I work in the Screen Printing / Embroidery Department at Catalyst Life Services. My dream job at Catalyst is to be a Counselor Assistant at New Beginnings. To be an agent of change. To maybe help someone like me. New Beginnings started my road to recovery and I would of never known about this place if it weren’t for my Vocational Specialist, Josh Jewell. He took me to Rehab twice and didn’t leave until he knew I was sure of myself. Recovery is my life – as I am finding my old self and getting my family / my boys back.
I am currently waiting on a liver transplant due to my alcoholism. Unfortunately, the doctors telling me “quit drinking or die” didn’t help me. Thankfully, Josh and my two stays at New Beginnings planted a seed in my recovery and I can proudly say I’m still on that road.
Here is a short version of my story:
The corner stone of my alcoholism is in April 2008 when I suffered a stillbirth. I was not able to handle this loss, so I turned to a vodka bottle which led me to lose custody of my two sons. I was not ready to admit I had a problem and continued to still get up every morning and go to my job at Burger King. I was what my mom calls a “Functioning Alcoholic”. I continued to do this job until 2019. My mom and oldest son (who was in the custody of my Mom) saw me become self-destructive even though I would never admit that I had a problem.
I was transferred to Kenton, OH for my job and met a man who I thought wanted to help me. He took over my life by controlling my every move. He took everything I loved away from me. I did not see it that way and would not until after my second stay at New Beginnings.
While at New Beginnings, I learned a lot about myself. However, upon release, I allowed him to take control back. I lost jobs because of his actions toward my employers. With the help of one great Catalyst employee and my mom, they made me see I needed to get away from him. I got a second chance at New Beginnings again but upon leaving early, I fell back in the trap. Yes, I had stopped drinking, but I still allowed him to control me.
About 6 weeks ago, he left to go take care of his son in Marion, OH. I finally began to feel better about myself but not totally. It was not until he came into our apartment while I was at work and took about everything, including my total paycheck out of the bank, that I knew I had to take action. I called my mom and she convinced me to call the police and file a report which I did. With the help of my mom and Catalyst, I am now on the right path. I am taking baby steps to be able to get my life back and be the person I am meant to be.
Catalyst has given me a great opportunity with a great job that I love. My previous job experience was fast food and now I am learning something new. They are helping me become better and they care about me enough to help.
Naomi Syx is a current Progress Industries employee. She was so happy to share how New Beginnings and the services at Catalyst helped plant the seed of hope and gave her the tools needed to start the journey of recovery.