My name is Alyse. I am 37 years old, and I grew up in Chetek, Wisconsin, with a lot of love and fun, but also a lot of chaos. I didn’t grow up in the church, but I enjoyed going to youth groups and Bible camp with friends during the summer.
It always seemed most important to present the right image to the people around me. Drinking, partying, and secrets were normalized, and bad things were kept private. On the surface, I was a happy young lady; always singing, dancing, and being goofy. To this day, nobody knows the extent of the sexual and emotional abuse I experienced or the amount of guilt and shame I carried because of it.
Guilt was an unbearable burden, and shame became the core of my being. Although God placed a few good people in my life to teach me the Word, I eventually rejected it because I did not think I was worthy of His love. By age 13, I was angry, defiant, and lost. This is when my addiction to drugs and alcohol, as well as self-harm, began.
My parents tried to help me through treatment, therapy, and medication, but every attempt failed. The chaos came to a pause for a couple of years when I had my first child shortly after my 17th birthday, followed by two more children by age 22. But it was not long before the vicious cycle resumed, and alcohol, pills, meth, and all the toxic behaviors consumed my life again. Only this time, my children were experiencing it with me.
In 2025, after 20 years of active addiction, I hit rock bottom. I was at the end of myself. I thought I would rather end my life than become sober and well. I had lost everything and everyone I loved and cared about. I hated myself. I didn’t think I was “fixable” or worth fixing.
God placed several people in my life who suggested Adult & Teen Challenge of Wisconsin. It was brought up too often to ignore any longer. Something kept telling me I had nothing to lose. I knew that if I didn’t change, nothing would ever change.
I came to ATCW in January 2026 and have spent the last seven months learning just how much God loves me and how worthy I am of that love. I have been healing and growing in ways I didn’t know were possible. I am not who I used to be, nor am I defined by the things I have done. I am learning who I am in Christ. I am learning how to forgive myself and others, and I am overcoming the things that have held me back my entire life. I have hope for my future now, and I no longer let my past define me.
A verse that means a lot to me is 1 Peter 5:10:
“In His kindness, God called you to share in His eternal glory by means of Jesus Christ. So, after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation.”
This gives me hope that, although I have suffered greatly, He is now restoring me and making me stronger. I now have a firm foundation in Christ.
I can do all things through Christ. Change is possible!