Bridgette Howell hopes talking about her struggles with addiction will help others to make positive changes in their lives.
When I was in that position, I didnt have any hope, said Howell, 30, of Locust Grove. I didnt have anybody to teach me and guide me, and to show me that there is another way.
kAm(65?6D52J[ D96 8C25F2E65 7C@> 2 `a\>@?E9 AC@8C2> 2E $9:?:?8 {:89E |:?:DEC:6D[ x?4][ 2 =@?8\E6C> C6D:56?E:2= EC62E>6?E AC@8C2>[ :? |4s@?@F89[ 7@C H@>6? H:E9 255:4E:@?D E@ 5CF8D 2?5 2=4@9@=]k^Am
Recommended for you
Cardlytics reports that card-linked cash-back offers represent a strategic stocking stuffer for smart shoppers navigating the expensive holiday landscape. Click for more.Holiday spending hacks: How to unwrap savings without sacrificing festive cheer
kAmw@H6==[ @C:8:?2==J 7C@> ~C68@?[ D2:5 96C 255:4E:@? E@ ?2C4@E:4D DE6>>65 7C@> 2 a__g 42C 244:56?E[ H9:49 C6DF=E65 :? A2:? :? 96C 2C>D 2?5 ?64<] w6C 255:4E:@?D D@@? 6D42=2E65 E@ 2=4@9@=[ >6E92>A96E2>:?6[ 4@42:?6 2?5 >2C:;F2?2]k^Am
kAmxE 8@E AC6EEJ 325 AC6EEJ BF:4<=J[ D2:5 w@H6==[ 255:?8 E92E[ 2E @?6 A@:?E[ D96 H2D E2<:?8 b_ A6C4@46E A:==D A6C 52J]k^Am
kAmw@H6== 25>:EE65 E92E 96C 56A6?56?46 @? ?2C4@E:4D =65 E@ 96C 3C62<:?8 :?E@ 2 7C:6?5D 9@>6[ @? pF8] e[ a_`_]k^Am
kAmx H2D AC6EEJ >6DD65 FA E92E 52J[ D96 D2:5] %96 @H?6C @7 E96 9@FD6 925 D@>6 A6C4@46E E92E x 925 366? E2<:?8[ 2?5 x H2D 27E6C >@C6]k^Am
kAmw@H6== D2:5 E96 9@>6@H?6CD H:76 42>6 9@>6 H9:=6 D96 H2D E96C6] w@H6== E96? 8C23365 2 C2K@C 3=256[ 6D42A65 E9C@F89 2 H:?5@H[ C2? E@ 2 ?62C3J 7:6=5 2?5 EC:65 E@ <:== 96CD6=7]k^Am
kAmx D=:E 3@E9 @7 >J HC:DED[ C646:G:?8 `g DE2A=6D :? @?6 2C> 2?5 `b :? E96 @E96C[ D2:5 w@H6==] x H2D =@DE 2?5 3C@<6?]k^Am
kAmw@H6== D2:5 D96 DE2J65 :? 2 9@DA:E2= :? r@=F>3FD[ v2][ 7@C 2 H66< 7@==@H:?8 96C 4C:>6D[ E96? 5:D4@G6C65 2 H2CC2?E 925 366? :DDF65 7@C 96C 2CC6DE[ 7@C 492C86D :?4=F5:?8 3FC8=2CJ[ 2?5 @3E2:?:?8 @C 2EE6>AE:?8 E@ @3E2:? 52?86C@FD 5CF8D 3J 7C2F5[ 7@C86CJ @C 4@?462=>6?E @7 724E]k^Am
kAmw@H6== E96? EFC?65 96CD6=7 :? E@ E96 w6?CJ r@F?EJ y2:=]k^Am
