Regina Power’s story is one that’s, unfortunately, all too familiar for far too many people. She grew up in a nuclear family with both parents and four siblings. She happens to be a twin. Things likely looked rather normal from the outside, but behind closed doors, it was chaotic. Her sister committed suicide at the age of 16. To cope, Regina turned to alcohol. She was just 13 years old. Her addiction heightened and lessened off and on as she navigated her way through an early marriage that ultimately failed, motherhood, abusive relationships that followed, pursuit of a college degree and a short-lived profession as a nurse.
Her battle with addiction as a mechanism to cope with the chaos in her life kept her trapped in unhealthy relationships. And she got DUI after DUI after DUI. In 2005, she ended up on probation but, unfortunately, she wasn’t able to stay sober. Violation of her probation resulted in a 12-month prison sentence. That was her first stint in prison. But, Regina didn’t have the support or access to resources to power a sustainable change after her release this time. When she got out, she stayed sober for four years, but her home plan had landed her right back in the only lifestyle she knew — an abusive relationship that eventually almost cost her her life. “I never felt like I deserved, or was worthy, of something better,” she said. “After I was released from the hospital, I went right back there — to that same abusive relationship.”
Her addiction took over once again. After her fifth DUI, she was put in a 60-day work release program. The very day after she completed the work release program, she got her sixth DUI and ended up serving just a few months shy of six years. While she was in prison this time, her family stopped visiting her. That was her wake-up call. As unlikely as it may seem, Regina is grateful for that time and that isolation from her family that, for the first time, allowed her to reflect on her past and explore her inability to cope in healthy ways with life challenges. “Little did I know that God was separating me from them for a reason.” she said. “I couldn’t use my family as a way to deter myself from focusing on me. They weren’t there.” As a result, she says she started holding herself accountable; she strengthened her faith in God; she entered treatment, and probably most importantly, she connected with Journey to New Life.
[Journey to New Life] just supported me unconditionally. They were just there. They didn’t want anything. They were just there to support me in my journey. It’s been a wonderful journey.
— Regina Power
“At first, I didn’t want to go there. I wanted to go home to family,” she said. “But they weren’t there.” Regina gets very emotional when she talks about what Journey to New Life has meant to her. “When I got out, I was scared. I was scared. Even though I had done a lot of healing, I was unsure of myself. Where would I fit in? What was going to be my life? How was I going to heal my family?” she said. “These ladies, they just supported me unconditionally. They were just there. They didn’t want anything. They were just there to support me in my journey. It’s been a wonderful journey. I can tell you that I look in the mirror today, and I like the woman I am … I feel stronger than I’ve ever felt. Ever felt.”
In the coming days, we’ll share more of Regina’s story, including how she’s now serving as a peer mentor and house manager at Journey to New Life. Stay tuned for the next step in her journey.
Due to the global pandemic, Journey to New Life is not able to have its annual fundraising event in 2020. This significantly impacts the organization’s ability to continue to help those, like Regina, who sometimes just need a hand up.
