Krystal Jordan has strong women in her life and is becoming a strong and wise woman herself.
It has been a long journey.
“I was born and raised in Portland,” Krystal said. “I didn’t exactly have a good childhood. There was a lot of abuse, so I pretty much left home when I was 16.”
She and a boyfriend traveled east, and three years later, Krystal returned to Portland.
“I told everybody I was homeless,” she said. “Even though I was able to go home, I chose not to. JOIN and TPI (Transition Projects) helped with my housing, addiction and recovery.”
Krystal found an apartment, work and a husband.
The birth of her first child changed her perspective about her own mother.
“We didn’t really start getting along until after I had my daughter,” Krystal said. “A lot of it was me being naïve – thinking I know everything and she’s wrong and she doesn’t know anything. I changed. I became a mom, and I actually needed a lot of help.”
Her mother was there with Krystal’s first newborn and is in Krystal’s life now.
“I was married for six years, and the last 2 1/2 years got pretty bad, got pretty abusive,” Krystal said. “I started drinking again and started using. Not a pretty picture.”
Krystal realized she wouldn’t get better in an abusive environment. She placed her daughter and son with her mother, found a foster home for her dog, and got a sleeping mat for herself at SAFES (Salvation Army Female Emergency Shelter).
“My kids actually have some stability, and they’re in a safe environment,” Krystal said. “I just want to keep that going.”
Now, she is busy in the Providence Substance Abuse Treatment Program, gets counseling and attends Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Krystal also makes commitments with her recovery sponsor, sometimes speaking with her three times a day.
“I just recently had to cut my ties with a friend. She started using pretty heavily even though I tried to help her,” Krystal said. “I mean, I knew that she had used. Who am I to judge? I have the same issue. But I had gotten the impression that she was trying to get sober. Like my sponsor said, ‘You try to save them (and) you go back out (relapse).’ Which is true. Play with fire, get burned.
“It gave me a better understanding of what I put other people through when I was in that state,” Krystal said. “When we’re in our addiction, we don’t care about anybody else, except for us – and our drugs. So with me being sober and having to deal with that, it gave me more understanding.”
Krystal said she’s “bound and determined” to complete her outpatient program.
Street Roots is another way for Krystal to stay clean.
“I’m pretty busy, but on weekends I have almost no structure,” she said. “I’ve noticed the pattern when I have nothing to do; that’s usually the time I’m thinking about going out and using and whatnot. And so with selling Street Roots on the weekends, it’s really helped me to keep my mind occupied.”
Krystal uses the money she earns to buy yarn and other things that keep her busy.
“I do crocheting, and I do a lot of coloring. I actually went and bought a coloring book of Celtic designs.”
Life is getting better with Krystal’s recovery. She spent a recent holiday with her mom, her two kids and her sister.
“This was probably one of the better Thanksgivings that I’ve had in a while,” Krystal said. “My kids were actually pretty decent, well-behaved. My son kind of threw a fit because we watched ‘Frozen.’ Again. And he wanted to watch ‘Planes.’ He’s 6. And then the next thing you know, both my kids, plus me, are singing along with ‘Frozen.’”
