Hi, I’m Stephanie, the Founder and CEO of Breaking Barrs, INC.
First, I want to welcome you to our site and thank you for taking this step. Let me start with sharing a little bit of my story.
I was raised in what looked like a picture-perfect home. We were in church every time the doors were open. I gave my life to Christ at a young age, and God has always been a part of my life. Yet, despite knowing He was there, there were times when I wondered why I felt so alone. After highschool, I thought I was grown. Grown choices which led me down the wrong paths.
For years, I struggled with depression, addiction, eating disorders, and low self-esteem—each battle consuming different parts of my life. Two knee surgeries right after high school introduced me to pain pills at age 18. Between the two surgeries, I met what I thought was the love of my life. I should have known better when he introduced me to powder. Less than a year later, my self-worth and sense of safety were shattered when I was drugged and raped. I was bartending in Miami; he was on a drug run. A year or so after that, we got stopped on one of those runs, and we both went to jail. We married while still on probation because he was facing a violation.
I endured two marriages; the first resulted in a heart-wrenching divorce after 10 years, and the second was a mistake from the start. I didn’t want to feel anymore, so I turned to the only thing that made me numb. The pain, the memories, the self-doubt—I drowned it all in temporary escapes that only pulled me deeper into the void. I was trapped in my own thoughts, fighting invisible battles that no one else could see. In those moments, I questioned whether healing was even possible. I felt caught in a painful limbo—I didn’t truly want to die, but I didn’t want to live with the heartbreak anymore. Thankfully, a close friend noticed the signs of my distress and refused to leave me to my despair. Their unwavering support saved me that time, but even then, I hadn’t hit my rock bottom.
In my darkest moments—while facing my demons—I questioned my faith again. I asked God, "What now?" His response didn’t come in the perfect, easy way I imagined faith should look, but in the raw, broken places where I had no choice but to surrender. I learned that God had never left me, even when I was lost. He was there in the quiet moments and in the strength I never thought I had.
Anointed and addicted. God, how am I supposed to help others when I can't help myself? It's not about the destination; it's the journey. Have faith! The process will be your testimony. My story is not just about addiction and trauma; it is about redemption. It is about learning to live with the scars, finding purpose in the pain, and turning my darkest moments into a light for others. Healing is not a linear path; it's filled with ups and downs, twists and turns.
Now, I am a 45-year-old mother to a 4-year-old—something I never imagined I would be. I thought that dream was stolen from me by cancer at age 19, but God’s timing is perfect, even when we don’t understand it. What I couldn’t do for me, I did for her; and I will continue to be the mom that she deserves. I am also a full-time college student working toward my AA degree, with plans to attend UF to get my balachors degree in Psychology. Against all odds, I have found myself thriving in ways I never expected. I am a proud member of Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society for two-year colleges, and I even represent Florida Gateway College as the mascot for the Wolves cheerleading team.
I’ve come to appreciate the strength it takes to face your demons and the beauty of emerging stronger from the ashes. Each struggle has shaped me into the person I am today, and for that, I am forever grateful. Every challenge, every setback, and every moment of doubt led me here. Now, I am walking in a purpose far greater than I ever imagined.