A letter from one of the brave women we have served…… Families Free feels so fortunate to have played a role in Myra’s story. She’s an inspiration to us all!

I was raised in Mountain City, TN. My father was an alcoholic and committed suicide when I was 12. My mother was very abusive to me and my sister. At the age of 15, I was taken into state custody and put in foster care because of the abuse. I never received any therapy. I didn’t think I needed it.

As I grew into an adult, I had a very hard time with stressful situations. I always had a feeling of unworthiness and very low self-esteem. I stayed in abusive relationships because I felt lucky that anyone would want me. I was desperate for love.

I began to drink to numb myself when I was 29. I would check myself in to rehab centers because I could not function daily without alcohol. I had little hope that life would ever be happy for me. I moved to Johnson City with my two daughters in 2014 in hopes that if I got away from my hometown, things would change. I learned soon that I was only running away from the same issues that I carried deep inside of me.

I met a man that seemed to be very nice, intelligent and caring. We got married and I began to have hope. As time went by, I realized that he was not what he seemed to be. He slowly became very abusive, controlling and cruel. I began to drink again to numb the pain. Alcohol was my escape. It seemed to help me cope with the problems I was dealing with everyday, while it was really just throwing a blanket over them. On November 29 of 2015, my life took a drastic turn. In a rage, my husband severed 3 of my fingers. I was able to get away from him, but I fell into a deep, dark depression. I had no hope that I would lead a normal, happy and healthy life. I lost custody of my children who had been my sole purpose of life.

Then I was referred to Families Free. When I first arrived at Families Free, I didn’t believe that they could help me. I came to session after session when I started to notice a change in me and the way I began to view the world. The women that helped me gave me hope. They helped me find my worth and my truth. They taught me coping skills that I had never received. I finally had so much hope and could see a bright, shining future for me and my children.

I had always loved to paint but after my fingers were severed, I didn’t think that I would ever be able to again. However, with the hope and confidence I was building, I learned to paint with my left hand! I was so thankful that my journey had led me to this wonderful organization that actually cared and wanted to see me succeed. They are still my family and support. I wish that every woman who deals with the problems I did, and the untruths that we tell ourselves everyday, could be led to this house of hope…..because without them, I wouldn’t be where I am in my journey of life.

Thank you, Families Free, for helping me find my wings!”     ~Myra

**You can view and purchase Myra’s artwork on her Facebook page “Painting a Dream.”