Elgin woman who faced down alcohol addiction volunteers to help others

Facing addiction can be isolating. Facing it during a pandemic compounds that.

Lucy Valdez of Elgin said she experienced just that, and now she helps others deal with addiction in these challenging times.

"We've lost a few people, people who won't make it back," Valdez said. "It's scary to be in addiction and feel that loneliness already and add in the desperation from being isolated and liquor stores are open but everything else is closed."

Valdez said she got her life back after grappling with alcohol addiction thanks to the Gateway Foundation in Aurora and a 12-step program.

Valdez was 45 when she checked into Gateway in February. She said drinking had been a part of her life since she was very young.

"One thing my dad taught me was I can't hang with the owls at night if I can't soar with the eagles in the morning," Valdez said. "So to me that meant as long as I went to work I was not an alcoholic."

But even though she had a job, Valdez said she shaped her life around when she would get her next drink.

"I would wake up and take a shot," Valdez said. "I would go to work and have a drink at lunch and then after I'd have a drink in my hand at 4:30 p.m. At the time I didn't think of it as weird or not normal."

But eventually it became too much and her sister convinced her to get help.

Her time at Gateway changed the way she saw herself and her addiction.

"I used alcohol so I didn't have to face life," Valdez said "I learned I have a thinking disease and I used alcohol to treat it."

A Gateway official asked her to speak about her experiences after she left the foundation. She was nervous at the thought of sharing her story, but Valdez now is grateful to be able to share and connect with others.

"I think that it's important people understand that there are real solutions, that we can find peace," Valdez said of those struggling with addiction. "Sometimes people need that extra push to get help, I try to speak my truth so people know there's hope."

Valdez said since the pandemic began she has been telling her story and listening to those in recovery through Zoom meetings.

"This pandemic is a national relapse trigger for anyone with addiction and mental health issues," Valdez said. "Addiction is all about connection. I have been working extra hard to stay connected to my sober community, but many still struggle."

Valdez said she believes her job is to share a message of hope.

"There is a better way and we are not alone in this journey," Valdez said. "I'm at peace with where I've been, what I've been through and where I am going."

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