From Addiction to Connection: How One Woman Found Her Way to Her Purpose
Not too long ago, Kat Douglas’ life was heading in a downward spiral. The weight of addiction had negatively impacted her life and the lives of her loved ones. She had been separated from her 16-year-old son Joseph and did not have a stable living situation. After one year sober, Douglas decided it was time to reclaim her life. In August 2020, she moved to Asheville, North Carolina in search of a new beginning. Soon after moving to Asheville, Douglas discovered the supportive and tight knit community at Asheville Buncombe County Christian Ministry (ABCCM). In an act of what she describes as divine intervention, she was provided with housing and was reunited with her son, a feat which seemed nearly impossible given the circumstances. As Douglas explains it, “to find a place that would allow me to have a boy that age is unheard of in North Carolina.”
Despite what seemed like an unfeasible situation, she is now with her son, and they both have a roof over their heads. While these are things many might take for granted, Douglas knows what it’s like to not have shelter and to be separated from her loved ones.
Her connection to ABCCM also opened the door to new opportunities. Last year she met a woman named Courtney, a peer support and recovery coach at Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness. Something clicked for Douglas upon meeting Courtney. “I knew then, I wanted to do that to help others to not have to go through the same struggles,” she recalls. With the help of ABCCM, she was able to receive her certification as a peer support and recovery coach, the ultimate light at the end of the tunnel. Douglas says this next step in her life provides meaning and purpose for her, and that “the things [she’s] been through in [her] past were for a reason, so [she] can help other people.”
While reflecting on her path to recovery, she remembers moving to Asheville as a crucial step. She came with no connections, but the communities at ABCCM and Sunrise welcomed her with open arms without judgment or disdain. She remembers being inspired by her new friends and peers. “These are people I look up to, but don’t feel less than,” she remembers thinking. Now she looks around at the friendships she’s made, the opportunities she’s been given, and the natural beauty around her, and can confidently say, “I feel like I’ve found my home.”
Douglas states with assurance that she is not ashamed to speak about her struggles with addiction and her path to recovery. It is the path which led her back to her son and into her new purpose. When looking back on the person she was before she came to Asheville, Douglas remembers feeling like she “didn’t have a reason for being.” Now she has discovered her purpose and meaning.
We all stumble in our lives, and sometimes pulling yourself back up can feel impossible. Douglas says if she could give advice to a younger version of herself, she would say, “Believe in yourself, know that you are enough, and find a healthy community to surround yourself with.” As we all know, believing in yourself is easier said than done, and Douglas has had to struggle with this belief for most of her life. “It’s a gradual process,” she reflects, “and it starts with letting go of the shame and the guilt.” She also credits her daughter Aleah Roberts for helping her move on from her past. “My daughter is a reiki energy healer, and she helped me through some of my most difficult times,” she says.
Shedding the weight of her mistakes and regrets has freed up space in her life — space for education, for family, and for gratitude. Douglas currently volunteers with the local organization SeekHealing and feels a strong connection with their motto which seems to perfectly sum up her journey: “The opposite of addiction is connection.”
Written by Grace Siplon
Photography Keyan Riddick
Wardrobe @caleb_owolabi_
Location Major Moments LLC
Artistic Director Caleb Owolabi
Hair & Makeup Ms. Juliet Leilani Newell