kAmx H2D 724:?8 2 >2I:>F> AC:D@? D6?E6?46 @7 fa J62CD[ D96 D2:5] x H2?E65 E@ EFC? E9:?8D 2C@F?5] x 5:5?E <?@H 9@H E@ 5@ :E] !:4EFC:?8 >JD6=7 H:E9@FE 5CF8D[ x 5:5?E <?@H 9@H E@ 7F?4E:@?]k^Am
kAmw6?CJ r@F?EJ $FA6C:@C r@FCE yF586 (256 rCF>3=6J E96? D6?E6?465 96C E@ 2 `a\>@?E9 AC@8C2> 2E $9:?:?8 {:89E |:?:DEC:6D[ H9:49 D96 6?E6C65 @? yF?6 `b[ a_``]k^Am
kAmw@H6== D2:5 E96 DE277 2E $9:?:?8 {:89E E2F89E 96C 9@H E@ 36 2 H@>2? @7 :?E68C:EJ[ 2?5 E@ E2<6 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ 7@C 96C @H? =:76]k^Am
kAm$:?46 36:?8 96C6[ x 92G6 C646:G65 :?E6?D6 4@F?D6=:?8 E@ 7246 2 49:=59@@5 @7 D6IF2= 2?5 A9JD:42= 23FD6[ H@C<65 4=@D6=J H:E9 2 =:76 4@249[ H@C<65 H:E9 2? 255:4E:@?D 4@F?D6=@C[ 2 AC@32E:@? 4@F?D6=@C[ 2?5 92G6 4@>6 E@ <?@H y6DFD r9C:DE[ D2:5 w@H6==] x 92G6 366? H@C<:?8 7F==\E:>6 :? 244@F?E:?8[ 2?5 92G6 C6DE@C65 C6=2E:@?D9:AD H:E9 >J >@E96C 2?5 D:DE6C]k^Am
kAmw@H6== 25565 E92E D96 H:== 36 C6F?:E65[ @? yF=J `[ H:E9 96C EH@ D@?D wF?E6C[ h[ 2?5 %C6?E@?[ e] $96 92D ?@E D66? E96> D:?46 pAC:= ah[ a_``]k^Am
kAm%96 7:CDE 52J E92E x H2D :? ;2:=[ E96 3@JD 525 AFE 2 C6DEC2:?:?8 @C56C @? >6 2?5 7:=65 7@C 4FDE@5J @7 E96 3@JD[ D2:5 w@H6==]k^Am
kAm$96 4C65:E65 $9:?:?8 {:89ED 7@F?56C 2?5 tI64FE:G6 s:C64E@C[ %6C6D2 q6DEH:4<[ H:E9 :?DA:C:?8 96C E@ 96=A @E96CD 2G@:5 >:DE2<6D D:>:=2C E@ 96C @H?]k^Am
kAm$96 H2D E96 7:CDE A6CD@? :? >J =:76 H9@ @776C65 >6 E@F89 =@G6 H96? x ?66565 :E[ D2:5 w@H6==] $96 5:5?E 323J >6 E9C@F89 E9:?8D] $96 96=A65 >6 E@ =@@< 2E E9:?8D 2D E96J C62==J H6C6 ?@E DF82C\4@2E65 2?5 E@ C62=:K6 E96 E9:?8D x 925 AFE >J 72>:=J 2?5 >J 49:=5C6? E9C@F89]k^Am
kAmw@H6== :D 4FCC6?E=J HC:E:?8 2 3@@< 23@FE 96C =:76[ H9:49 H:== 36 AF3=:D965 H:E9:? E96 ?6IE >@?E9[ 2?5 :D A=2??:?8 E@ C6EFC? E@ ~C68@?] %96 3@@< H:== 36 6?E:E=65 x v6E w:89 %@ rCJ] w6C 8@2=[ D96 D2:5[ :D E@ @776C 9@A6 E@ @E96C H@>6? H9@ 2C6 DECF88=:?8 H:E9 255:4E:@?D E@ 5CF8D @C 2=4@9@=]k^Am
