Women's History Month - Elizabeth Varga

March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the courage, resilience, and achievements of women who have shaped our world. At Just Living Recovery, we also take this moment to recognize the countless women who have fought another kind of battle—the journey to reclaim their lives from addiction.

One powerful example is Elizabeth Vargas, an award-winning television journalist and former ABC News anchor. For years, Vargas built an extraordinary career while privately struggling with alcohol use disorder. In 2013, she made the courageous decision to enter treatment and publicly share her story.

In her memoir Between Breaths, Vargas wrote about the isolation and shame many people feel when battling addiction—especially women. Society often places enormous expectations on women to be caregivers, professionals, partners, and parents. When addiction enters the picture, the stigma can be overwhelming.

Yet Vargas’s story also shows the power of honesty and recovery.

By speaking openly about her journey, she helped shift the conversation around addiction and mental health. She reminded the world that addiction is not a moral failure—it is a health condition that can be treated, and recovery is possible.

Women in Recovery: Breaking the Silence

Women often face unique challenges in recovery:

• Greater stigma and shame around substance use

• Higher rates of trauma and domestic violence

• Caregiving responsibilities that make treatment difficult

• Barriers to accessing safe housing and supportive communities

Programs like Just Living Recovery exist to help women overcome these obstacles. Recovery is not just about sobriety—it is about rebuilding a life filled with dignity, connection, and hope.

At Just Living Recovery, residents find something many have not experienced in years: a community where they belong.

Meals are shared around a table. Stories are exchanged without judgment. Small victories—one day sober, a new job, a repaired relationship—become milestones of transformation.

A Legacy of Courage

Women’s History Month is filled with stories of pioneers, leaders, and innovators. But it is also a time to recognize the quiet courage of women who choose recovery every single day.

Every woman who walks through the doors of Just Living Recovery becomes part of that history.

Choosing recovery requires extraordinary bravery. It means facing pain, confronting the past, and believing in a future that once felt impossible.

And when one woman finds her way back to herself, she does something remarkable—she lights the path for others.

Honoring Women’s Strength

This Women’s History Month, we celebrate all women who have fought for healing and hope. Their stories remind us that recovery is not just about surviving—it is about rediscovering joy, purpose, and belonging.

At Just Living Recovery, we see that transformation every day.

And it is history in the making.