Survivor Story: Whitney

It has been difficult for me to write this. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking of what I want to say and how I want to say it. When I reflect on this past year of my life I am at a loss for words. God has been so good to me.

Before coming to The WellHouse, I spent ten years of my life in bondage, under the control of both men and substances. There were times I tried to get away from my abusers and seek help for my addiction but it never stuck. I would do alright for a while, but one way or another, I’d be drawn right back into darkness.

What I’ve come to realize is that the reason my life didn’t change back then was because I didn’t know God the way I now know him. I didn’t believe anyone, let alone God, could love, forgive, or protect me. I thought and acted as if I was all alone in the world. The guilt and shame I felt over my circumstances only further fueled my hopeless mindset, and enabled my abusers to isolate me further and further away from my family.

But God. I frequently think about the day God released me from the captivity of my abuser, my addiction, and my mind. For the first time in a long time I didn’t let fear decide my next step. I surrendered. I called my mom, I told her the truth. This was the best and hardest thing I had done in a decade. For so long, the pride in my heart forced me to to pretend to have everything under control to my family. Years of mental manipulation from my abusers convinced me that my family could never love me if they knew the severity of my circumstances. But, the enemy is a liar and fear is one of his favorite tools.

On February 1, 2023, God revealed the truth to me. My mother took me to detox and told me she was proud to be my mother, even through the bad times. Her love for me did not change based on my failures. I spent the next four months working on myself and my issues with substances. I was proud to complete and graduate from that program.

When my family came to pick me up, we learned that I was placed in transitional housing right outside of Orlando, Florida, which was located 15 minutes away from my past. I had plans to just “make it work”, plans to push myself to “have it together”. Plans I had made in the past that had always fallen through. Thankfully, God had another road for me to take. I called my mom and I told her the truth. That if I stayed where I was, I knew I wouldn’t make it. We called my long time advocate to help, and on June 13th, I arrived at The WellHouse.

I cannot express my gratitude to The WellHouse for this opportunity to find out who God says I am and to be able to grow spiritually, mentally, and physically. For me, this has been a year of transformation. A year of ever increasing faith, hope, love, and joy.

Thanks to The WellHouse, all of those doubts I had about God are a thing of the past. Today I believe God has always loved me, even when I didn’t love myself. Today I fully understand the price Jesus paid for my sins and knowing that he has forgiven my sins has helped me to finally forgive myself. Best of all, today I can finally see what I couldn’t see for all those years. I survived my trauma because God has been protecting me, and will always protect me. I am never alone.