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 my career 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.
A beautiful shift in my nursing practice occurred when I made the decision to change my life.
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
My writing has been featured on the following websites:
