This story was told by Wanette Foreman to Kyonda Trass in an interview. It has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
My substance use began long before I moved to Richmond.
I came here from Oakland in 1998 with my husband, because we were looking for better housing opportunities. It was during the dot-com boom. The rent was cheaper in Richmond, and I was able to transfer my housing voucher. Since then, I’ve lived in the Iron Triangle and Richmond Heights.
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But I was born in West Oakland in 1957, and raised there. I attended Lafayette Elementary, Lowell junior high school, and McClymonds High School. Growing up, I was exposed to alcohol at a very young age. In my family, alcohol was a part of celebrations and normalized early.
As I got older, I progressed to marijuana then cocaine. Later, freebasing became part of my addiction — a form of cocaine that was smoked and popular at the time. It later became associated with crack, although there were differences in how it was made and the high that you experienced. By 1984 it had taken hold of my life, and it had happened quickly.
By the time I came to Richmond, I’d also developed a serious dependence on alcohol and pain pills. I was experiencing psychosis, fear, severe physical reactions, and blackouts. My addiction eventually led to jail when I was arrested for disorderly conduct in public. I was placed on psychiatric holds while struggling with my addiction and mental health challenges.
Over the years, I lost homes, a business, marriages and the custody of my child. Losing my child hurt the most. But even that was not enough to make me stop using.
My problem was not admitting that I was an addict. My problem was that I could not stop.
Once I accepted help, ‘support began to flow into my life’
A major turning point came in 2018 when my cousin passed away from heart failure. The experience deeply affected me, and I had reached a point where my body could no longer tolerate the effects of the drugs. These two things pushed me to return to church and begin accepting help. Once I did, support began to flow into my life.
On July 6 of that same year, I entered a six-month 12-step program at Providence Baptist Church in Richmond, which I completed. I also received transportation assistance and outpatient mental health treatment for co-occurring disorders, after learning that I was dealing with clinical depression and anxiety in addition to my addiction.
Those issues were affecting my ability to manage my life consistently, so Contra Costa County also stepped in with services to help me manage my finances and reduce the pressure while I stabilized. It was very difficult for me to accept the help at first, because I still believed I was in control.
“I try to keep my life simple, while supporting others who need encouragement and hope.”
Wanette Foreman
Mental health treatment was the first real step I took to recovery. Once I entered that system, I accepted that I needed help. I received a diagnosis and began therapy. That’s what helped me see the root of what I was dealing with.
I came to understand that addiction branches out. For me, it was not only drugs and alcohol. I also struggled with unhealthy relationships, food, spending, and fantasizing about people or situations in unhealthy ways. Therapy helped me recognize those patterns.
I believe now that addiction is an illness, not something people choose for fun. For me, acceptance is recognizing that I have a disease and staying connected to a community that supports recovery.
My day-to-day life now is structured around recovery and accountability. I stay active in my church and in Richmond-based community work. I attend early morning meetings, participate in Overeaters Anonymous, and take part in healthy cooking, eating, and exercise programs at LifeLong Medical Care in Richmond. I try to keep my life simple, while supporting others who need encouragement and hope.
I stay connected to my Iron Triangle community through the organization Richmond Rising, where I serve as a health promoter. The work focuses on climate resilience, physical health, food access, and programs that support better living through things like fresh food, exercise, and community education. Doing this is important to me because it is community-based and practical. It helps people make healthier choices, and I have seen positive changes in my own health as a result.
I would like more Richmond residents to know that there is support available for them if they are experiencing addiction. By calling 211, people anywhere in Contra Costa County can connect to services and find help for recovery, housing, and mental health. Treatment has also come a long way. There are more options now than there used to be, and they are more holistic; they support the whole person — mind, body, and spirit.
If sharing my story helps even one person, then it matters. My message to people going through what I went through, is to never give up hope. Accept help, take your medications if you need them. And hold on to whatever spiritual or personal foundation supports your healing.
Local resources mentioned in this article
Contra Costa Health, the county’s health agency, has an online directory of mental health and alcohol and drug service providers.
211 Contra Costa is a free 24-hour crisis line for county residents in need of substance abuse, mental health or other critical social services. Just dial “211.”
LifeLong’s William Jenkins Center in Richmond offers a range of behavioral health services including counseling, psychiatry and addiction recovery.
Richmond Rising is a nonprofit coalition focused on climate justice and neighborhood-level projects bringing economic, health and environmental benefits to local disadvantaged communities.
