Gala’s Story:

From Active Addiction to a Life in Recovery 

In this edition of the RAGE newsletter, we feature Daughter’s House Program alum, Gala; now four+ years sober. She currently works in a treatment center, has completed her Alcohol and Drug Training (ADT), and is building a future dedicated to helping others recover. Like so many others, her journey to recovery began long before treatment, during years of drinking that slowly became impossible to hide from herself.

Part One: Active Addiction

Gala’s drinking was part of her everyday life. She spent years bartending and later owned her own custom décor business, creating dream catchers, furniture, and other assorted handmade pieces.

Alcohol was always nearby.

The first time she truly realized she had a problem came one night while working alone at home. Her husband was out of town for work, and she was doing what she always did, working with a bottle at her feet.

“I looked down and started calculating if there was enough left in the bottle to get me through until the liquor store opened,” she said.The thought frightened her.

She wrote a letter to her husband asking for help. Her years of hidden drinking poured onto the page. She admitted to buying extra bottles, hiding evidence, and carefully managing how much alcohol was visible so no one would know how much she was really consuming.

When her husband didn’t respond the way she hoped, she convinced him and herself she didn’t mean what she had written.

Not long afterward, the marriage ended.

The combination of divorce, isolation during COVID, and years of unresolved pain pushed her drinking to another level. Living alone meant nobody was watching and nobody was asking questions.

“I didn’t have to hide anything anymore,” she said.

Soon,she was drinking all day and night. If she slept, she would wake up within a few hours and start drinking again. By morning, she needed more alcohol simply to function.

Despite the severity of her addiction, most people never noticed.

“I was a very functional alcoholic,” she said. “I didn’t slur. I didn’t fall down. Nobody ever knew when I was drunk.”

Everything changed after the death of a friend’s younger sister who had struggled with addiction. The loss shook her deeply.

She decided right then that she was going to quit and poured out her alcohol down the drain.

The next morning, she woke up covered in blood having suffered a seizure in her sleep and hitting her head.

She had no idea alcohol withdrawal could be deadly.

Terrified and confused, she walked into the emergency room believing someone may have attacked her while she slept. Doctors quickly recognized severe alcohol withdrawal and admitted her for detox.

Instead of helping her stop drinking, the experience convinced her she needed alcohol to survive.

“It put this fear in me that if I stopped drinking, I would die,” she said. The drinking escalated.

She eventually moved to South Carolina after reconnecting with a longtime high school friend. Their relationship became serious, but both were struggling with addiction.

“We had a plan to fix each other,” she said. “It didn’t work.”

Part Two: Treatment and Fighting for Her Life

Concerned family members eventually intervened and helped get Gala into treatment.

What followed was a series of medical crises that nearly killed her.

Shortly after entering treatment, she began experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms, including uncontrollable seizures and delirium tremens (DTs). She was hospitalized, placed in the ICU, and put into a medically induced coma.

During withdrawal, she experienced hallucinations and periods of complete confusion. None of which she remembers today.

At one point, doctors attempted to remove her breathing tube, but she suffered another seizure. Her airway collapsed, forcing doctors to reintubate her immediately. She later learned that doctors believed she had only minutes left before a tracheostomy would be the only option to keep her alive.

When she finally woke up, she faced new challenges.

“I had to learn how to walk, talk, eat, and drink again,” she said.

She spent twenty-nine days in the hospital recovering.

Yet after surviving all of that, she drank again.

Depression consumed her. She began drinking with the intention of letting alcohol slowly kill her.

She stopped eating. She isolated herself. She hoped she simply would not wake up.

Friends noticed how serious the situation had become and contacted her brother.

That phone call changed everything.

For the first time, Gala admitted the truth.

“If you don’t help me, I think I’m going to die,” she told him.

Within days, she was admitted to treatment again.

This time, her liver was failing.

She arrived severely jaundiced and critically ill. The doctors had no idea how she was still alive and believed, had she waited a few more days, she likely would have died.

She spent nearly two weeks hospitalized while doctors worked to stabilize her condition.

After returning to treatment, she was determined to give recovery another chance.

Part Three: Sober Living and Building a Future

Following treatment, Gala entered Sister’s House, part of Rage Against Addiction’s Daughter’s House sober living program, where she began the difficult,  but transformative journey to recovery.

At first, she was focused simply on staying sober and reclaiming her health. It wasn’t easy. She dealt with ongoing medical issues, medication challenges, and the uncertainty that comes with starting over.

But something began to change.

For the first time, she found herself surrounded by women who understood her. At Sister’s House, she built friendships, developed a sense of accountability, and became part of a community that supported her recovery journey.

“I just started fitting in with the girls,” she recalled. “I loved it there.”

