Bernice’s Story

In 2010, Bernice began using drugs and alcohol to escape her increasing emotional pain. What started as an occasional escape gradually became a constant addiction. Bernice found herself spiraling into depression, unable to engage with the outside world or even do basic self-care. Even as she helped others in her job as a health advocate, she couldn’t see that she, too, needed help.

In 2011, Bernice tried to pull herself out of it, attending Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings, but her mother’s death in 2013 deepened her depression and reignited her substance misuse. She found herself isolating from her children, out of work, and consumed by grief. But even in the darkness, Bernice was able to find a small flicker of light and hope. She knew she could rebuild her relationship with her family and rediscover the lively, warm, and beloved Bernice that still existed inside her. Bernice needed support.

The Road to Recovery

Through her work, Bernice was aware of The Jewish Board. A clinician encouraged her to reach out, and she did. Bernice was immediately welcomed into care at Grand Concourse Counseling Center, where the team saw her as more than her struggles.

Her care team offered medication management, individual therapy, and group support, all grounded in a trauma-informed approach. She began to learn through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which focuses on noticing and shifting are thoughts, then our behaviors. Bernice and the team were able to stabilize her depression symptoms, reduce her substance misuse, and improve her overall quality of life.

“I Still Matter”

It wasn’t long before the time and support Bernice received started to pay off, and she began to feel like herself again. Bernice tapped back into her resiliency and carved a new path forward. The services Bernice was provided with opened the door to her returning to a life she could feel proud of, not beset by grief or addiction. She reconnected with what she loved: her family, her Catholic faith, her friends, and her dog. She could stroll on the Rockaway boardwalk again, feeling the ocean breeze – and she could smile again, too.

A Path Toward a New Life

Bernice’s care team at The Jewish Board understood that in developing a treatment plan to best help her, they would have to honor her Catholic upbringing, her family roots, and Bernice’s own passion for nature. She continued regular therapy and managed her medication for depression while also tackling her addiction. Bernice’s journey was not linear, but she has stayed committed. She has grown stronger, rebuilt trust with her children, rejoined her church, and regularly attends NA and AA meetings for deeper support.

The Journey of Rebuilding

Thanks to her own hard work and the help of her care team, Bernice is in a better place today. She has made tremendous strides and finds that she’s better equipped to manage her depression. Though challenges remain, Bernice is hopeful – a feeling she thought lost during her darkest times. She walks the boardwalk again, now knowing that every step forward is one of hope, healing, and renewal.

*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of our clients.