Umega Favor, a Nigerian woman from Benue State, has publicly shared her journey to recovery after struggling with substance use, detailing how the experience affected her education, career, relationships, and self-perception. In a social media post, Favor recounted the challenges she faced, including repeated expulsions from school and periods of begging, before completing rehabilitation and preparing for reintegration into society.
Substance Use Disrupted Education and Career
Favor explained that substance use severely disrupted her academic and professional life. “Substance abuse affected my education and my career. I kept jumping from school to school, kept being expelled. I couldn’t put my head down because I had tasted the high and anything not giving me that is boring, so I wasn’t stable enough to be in a relationship,” she said. Her dependence on substances also led to a period of begging, which she described as one of the lowest points of her life, as she struggled to cope with sobriety.
Initially, Favor underestimated the impact of drugs, but her use soon became difficult to manage. She noted that the experience changed how she viewed herself, saying, “Coming out of rehab and preparing for reintegration, I feel alive. Looking at myself from before, my mindset has changed. I don’t see myself as a monster anymore. God has helped me rebuild. The drug was making me feel hard. It was making me feel like a wicked person, but now I have been taught how to love; I’ve been shown forgiveness.”
Recovery Transformed Relationship with Father
Favor’s recovery also altered her understanding of her relationship with her father. She recalled previously feeling that her father was too strict and did not love her enough. With a new perspective, she now recognizes that his actions stemmed from a desire for her success. “I felt my daddy was too hard on me and didn’t love me enough, but now I have seen that he just wanted the best for me. If I could see things the way I could see it now, I wouldn’t have made the mistakes that I made. My relationship with my dad now is beautiful. We speak almost every day. He prayed for me, he forgave me, and helped me too,” she shared.
As part of her recovery, Favor has learned to manage potential triggers. “I have learnt to manage my triggers, like being in my head, my emotions, inferiority complex, feeling unloved and unworthy. I’ve learnt to think that my life is good,” she said.
Speaking Openly and Looking Forward
Although initially hesitant to share her story due to fear of judgment, Favor has chosen to speak openly about her experiences. “At first, I was scared to tell my story because I was like, ‘How will people see me?’” she admitted. After completing rehabilitation, she expressed a more hopeful outlook as she prepares for the next stage of her recovery and reintegration into society.
