KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Maryann Mitchell's new tattoo serves as an everyday reminder.
"I got this on my arm just to remind me everyday that I have so much to live for and I have a new life today and I have the choice of going backwards or keep going forward," Mitchell said.
It's a choice Mitchell wasn't sure she'd be able to make last year.
"I was one needle away from killing myself and that was a wake up call to me," Mitchell said.
Mitchell was on methamphetamine for 12 years.
"My father got sick with cancer when I was 31 and a so-called friend introduced me to methamphetamine," Mitchell said. "When it grabbed a hold of me, it grabbed on hard."
In January, Mitchell decided to make a change.
"You'll reach the point here you've either had enough or you're going to die," Mitchell said. "Thank God above that I reached rock bottom and decided to do something about it."
What's tattooed on her arm is a permanent reminder of getting that second chance.
The tattoo showcases broken chains to symbolize breaking her addiction, her sober date: Jan. 26, 2023 and "Envision Recovery," the program she says helped save her life.
"I was trying to figure out a place to live when I was coming out of treatment and I heard of Envision Recovery," Mitchell said. "Doc gave me an opportunity."
Doc, also known as David Zelk, founded Envision Recovery a year ago. He understands the life of addiction.
"Most of my life I was in prison and I had substance abuse issues and life wasn't so good awhile back," Zelk said. "When I decided to get clean, there was people that reached out to help me. I figured it'd be good to reach out and help other people."
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, KFF, drug overdose death rates have increased nationwide.
In 2011 – the death rate sat at 13.2 overdose deaths per every 100,000 people. In 2021, that number rose to more than 32.
The rates has also increased in Kansas and Missouri.
Mitchell and others apart of this program are working on not being a statistic, but a solution.
"We all come from similar backgrounds. We all have our own different stories, but there's similarities in them so likely you're gonna have somebody in the house that's gone through the exact same thing that you have," Mitchell said.
The program provides housing and services to get back on track.
"All together we have 48 beds. It's not totally full; we're somewhere around 35 people in five different houses," Zelk said. "We try to get them employment. We randomly drug test them, breathalyze them, help them with getting a job and car."
Mitchell says the support system with others in the house has been meaningful for her.
"I love all the girls here," Mitchell said. "We're a family and I didn't have that five months ago and so I see endless opportunities."
The program is looking to expand to more houses in the future to provide more services for people in need.
To learn more about Envision Recovery, click here.
