Released by the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office …
A vital component of combating the presence of drugs in our community is understanding that behind every drug arrest is a story – a story of someone who has lost their way and a family that has been torn apart by addiction.
Sheriff John Tate’s focus on assisting those struggling with addiction to find lasting recovery is just one step in healing families and giving those stories a happy ending. Arrest itself is not an ending; it can be a new beginning.
Each month, we will share a story from individuals who have successfully completed a drug rehabilitative program through the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office and is now enjoying a new, fulfilled life of recovery.
Their journey. Their words. A message of hope for us all.
The February 2020 Spotlight on Recovery story comes from Courtney Blanton:
My addiction started when I was 16 years old.
I have always put such a high standard on myself to excel at everything in life, especially in academics. I used to rely on cross country and track to help relieve this stress and anxiety, until I was introduced to marijuana and alcohol in high school. Shortly after I began using these substances, I quit sports altogether. The drugs ignited an attitude of “I don’t care” that turned into an 11-year, full blown drug and alcohol addiction.
I managed to graduate college; despite being focused on the club scene, where I found harder drugs to numb my insecurities. I used my career in Radiology to manipulate doctors for prescription pain medicine. I also abused the access I had to medical supplies to support my new method of using drugs intravenously. Within months, I was fired, evicted, and living out of my car in the woods.
My family was shattered because of the wrath of my drug addiction and selfishness. But God pulled them together to organize an intervention to save my life. With the help of Sheriff John Tate, I was arrested in August 2016 for felony drug charges. While I was in Holmes County Jail, my brother Jason asked his friends to share their testimonies with me and speak truth into my life. God used these loving people to help me make the decision to seek long- term treatment.
I was sentenced to The Refuge Ranch, a one-year women’s regeneration program in Okeechobee, Florida. It was here that God broke through the walls around my hardened heart. Everything I’ve been fighting to hide since I was a little girl, He brought out into the light and I received healing. He forgave me of my sins and freed me from the shame and guilt that haunted me from my addiction. God also helped mend the relationships with all my family members that I destroyed.
God planted a seed in my heart and called me to stay for another year commitment to complete “Servant Leadership Training”. This is where my integrity grew, as I was given more privileges and where my leadership skills grew, as I learned to teach addiction recovery classes. My roots grew deeper as I followed the Lord and committed to “Staff Training”. My passion for helping women overcome the disease of addiction, through a strong relationship with Jesus Christ, has grown so deep that I have almost completed my studies for my Certificate in Addiction Counseling. I have been a Staff member since September 2019.
I am forever grateful that God didn’t let me die in my addiction. I have a new purpose in life, and I know
what God wants me to do. I am blessed to be able to help women struggling with substance abuse and
lead them to our Heavenly Father who will heal them, like He did me.
Who am I, but a humble servant to a Mighty God?
Sincerely,
Courtney Blanton
