CHESAPEAKE, Va — The road to recovery can be challenging according to drug addiction treatment experts.
One organization in Hampton Roads is committed to helping people just like Laura Labell, who battled with drug addiction from a young age.
"There is no end to it because you're always searching for that drug, you never have enough," explained Labell.
Labell's battle with drug addiction started in her teens.
"I was a monster," said Labell. 'When you're addicted to drugs you don't have any regard for anyone else's feelings because you feeling ok is all that matters,"
After a few years, she said it then overtook her adult life.
"I lost my car I lost my home, I lost my children, I don't think it gets any worse than that," explained Labell.
After an arrest related to drug possession, Labell finally was able to turn her life around thanks to BrightView Health Addiction Treatment Center in Chesapeake.
"BrightView has been invaluable to my recovery," said Labell. " If not for BrightView, I'd probably be dead.”
Staff and volunteers at BrightView's Chesapeake location told News 3 that many of them have personal connections to drug addiction. For Layla Person, it's her cousin who she lost one year ago.
"She may have done cocaine or something else along those lines and it had something else in it and it gave her a heart attack," said Person.
For Tim Howard, his brothers' ongoing battle with drug addiction has become his.
"I've had substance abuse in my family because I have a couple of brothers who have dealt with it," explained Howard.
"I had to use Narcan to save their life so I know the trauma of drug and alcohol use and how it affects the families.”
Howard says BrightView helps patients overcome their addiction with counseling, methadone prescriptions to keep them clean, and resources for success.
"We go out of our way to make sure they feel like family," explained Howard. "If they have concerns about getting help outside of medication such as help with food pantries, housing, and or insurance, we assist them.”
Saturday marked 'International Overdose Awareness Day' at the Chesapeake location, where community members were invited to tour the center.
The organization says they're working to reduce substance use disorder not only in Chesapeake but in every surrounding city.
There are six BrightView addiction treatment centers in Hampton Roads with a seventh to open soon at the end of the year in Portsmouth.
