We Do Recover

Shannan Selby, BSN, RN, PMH-BC, CARN

Healing begins with awareness.

A conscious awareness that something needs to change.

Once we are aware that something needs to change, we are faced with the choice; to move in the direction of growth, or remain in discomfort.

Pain is often the catalyst for change, as was the case for me.

My name is Shannan.

I’m a mom to three young men and a couple of crazy canines.

I’m a Registered Nurse, an artist, and a writer.

I spent 13 years working in the Emergency Department.

I went through a horrible divorce, and I was raising my three sons completely unsupported as a single mom.

At 39 years old, I found myself in a place of massive burnout in my career and my personal life.

A kidney stone led to a prescription for pain pills, and those pills became an ineffective solution to all the hurt.

They temporarily numbed the physical pain AND the emotional pain.

I did some extraordinary damage to my life before I was in enough pain to consider changing.

Once I got sober, I began to peel back all the layers.

Codependency and perfectionism were ingrained into my very being.

I had gone through life on autopilot without much (if any) self-awareness.

It was time to learn some self-compassion and mend the broken pieces.

I faced a lot of adversity along the way, including license discipline.

Along this difficult journey, I rediscovered my creativity.

Sharing my own personal life lessons with others has taught me so much.

When one teaches, two learn.

Working as a Registered Nurse, and specializing in Mental Health and Addiction, continues to allow me the opportunity to connect with my patients at a deep level.

Advocacy and Peer Support are my top priorities.

There is a lot of shame in the experience of addiction, and it can be even heavier for those of us who are licensed and held to a higher standard.

Recovery has taught me many things, and I continue to learn every day.

What can feel like the end is often a new beginning.

Life is truly limitless.

Never stop imagining what you can do.

You might surprise yourself one day and do it all…

Find Recovery Resources here

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