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Being a panelist at the 5th Annual Fresh Out African American Conference was a powerful experience because I was able to use both my lived experience and professional experience to speak openly about substance use, domestic violence, recovery, and healing. My favorite question was, “How does the trauma from domestic violence affect your long-term healing and recovery journey once you're out?” I loved this question because it allowed me to share not only the impact trauma can have after leaving, but also what life can look like on the other side of it. I shared the tools that helped me get where I am today—healthy coping skills, boundaries, support systems, self-worth, accountability, and learning to trust myself again. I also spoke about how recovery is more than leaving a situation or stopping a behavior; it is learning how to build a healthier and more purposeful life. Being able to share my story reminded me that our past does not have to define our future. My hope is that my story showed others that healing, recovery, growth, and rebuilding are possible—and that sometimes our lived experiences become the very thing that allows us to help someone else find their way. Raeona Amadi " You don't have to erase your past to create a different future. You can heal, grow, recover, and become someone your younger self may have never imagined." -unknown
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