kAmp== E96 AC@4665D @7 E9:D 3@@< H:== 8@ E@ $9:?:?8 {:89E |:?:DEC:6D[ D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmp rCF:D:?8 u@C p r2FD6 r92C:EJ q:<6 #:56[ 36?67:E:?8 $9:?:?8 {:89E[ :D D4965F=65 7@C $2EFC52J[ 2E %CF6EED vC:==[ `fgd y@?6D3@C@ #@25[ :? |4s@?@F89] #68:DEC2E:@? H:== 368:? 2E hicd 2]>][ 7@C 2 Sad 6?ECJ 766]k^Am
kAmx H:== 36 6?C@==:?8 :? 4=2DD6D E96 72== @7 a_`a E@ 364@>6 2? 255:4E:@?D 4@F?D6=@C[ 2?5 A=2? E@ H@C< 4=@D6=J H:E9 %6C6D2 q6DEH:4< E@ 3C:?8 E96 D6CG:46D @7 $9:?:?8 {:89E |:?:DEC:6D E@ E96 H@>6? :? >J 9@>6 DE2E6 @7 ~C68@?]k^Am
kAmq6DEH:4< D2:5 H96? w@H6== 7:CDE 42>6 E@ $9:?:?8 {:89E[ E96 ~C68@? ?2E:G6 925 2 G6CJ 92C5 962CE] $96 3C@<6 D@>6 CF=6D :? E96 368:??:?8[ 2?5 H6 5:5?E 766= E92E H6 H6C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 23=6 E@ 96=A 96C[ D2:5 q6DEH:4<]k^Am
kAm%96 $9:?:?8 {:89E 7@F?56C D2:5 2D w@H6== AC@8C6DD65 :? E96 AC@8C2>[ 2 EC2?D7@C>2E:@? 3642>6 >@C6 6G:56?E] $:?46 E92E E:>6[ q6DEH:4< D2:5[ w@H6== 92D D@2C65 :? C64@G6C:?8 7C@> 96C 255:4E:@?D]k^Am
kAm$96 =@@<65 2E 2== E92E D96 925 5@?6[ 2?5 564:565 D96 5:5?E H2?E E@ 8@ 324< E@ E92E[ D2:5 q6DEH:4<] $96 H2?E65 E@ D66 96C 3@JD[ 2?5 D96 H2?E65 E@ 36 2 8@@5 >@E96C] $96 H2?E65 E@ 36 5@?6 H:E9 96C A2DE] $96 H2D C625J E@ >2<6 2 492?86] $96 <?6H E92E $9:?:?8 {:89E 4@F=5 96=A ]]] $96 92D 362E6? 5@H? D@ >2?J 56>@?D]k^Am
kAmq6DEH:4< D2:5 cc H@>6? 92G6 E2<6? A2CE :? E96 AC@8C2>D 2E $9:?:?8 {:89E D:?46 :ED :?46AE:@? :? a__f]k^Am
kAm(6G6 925 23@FE ba 8C25F2E6[ 2?5 g_ A6C46?E 2C6 DE:== 4=62? 2?5 D@36C[ q6DEH:4< D2:5[ 255:?8 E92E D96 A=2?D E@ 8@ E@ ~C68@? :? E96 ?62C 7FEFC6[ E@ 96=A w@H6== =2F?49 $9:?:?8 {:89E |:?:DEC:6D E96C6]k^Am
kAm%96 492C:EJ 3:<6 C:56 H:== :?4=F56 2 C:56 E@ pE=2?E2 |@E@C $A665H2J[ :? w2>AE@?] p== C:56CD H:== EC2G6= 7@C @?6 =2A 2C@F?5 E96 EC24< 367@C6 C6EFC?:?8 E@ %CF6EED 7@C =F?49] %96 6G6?E H:== :?4=F56 6?E6CE2:?>6?E 3J 2 =:G6 32?5[ 2?5 %\D9:CE 8:G62H2J]k^Am
kAmu@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?[ 42== Wff_X ch_\e_`e]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Please log in, or sign up for a new, free account to read or post comments.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.