety, trauma and other mental health conditions. She believes that treating addiction means recognizing the whole person.

“Sometimes people just need you to believe in them,” she says. “To be treated like a human being.”

Celestine wants anyone struggling with addiction to know that hope is real, and every person deserves another chance.

Next Steps & Resources

• Learn more about Addiction and Substance Use Disorder Services at Hackensack Meridian Health.
• You do not have to face addiction alone. If you are ready to begin treatment or want to talk to someone who understands, call 866-266-1616 to speak with our Addiction Admissions Experts 24/7.