Stories

At the core of the Unshame California campaign are the thousands of Californians impacted by substance use disorder. They are our parents, siblings, children, friends, coworkers, and neighbors. These are their stories.

Dec 20

Cameron Is Proud To Be Himself

His favorite part of recovery has been thriving in his own skin and living his values.

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Sep 20

Sean Pays It Forward by Supporting Others

Since deciding to learn more about himself and focus on his recovery, Sean has applied what he’s learned to help others.

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Sep 11

Melissa Found Connection in Her Recovery

When Melissa started pursuing her recovery, she found the community and support she'd been looking for through her relationship with God.

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Jul 19

Venita's Medications for Addiction Treatment Journey

MAT (Medications for Addiction Treatment) gave Venita the freedom to live her life again.

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Jul 5

Santiago Is Excited To Keep Moving Forward

For Santiago, life hasn't been about counting the number of days without substances.

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Jun 26

Hilary Is Learning To Love Herself

Showing up and showing we care can make all the difference in a person’s recovery journey.

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Jun 21

Diana Embraces a Fresh Start

As Diana says, "Every flower that ever bloomed had to go through a whole lot of dirt to get there.”

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May 31

Mike Uplifts His Community

Mike's community has shown him a lot of love, and he loves to pay it forward and show his community love right back.

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May 9

Katelyn Leads With Kindness

Nowadays, Katelyn's all about positivity—and she hopes to see the same from her community.

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May 3

Julio Wants to Help Others Thrive

Help can come from all sorts of people in our communities.

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Apr 24

Crystal Prioritizes Being Outdoors to Treat Her Mental Health

In recovery, Crystal's been resourceful in finding ways to take care of herself.

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Apr 11

Jessica's Path to Long-Term Recovery

Recovery is not a single step, but rather a whole healing journey—and Jessica has grown every step of the way.

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Apr 5

Yerson Learned How to Express Himself

Growth and connection can happen within a family at any point, and it starts with speaking up.

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Apr 4

Pranom Found Care in her Native Language

It's not always easy for Pranom to communicate her needs because English is her second language.

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Apr 4

Ken's Journey to Self-Confidence

Ken knew that his relationship to drugs was different than other people's.

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Feb 14

Tim's Story as a Veteran in Recovery

Tim's a veteran. He's also a hero in his personal life.

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Feb 14

Anna's Family is Her Motivation

Family has always been a big part of Anna's life.

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Jan 22

Jessica Learned to Ask for Help

Jessica's life changed with just one TikTok video.

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Jan 10

Conrad's Message: People Need People

Human connection has been key to Conrad's healing.

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Jan 4

How MAT Helped Nikki to Heal

Nikki's doctors prescribed her opioids for her chronic pain condition.

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Top stories

Dec 201 min read

Recovery Journeys

Cameron Is Proud To Be Himself

His favorite part of recovery has been thriving in his own skin and living his values.

Sep 201 min read

Giving Back

Sean Pays It Forward by Supporting Others

Since deciding to learn more about himself and focus on his recovery, Sean has applied what he’s learned to help others.

Sep 111 min read

Lived Experience

Melissa Found Connection in Her Recovery

When Melissa started pursuing her recovery, she found the community and support she'd been looking for through her relationship with God.

Dr. Christina is Changing her Community Through Education and Compassion

Dr. Christina talks about what she has learned about opioid use disorder (OUD) and medications that can treat OUD.

Bryant Talks About the Science of Addiction

Bryant shares how educating himself and those around him has helped reduce the stigma of blame.

Deanna Shares the Importance of Family

Journeying Toward Hope: Supporting Her Brother's Recovery from Opioid Use Disorder and Overcoming Stigma Together.

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