Success Stories

“I Watched Myself Die”

When I saw the incident on video, I knew things had to change. Thanks to DLC, my life was turned around.

Watching a video of your own death is quite a reality check. I should know, because it happened to me.

Let me back up a little bit. I was a pretty normal kid who made good grades, did well in sports, and had my share of friends. But when my parents divorced while I was in tenth grade, my world started falling apart, and I turned to drinking and substances to deal with it. In less than two years, I went from a 3.4 GPA to dropping out of school and diving fully into my addictions.

My self-esteem crashed and burned. I didn’t think I was worthy of anyone’s love. Drugs and alcohol made me feel better—but of course, it was all a lie.

I got my GED and had a couple attempts at college, but it was always two steps forward, then a giant step back—for about the next 15 years. But I never took responsibility for my problems; it was always someone else’s fault, not mine.

I just kept making bad decisions, and ended up in some co-dependent and abusive relationships. I was a mess . . . and my driving record proved it.

After my first DUI, I did probation. My second DUI was also probation, but I kept violating it, and ended up spending five months in jail. And my third DUI, well, it almost killed me—and that’s when I saw myself nearly die on video.

Death on a dash cam

It was December 13, 2017. I had overdosed while driving down Interstate 75, blacked out, and ran off the road and into a fence. A Florida Highway Patrol trooper stopped a few minutes later. My doors were locked and I was unresponsive, so he broke through the window. When he found out I didn’t have a pulse, he pulled me out through my window and started yelling, “Ma’am, please wake up! Please, God, wake up!”

He gave me CPR, and I came back to life. “She’s breathing,” the state trooper said.

The whole thing was recorded on his dash cam. A few days later, I saw the video, and it changed my whole perspective. I knew I had to make some changes.

I got a DUI and spent another 30 days in jail. After that, the local drug court program sent me to DLC to get the help I desperately needed.

By then, I was tired of fighting. So I just surrendered to the process, and did everything they told me—group therapy, individual therapy, trauma therapy, all of it. I was at DLC almost every day for six months. They held me accountable, and they encouraged me. They helped me build a strong foundation for my recovery.

While in the program, I chose to live in a sober house to set myself up for success. I didn’t want to go back to my old ways. My whole attitude has changed, and now I’ve been sober for more than two years.

I’m really focused on giving back. I sponsor women in a 12-step program. I tell my story in different places. I’m a peer mentor at my sober house, where I also lead a spirituality workshop and teach yoga classes.

I’m also an instructor at Yoga Lab, and I feel happier and healthier than ever, thanks to DLC. If it weren’t for them, I don’t know where I’d be. But because of them, I’ve found my life’s purpose, which is to help others.

Supporters like you make success stories like Cory’s possible. Thank you for your support!