My name is Jennifer Street, and I’m a recovered addict. For years, Xanax and Adderall ruled my life. What began as a way to calm my nerves and keep up with the world turned into a battle that almost took everything from me my family, my health, and my soul.
My first encounter with drugs happened before high school. I went to a party where someone’s parents were out of town. That night, I tried mushrooms and smoked my first joint. I was curious, and I liked the feeling of freedom. Thankfully, my best friend stopped me from trying meth, but the damage was already done I’d taken my first steps down a dangerous path.
In high school, I was prescribed medication for anxiety. Doctors tried different things until they settled on Xanax when I turned 18. At first, it seemed like it helped, but soon it became something I relied on. Around the same time, I tried Adderall for the first time. It made me feel sharp and unstoppable. I started using the two together Adderall to stay awake and party, Xanax to calm down and sleep.
At 19, I got my first DUI after leaving a bar. Standing in that courtroom, I felt embarrassed and scared, but not enough to stop. I moved in with friends, one of whom sold drugs. One night, I opened the door to three guns pointed at my face. I remember praying, “God, please don’t let me die.” That should have been enough to wake me up, but I wasn’t ready.
A few years later, I met the father of my children. The first night we hung out, I was high on Xanax and Adderall. We spent four years together partying until I became pregnant with our first son. For a while, things felt normal again. But after giving birth, I was prescribed Xanax and Adderall once more. My addiction came back stronger.
When my prescriptions ran out, I turned to the streets. I was dealing with postpartum depression and trying to survive. My relationship with Sean became toxic full of arguments and resentment. When I got pregnant with our second son, I stopped using, but after his birth, I almost died from hemorrhaging. I should have seen it as another warning, but instead, I went right back to using when I recovered.
Eventually, I left our home, convinced I needed space. Instead, I fell even deeper into my addiction. I wrecked my car one night driving home from a bar. The car flipped into a creek. I woke up hours later, hanging upside down, calling 911. Somehow, I walked away. I should’ve been grateful, but I still didn’t stop.
In 2018, after another arrest, I hit my lowest point. DFACS took my kids, and Sean got full custody. Sitting in a jail cell, detoxing and broken, I cried out to God: “If You’re real, help me. I can’t live like this anymore.” That was the moment everything began to change.
When I got out, my friends staged an intervention and sent me to rehab. I entered The Broom Tree, a Christian recovery program, not knowing it would save my life. I gave my heart to God, got clean, and after a month, I was finally able to hug my children again. That moment reminded me why I had to keep fighting.
I finished the program and moved into a transition home. I started my own small Christian t-shirt business, Exodus Boutique, inspired by the verse Exodus 14:14: “The Lord will fight for you; you only need to be still.”
Today, I am sober. Sean and I co-parent peacefully, and our boys are growing up in a stable, faith-filled home. We’re even planning our wedding.
Addiction took years from my life, but recovery gave me back my purpose. If you’re struggling, don’t give up. Ask for help, and hold on. There’s a beautiful life waiting on the other side.
