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Learning to be an adult Because of her early embrace of daily drinking, “I didn’t know how to be sober because I had never done that as an adult. I was 27 years old, and ‘adulting’ should have happened a long time before and it didn’t. So, I was afraid to be sober.” “But I was fascinated by people I met in AA who claimed to be just like me and had the same problems I did, but were happy, and could do things that I couldn’t. I stayed around long enough to learn to do those things.” Revitalized, Hilton ! nished her bachelor’s degree in psychology, earned certi ! cation as an addiction counselor, and was hired at Serenity Acres in Crownsville, where she worked for two years. Hilton learned about All Joshua through a co-worker who

encouraged her to apply there. Coming to All Joshua proved to be the right move. “What I love most about All Joshua is that their heart is in the right place; they’re very patient-oriented and care very much about what they are doing. It’s a wonderful team and everyone loves coming to work because our mindset is that what we are doing is a community service,” says Hilton who conducts both group and individual therapy sessions. Like many counselors who are themselves in recovery, she feels her experience has made her a more e " ective counselor. “It gives me the ability not just to sympathize but also to empathize and understand clients. I know how they think and I know their pain and their su " ering.” “Because of my disease, I’ve become a much stronger person.” - Jessica Hilton Feeling no shame Today, Hilton also feels she is a much better parent. “I’m so blessed because my children were only six and three when I got sober, so they don’t remember me drinking. I am blessed that they don’t know that person. “ # ere’s no shame in my game,” she notes. “I wouldn’t be who I am or what I am today without having had that experience. Because of my disease, I’ve become a much stronger person.” Even though she didn’t choose the ! eld, Hilton now feels she has found a life’s purpose. “I just want to keep helping people, helping them live. I want to see the light in their eyes when the miracle happens. I believe every person who is struggling with this disease is worth helping. If I can do that, I don’t need anything else.”

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