Kaley was struggling with confidence and her body image. Substance use was one way she tried to make things better for herself. “The substance offered me a sense of well-being,” she says. “It offered me to be okay with myself.”

Over time, Kaley developed a substance use disorder (SUD). That’s the story for many Californians, and it can come with its own complex emotions—feelings of shame from others, or the shame we feel about ourselves. Kaley sought treatment and today she has a community that supports her with what she’s going through—no matter what that is. She knows she’s not alone, and that SUD can affect anyone.

"It could be anybody. It could be your neighbor, the person in the grocery store. We’re all going through something in our lives. I want people to see that there’s hope on the other side of that. There’s just an immense amount of hope.”

Hope helped Kaley on her journey, and it’s helping our communities heal, too.