Hello everyone,

I guess we should start with, Welcome to Recovery Revival!

I can't put into words how thrilled I am to have you here.  My name is Jessica, and I'm the founder of this recovery resource hub that you know as Recovery Revival™

I decided to hold off on posting for a few weeks to give you all time to explore and take it all in. Beautiful, isn't it? I am so proud of what we have created here at Recovery Revival.

Now you have had the chance to look around and take it all in, I thought I would kick things off personally and share a little about myself, my story and why I created Recovery Revival.

Recovery Revival. was actually born out of my own personal experiences in life. Yes, if you have already read our About Me page, you will know I have had my fair share of trauma and mental health difficulties all the way through to my recovery of being 10 years free of my disorders. I am quite comfortable with writing blog posts you see, as I have written my own personal blog for over 12 years detailing my experiences.

Yes, I started a blog 12+ years ago after recently coming to terms with the fact my childhood was by no means the most conventional. In fact, during my childhood years I experienced emotional and physical abuse at the hands of my Mother,  sexual abuse by a family friend and a string of persistent and severe bullying that persisted throughout my entire school years which left me leaving with little to no education.

I left my mothers care quite young, which left me in hostels and homeless shelters from around 14 years of age. Despite looking back at those days with fondness and a sense of finally belonging somewhere, I wont deny that it was a time in my life that was just as traumatic as my upbringing. I was slung from one traumatic situation to another. Watching the people I had found a sense of belonging with overdose before my eyes, and get themselves in fights and dodgy dealings that I would find myself having to break up even at the youngest of ages.

After a while and for some strange reason, I felt I wasn't in the best nor safest place and I ended up going to live with a family member. Here, I would then go on to experience two further assaults and despite me being somewhat mentally stable after all I had experienced, I was then thrown into a deep onset of Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Yes, from my second assault I was going from one plug to the next. Tapping bathroom taps, pulling on front doors, and running my hands along under sink pipes all in constant fear that another traumatic event was about to happen. Not only was I spending my days as some sort of poorly executed plumber, but my nights were spent reliving my trauma through extensive night terrors.

I ended up leaving that family members home back to a life of hostels and homeless shelters and now with an added bonus of being more terrified than I ever had before. I had been diagnosed with a list of disorders, but those titles didn't come with any help or support and It was then that I was tossed from one therapist to the next and told a multitude of things, from that I would never get better, things would only get worse and the most positive being that if I was lucky, I could improve my Obsessive Compulsive Disorder slightly and check things twice, instead of three times. What a lucky gal! As you can probably image, I could feel my life spiralling before my eyes.

Upon reflecting on my upbringing and the recurring patterns I witnessed, I reached a pivotal realisation, I needed to change my life. It may sound simple to say now, but the decision was far from easy. Despite doubts and fluctuating emotions, I discovered a deep seated determination within me. An unwavering resolve that proclaimed, I was going to transform my life for the better.

Despite going on to then experiencing a handful more questionable therapists, I ended up finding the therapist of my dreams. She was on a mission to prove to those higher than her, that recovery from such disorders was possible and between my new found determination and hers we both set off on a mission. Despite using the frame work of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, we delved a lot into my past traumas which isn't usually the common CBT method, but she knew how vital it was for me and my journey.

We looked at how my current behaviours had come into play and what they stemmed from. The behaviours of my abusers and how they came to be and did some hard practical work when it came to my Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I mean, it was essentially like I had taken on a full time job.  

When it came to leaving her, I no longer could be classed as having my disorders. Thats right, I was doing that little that I could no longer be classed as having Post Traumatic Stress or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.  Don't get me wrong, I still had a wildly traumatic past and a lot to learn, but by the time I left I wasn't checking anything. No taps were being tapped on and no doors pulled on. Those frequent and persistent night terrors hadn't appeared in weeks and I found myself with the weight of the world lifted from my shoulders and a new sense of freedom.

From that point and after leaving therapy,  I leant more and more into this recovery and healing space. Reading every book I could get my hands on and listening to every podcast, filling my eyes and ears with as much knowledge and wisdom as I could. I had already been journalling everything that had been happening on my blog, but I went on to try and find other people in the space that had also changed their lives.

On one side of my life, I had managed to take control and transform it for the better. However, I faced a heartbreaking reality that the people from my early days hadn't found their way out, and I was losing more and more of them rapidly.

This came with an overwhelming mix of hurt, heartache, and deep guilt. I felt a profound sadness that while I had managed to turn my life around, others were losing theirs to addiction and suicide. The contrast between my journey of personal growth and the struggles and losses of those around me weighed heavily on my heart.

Motivated by the loss of so many and a deep desire to initiate change and amplify the voices of those who had managed to change their lives, I founded Recovery Revival.

I knew when it came to creating Recovery Revival™, I wanted to create a community. A feel good community of mutual understanding and respect. A place where people could go not only when they are struggling, but also to celebrate their successes in recovery. To shout from the rooftops about their 4 month sobriety, or to seek tips from someone who is 2 days sober on how to reach that 4 month milestone.

and honestly, I feel we have created that.

Not only did I want to create a place of community and undestanding, but I wanted to provide a bunch of feel good resources. A place to learn how to heal and grow and to teach you just how to do that. You'll find everything from evidence-based treatment options, inspiring personal stories, practical advice and the latest research in the field.

My goal and our goal, is to provide you with the tools, information, and support you need to not just survive, but to thrive.

I feel like it is thrown around a lot online, but thank you from the bottom of my heart for being here.

Not just on the page and reading my story, but for choosing recovery. You're adding to the community of people who are choosing to heal and recover and with that, the voice only gets bigger.

We need as many people as possible to know that recovery and healing is possible and that life does get better.

Lots of Love

Jessica,
Recovery Revival™ CEO & Founder

‍