Stories about us: Traffic violation was a lifesaver for ex-addict

At Celebratory Recovery – the place that helped Liz Reese find sobriety – it was business as usual that Oct. 2.

Before the faith-based recovery meeting kicked off at Portales’ First Baptist Church, she chatted with friends and munched on sloppy joes. During it, she read Scripture and handed out sobriety chips. Afterward, she maintained her duties as the church’s custodian by helping clean up. 

In those simple acts, Reese, who said she was addicted to meth and cocaine, illustrated how sobriety has led to a better life. She has friends, a job and a purpose. Reese is hoping her actions and journey can be a blueprint for anyone who finds themself in her shoes. 

“If somebody has not seen or heard Liz's testimony, it's a beautiful picture of sobriety, of recovery,” said Vicki Banister, who oversees the Celebrate Recovery operation. 

A former high-performing student, who didn’t party and participated in synchronized swimming, Reese never imagined addiction would be a pillar of her daily routine and social interactions. She didn’t endure the neglect or trauma in her childhood that sometimes leads to addiction. 

There was never a need, or an opportunity. 

Until there was. 

When she was 27, Reese was introduced to meth by a friend. She said her addiction was “gradual,” but eventually she was trekking to random Portales homes and apartments to get high. 

She found it mainly provided two things: Numbing the brokenness she felt from a divorce and, later, abuse from another relationship. Furthermore, it provided the focus she felt she needed to raise three kids with joint custody while being a full-time barber. 

"I didn't want to have to face those problems. I wanted to focus on work or other stuff, and so I would numb myself,” Reese said. 

She never lost her job or custody of her children, but it upended her life. Her rage became unpredictable; her lies about needing $20 or $40 here and there from family were constant; and as a mom she wasn’t as involved. 

Reese said she would isolate herself from her kids, staying in her bedroom so they didn’t see her because, “I didn't want them … to even have a clue.”

She knew it was problematic but attempts to become sober were unsuccessful. Through one way or another, she found herself going back to the same crowd, making last-minute excuses for why she was late to family functions, or needed money, and overwhelmed by the stress and paranoia her addiction and the drug caused. 

Then, one early morning, a co-worker called Reese to open the barbershop. So, Reese hopped in her car and raced over.

She calls this the moment that saved her life because a police officer pulled her over for speeding. The police officer noticed Reese was acting suspicious, so he asked if there was anything in the car. Reese said there was a “little” thing used for smoking weed. When he went to grab it, he found a narcotic. 

As a result, Reese was ultimately placed on probation and was ordered by a drug court to attend a sobriety group. She was introduced to Celebrate Recovery through a friend and recalled not wanting to get out of the car her first time attending. 

“Sometimes that first step through that door is the hardest thing you can do,” Banister said. 

After some encouragement, and knowing her future was at stake, she entered – the first step in her turnaround.

This anecdote has become a key part in her story because it humanizes her, thus, making her more relatable. 

Through Celebrate Recovery’s judgment-free community and faith-based approach, Reese was becoming sober, and life wasn’t marred by addiction. She made it through her probation without failing any drug tests and became an example of what’s possible. 

Shortly after joining Celebrate Recovery, transitioned from being a barber to become the church’s custodian. Banister said Reese has become a pillar of the community and someone who helps hold the church together. 

“It gives other women hope that man, if Liz can do it, knowing what she has gone through, we can do it too,” Bannister said.