Overcoming Anxiety by Helping Others
We wanted to share this moving personal testimony from Lori Abell, Certified Recovery Specialist:
“I have been here over three years now, and the first two years were a real struggle for me because I am a certified recovery specialist and live with anxiety on a daily basis. I had a lot of anxiety over working and being responsible for others for a long time, but it is something that at the same time I am very passionate about. I wanted to help others going through what I have so that their healing journey would be a little easier than mine has been.
“The anxiety got the better of me many times and I was calling off a lot because of it. I kept questioning myself as to whether I was really helping people at all, and I was really becoming discouraged and thus the anxiety kicked in.
“I have since been working only at the Sunshine House for the past year and I can really tell that what I am doing is helping people. It has only made me more determined to go even further. I have not called off because of anxiety in a very long time and I really feel good about that.
“I'm just so happy here at Sunshine House and my coworkers have had a lot to do with that. I want to give a shout-out to Sarah Padgette and Monice Smith because it would have been hard to get where I am right now without them. They have been so patient, kind and understanding of me and my condition.
“I really enjoy having heart-to-hearts with clients and helping them to solve daily problems they are having, as well as giving them input on what I did to help them stay positive with COVID going on.
“I am very grateful to be here and I feel very honored and blessed to have been selected for this position. And of course Thomas Taylor has a lot to do with that because he was the first person who saw something in me and gave me this job!
“I plan on doing so much more, and have even thought of becoming a therapist so I could reach people on an even deeper level. I am also planning to be even more involved than I am now by learning all the resources out there, connecting to the community and so much more. I'm very excited about all of this and I intend on Aspire Indiana being the place that I stay at until I retire!”
