HAMPTON, Va. — It's difficult to break the cycle...once you're already in it.
For some people, they feel stuck in the cycle of drug addiction. Miranda Chen is no stranger to that.
"I was an extremely depressed teenager," said Chen. "I did some things that could've been permanent but weren't, and I'm grateful for that today."
In and out of sessions to help with her mental health, Chen came across opioids at the age of 18 to help numb the psychological pain she experienced as a child. She didn't see hope as a young teenager, even when she sought help.
But Chen said her moment of breaking the cycle of addiction came when her son was born with the help of others around her.
"I had a son who was born successfully off of any type of drugs," said Chen. "He didn't have to go through the things a lot of babies addicted go through."
It's a similar story of change for Antwania Hoskins. At only 17 years old, Hoskins is recovering from mental trauma from her childhood.
"Before I moved, I had attempted," said Hoskins. "My family...they were concerned. They didn't know what to do."
Hoskins moved from Texas to live with some of her family members in Virginia. Still, the troubles of her childhood weighed heavy on her mind and she wanted to get help.
Even at the point where Hoskins thought her life didn't matter, she searched for hope...and found it in Hampton.
"I really felt like no one could help me and this was just something I would have to work through and there's no saving grace... but with the Community Services Board, it was different," said Hoskins.
Her calm composure changed when her infectious smile reached ear to ear as she recalled the help she received over the years.
"It helped. I'm not going to lie...it really helped," she said.
She ended up signing up for a program in the Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board (CSB). Hoskins gained a mentor who helped her practice different methods to not just handle her emotions in the moment but to also find longer-term positive outcomes for her life.
Hoskins has been with CSB for six years.
Dephne Cunningham, the deputy executive director for CSB, said she and the organization's team of specialists, especially the peer specialists, work hard every day to serve more than 20,000 people in Hampton Roads.
"Our agency is to provide a comprehensive array of services and supports for folks who are impacted by mental illness, disability, and substance use disorder," said Cunningham. "So, our services really run the gamut."
Cunningham said Hoskins and Chen are just two examples of the thousands of people's stories the organization hears every day. She said making a change happens when we steer away from the stigmas surrounding mental health and drug use.
"They don't want that judgment, and that just draws them further away from treatment and isolated," Cunningham explained. "So, I think it's a cycle that's hard to break if they don't have someone such as a peer recovery specialist or medical intervention to support them."
Cunningham said breaking down that stigma peels back a layer of resistance and gives people the freedom to get the help they need, which she said starts by looking to others for support.
"There are people who understand and want to help," she said. "At the end of the day, there's a way to save that life."
Chen said she is now working on a program to reduce the stigma of people who use opioids within Hampton Roads police departments.
Hoskins said she is now helping her friends cope with their mental health through methods she learned with her mentor with CSB.
If you are struggling with mental health or drug use, you can get help through CSB's services. You can also call (757) 788-0011 for Emergency and Crisis Services.
Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board is one of many organizations 13News Now highlighted as part of the Give Local 757 campaign.
Give Local 757 has raised more than $9 million since its creation in 2013. It brings people together to make a difference for local nonprofits that deliver vital services to every one of our communities in Hampton Roads.
Editor's note: This year's Give Local 757 Day will be Tuesday, April 25, 2023, and will go for 24 hours beginning at 10 a.m. During that time, you can visit Give Local 757's website to find a group to support. Once you're there, you can search for an organization by name, by location, or by cause. When you find the group you want or like, you can look at its profile or just click on "Donate."