CHILLICOTHE― This Christmas season, 39-year-old Natalia Rapp is grateful to her mother and to God for more than 10 years of sobriety and recovery.
As the mother-of-four struggled with opioid addiction, mother Lila Reisinger, 63, cared for her grandchildren and provided financial and moral support throughout her daughter’s recovery.
However, Reisinger first had to learn how to help his daughter. With no experience dealing with addiction, Reisinger said she initially did not recognize the signs of addiction and therefore funded her daughter’s drug problem. At the height of his addiction, Rapp left his children with his mother.
“I went from being pretty functional and working and taking care of my kids to one day really not. I mean, it happened slowly…I just walked away from my life and I left my children with [Reisinger]”, Rapp said. “Looking back, I have no idea how she did it.”
Reisinger cared for her two grandchildren full-time while continuing to work in the operating room at Adena Health System and “dealing with not knowing what’s going to happen to your child.” She started consulting to learn how to protect herself, her daughter and the rest of her family.
With the help of his parents, Rapp began treatment in 2011 and worked to improve his physical, spiritual and mental health. After nine months of treatment, Rapp said she had built a community to support her through recovery and beyond with her understanding family, a job that was willing to give her a chance, and a supportive church.
“I had lost my kids and I had no job and I had no car and I had no home and no one trusted me and I had nothing,” Rapp said. “I really had to believe that God had a future for me and be patient.”
Today, Rapp is the Harm Reduction Strategy Lead for Integrated Behavioral Health Services, where she helps others deal with addiction.
“I can help other people and impact other people’s lives who are going through a lot of the same things and so I’m really, really grateful for that,” Rapp said. “[God] changed my story so that it was not for nothing that a lot of people were helped through what was really difficult for us.”
Rapp said she always wanted to make a career out of helping others, but didn’t have “a ton of humility around people who have addiction issues” until she face addiction. She said there is a part of her that is grateful for her addiction because it allows her to help others and to be a more humble and tolerant person.
She said she believes having people to care for her during her recovery journey has allowed her to be successful, which is one of the reasons she is grateful to have the opportunity to provide support to others struggling with addiction.
The life-changing experience also provided the Reisinger with real-world experience to support others in the community through similar struggles. People dealing with family members struggling with addiction find an understanding friend in Reisinger who is happy to lend a listening ear and helpful advice. She said she always tells them to “dig in and never give up and lots of prayers.”
She recommends a counselor and shares tips on parenting and setting boundaries.
“We always knew God had a calling on her life, but we never imagined what direction it would go to get to where she is now,” Reisinger said. “It’s a blessing to watch her thrive and be an amazing mom…she doesn’t do anything halfway. She’s full of strength. And we’re so proud of her.”
Megan Becker is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. Call her at 740-349-1106, email her at mbecker@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @BeckerReporting.
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