As she became more comfortable in her recovery, she took on more responsibility within the house and eventually became the house manager. The role gave her an opportunity to support women entering early recovery while continuing to strengthen her own sobriety. Her experience, strength and hope helped the other women in the house believe in recovery. 

As a result she discovered a passion for helping others find recovery.

Today, Gala works in a treatment center, helping others begin their own recovery journeys. She has completed her Alcohol and Drug Training (ADT) and is currently attending college while pursuing a career as an addiction counselor. Her goal is to become a child therapist, helping children raised in homes affected by addiction and trauma.

Her personal experiences with addiction, recovery, and growing up in a family affected by substance use have shaped her desire to help others. What once felt like a painful chapter of her life has become the foundation for a career dedicated to service, recovery, healing, and hope.

Four years after her last drink, Gala’s life looks very different from the woman she believed would end in addiction.

The woman who once measured her days by how much alcohol remained in a bottle now spends her days introducing others to recovery, healing, and a path forward. Her story is a reminder that even after addiction, medical crises, and countless setbacks, recovery is possible, and that a life once focused on survival can become a life filled with purpose.

Upcoming Events – Save the Date!

Check out our Event Calendar up-to-date information event times and details about registration information. Please keep coming back to see what we’ve added and how you can participate.

September 12th – Homeruns for Hope: This community softball event is a chance to come together for National Recovery Month. It’s a day centered on connection, and hope. Rally your family and friends, build a team, and enjoy an exciting day of play while supporting an important cause. We look forward to seeing you on the field! Register Here…Register Here!

September 20th – National Recovery Month’s Basket Bingo: Play. Win. Support. Our annual event is sure to be another hit. Bring friends and family for an afternoon of fun at The American Legion, Harford Post 39 – 500 North Hickory Ave., Bel Air, MD. Registration Open… Get Tickets!

November 19th – XGolf: Join us at 5 Bel Air South Parkway, Suite 1425 – Bel Air, MD for another fundraiser to benefit our Rage Against Addiction and our Christmas Kids program. This special program supports children in our area who have been affected by addiction; with your registration, proceeds will help us purchase gifts to bring some holiday cheer to these children. Register Here… Tickets Available Now!

Did you know we have recovery books on Amazon?

Coloring books and journals available for YOU? All of these books were gently designed by our Founder, Wendy Beck, with healing and growth in mind. It doesn’t matter what’s going in  your life; even if you are not in recovery from addiction, these books are inspirational and will get you on the right track to peace. Please browse these here and take a pick for your own personal life.

For only $5.00 a month, you could SAVE A LIFE. No amount is too small to impact the life of a woman in need. All it takes is the click of a button to give our sober living residents the love, support, and hope they deserve. So what are you waiting for? Make a difference today! Details are here: Become a Supporter today!

Our annual Memory Walk / Recovery Run would not be made possible without community engagement and assistance. Each year, local businesses step up to sponsor this event and we want to give a them a shout out. We are grateful for their support in recognizing the need to give our sober living residents the resources, hope, and compassion they deserve to begin and maintain their recovery journey. We cannot do this alone and we sincerely appreciate everyone who has a part in making our upcoming an event a success.

Rage Programs

*Daughter’s House: Designed to assist women who are transitioning from substance abuse treatment to long-term recovery. Located in the suburbs of Harford County, MD, the program provides a safe, structured, and supportive sober living environment where women can continue their healing journey. This program also offers access to individualized support, including medication-assisted treatment (MAT) options when appropriate, to meet each woman’s unique needs.

*RAA ABC (After Baby Care) / DEF (Donate to Every Family): We have expanded our ABC Program (After Baby Care) and launched a companion initiative called DEF (Donate to Every Family). These programs are designed to directly support Harford County families (now extending services through age 18) affected by addiction, with a special focus on mothers in recovery and their children. By meeting basic needs, we aim to support recovery and empower healthy, lasting family connections.

HALO (How to Live Without Our Addicted Loved One): An online grief support group specifically for those that lost loved ones to substance abuse. Click here to ask to join the private Facebook page. Please read and answer the membership questions prior to joining.

Meet our Board Members:

Tara Kuzma-Nasteff 

I met Tara not long after founding Rage Against Addiction. At the time, Tara was grieving the loss of her cousin to the disease of addiction, and we found comfort in sharing our experiences and honoring the loved ones we had lost. Over the years, Tara has become an invaluable part of our organization, serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors and acting as the driving force behind our annual Memory Walk & Recovery Run.

An avid runner, Tara turns her passion into purpose each April by running in support of our virtual event, helping raise awareness about substance use disorder while honoring those we have lost and celebrating those in recovery. Her dedication, leadership, and commitment to our mission continue to inspire our community and remind us that every step can make a difference.

To learn more about Tara and her involvement with Rage Against Addiction, visit our website. More about Tara!