Isabel, Maria, and Rosa Accept Help and 

Give Recovery a Chance

(A STORY ABOUT ALCOHOL, DRUGS, DEPRESSION, AND TRAUMA)

No Longer 

ALONE
Acknowledgment 

This publication was developed as a collateral product to Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) 51, Substance Abuse 

Treatment: Addressing the Specific Needs of Women. It was prepared for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration (SAMHSA) by the Knowledge Application Program (KAP), a Joint Venture of The CDM Group, Inc., and 

JBS International, Inc., and with the subcontractor, TMNcorp, under contract number 270-09-0307, with SAMHSA, U.S. 

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Christina Currier served as the Contracting Officer’s Representative.

Disclaimer

The views, opinions, and content of this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, 

or policies of SAMHSA or HHS.

Public Domain Notice

All materials appearing in this publication except those taken directly from copyrighted sources are in the public domain and 

may be reproduced or copied without permission from SAMHSA or the authors. Citation of the source is appreciated. However, 

this publication may not be reproduced or distributed for a fee without the specific, written authorization of the Office of 

Communications, SAMHSA, HHS.

Recommended Citation

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. No Longer Alone (A Story About Alcohol, Drugs, Depression, and Trauma). HHS 

Publication No. (SMA) 13-4781ENG. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2013. 

Originating Office

Quality Improvement and Workforce Development Branch, Division of Services Improvement, Center for Substance Abuse 

Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 1 Choke Cherry Road, Rockville, MD 20857.

Electronic Access and Copies of Publication

This publication may be ordered or downloaded from SAMHSA’s Publications Ordering Web page at http://store.samhsa.gov. 

Or, please call SAMHSA at 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727) (English and Español).

HHS Publication No. (SMA) 13-4781ENG — No Longer Alone

Printed 2013
1

Main Characters

Other Characters

Eduardo Marta 

Isabel Maria Rosa Gloria

Roberto Carmen

Mrs. Smith Jorgito Sofia Social Worker Psychiatrist

(A STORY ABOUT ALCOHOL, DRUGS, DEPRESSION, AND TRAUMA)

No Longer 

ALONE
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2b

2a

3b

3a

Isabel, it’s great to see you! 

It’s great to see you, too, 

Maria. It’s been a long three 

months, but so far, it looks like 

I’m doing well.

I’m taking control of my life. 

For years, I used drugs with my 

ex-boyfriend, Roberto. At first, it was 

just pot, but that led to other drugs. 

The drugs were helping me with 

my anxiety. I had to take care of my 

little brother and sister, and I had 

fallen way behind in school. I thought 

I wasn’t going to graduate. 

Isabel! Isabel! I don’t understand 

this homework. Help me!

1 Maria and Isabel meeting at a restaurant.
3

4b

4a

5

 At a beauty parlor...

Maria, you’re drunk again. Two days ago 

you fought with Ana and gave Mrs. Smith a 

bad haircut. You’re a very good hair-dresser, 

but you need to go home now. 

I am going to give you one last chance. 

I know your mom is sick and you need 

the job. Here, I got you this information. 

If you want to work here, then you 

need to get some help!

6

I went through the same thing. 

I denied having a problem with 

alcohol even after my boss 

gave me an ultimatum and I 

started treatment. That’s when 

I realized I had a problem with 

depression, too.

You know, Maria, I didn’t think I was 

in trouble, not even when the police 

arrested me for driving under the 

influence. I had to go to court, pay 

the penalties, and agree to 

treatment. It was a nightmare! 
4

I understand that you are upset, but, 

don’t worry, they will be okay. You will be 

able to visit them, as you get better.

At the Child Protective Services office, 

Rosa meets with a social worker. 

Maria, have you ever felt 

the need to cut down on 

your drinking?

No, Gloria, I have it all under 

control. When I am drinking too 

much, I just stop myself.

 At the New Life Center, Maria meets with 

Gloria, one of the center’s counselors. I was not being honest with 

Gloria or myself. I couldn’t control it. 

But I kept denying it.

My kids! I can’t believe it! 

My kids are gone! I lost them. 

I got drunk and stoned and 

then passed out. That’s when 

Jorgito and Sofia got hurt 

playing with the stove and 

the fire started. 

Rosa, the court decided that your 

children need to go into foster care for 

now. You need to get into a substance 

abuse treatment program.

7 8

10 11

9 In another part of town, Rosa, another woman suffering from alcohol and drug abuse, cries for her children.

I can’t sleep. I still have 

nightmares about my exhusband hitting me. The only 

thing that helps me get my 

mind off it is cocaine. 

No, you can’t take my kids. I’ll 

do better this time, I promise!
5

Rosa, I would like to recommend 

that you see a psychiatrist. 

What is that? 

Don’t look at it that way. 

A psychiatrist can help you 

understand how the situation you 

lived in with your ex-husband has 

affected you and can help you find 

ways to better deal with it. 

It is a state in which you can’t stop remembering a traumatic 

event. You tend to relive it over and over again with flashbacks, 

bad memories, or nightmares. It can also make you feel as if 

you are in a constant state of high alert. You might feel irritable, 

and sometimes you may want to stay away from a place that 

reminds you of the trauma. Or maybe you want to avoid a 

person who reminds you of the traumatic event. 

Why? What’s wrong with me? 

Rosa, you are suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

Thanks for sharing your stories. Now 

you know that you are not alone. You 

can choose to stay, and we can face 

your circumstances together. 

 At the New Life Center.

 One week later at a private session.

 At the psychiatrist’s office after evaluating Rosa. 

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13

14
6

I think this group 

is helping me.

My Aunt Clara has 

been a great help.

No thanks, I am 

OK. I don’t need 

anything. 

But I miss you, sweetie. 

You look great. Why don’t 

we go have some fun? I 

have some pot, too. 

My boss, Carmen, 

is helping me a lot.

Roberto, get away from me, both 

you and your weed. I am done with 

that stuff and with you, too!

One week later at the New Life Center, 

Gloria leads a group session. 

Yes, you are, but we can do different things to 

manage your PTSD. I recommend you receive 

therapy for PTSD. You will learn some skills to 

cope with situations that trigger your reliving 

the trauma. I am also prescribing medicine for 

you that may help reduce the frequency of your 

nightmares, so that you can sleep better.

What? You mean that, even 

though he is gone, I’m still 

suffering because of him?

Today we are here to work on your goals. 

Whether your goal is to get your driver’s license 

back, keep your job, or get your children back, we 

want to make a change in your lives, and we need 

a plan. We need to think of people who can help 

us. Can you think of anyone? Maybe there are also 

places we could go for help. Can you think of any?

15

16 17

18 Three months later, Isabel runs into her ex-boyfriend, Roberto. 

You see, we are not alone in this journey. We 

can also think of joining a spiritual group, or 

you may believe in someone who will help 

you maintain hope and regain inner strength. 

So, what else do we need for our plan?
7

19b

Sure, Carmen. Why not? I do feel 

good. At the New Life Center, they 

helped me get sober and sent me 

to a doctor for my depression. She 

prescribed medicine that helps.

Just look at you now! You took 

charge of your life!

It was hard to stop drinking. 

Then I felt so sad and hopeless. I 

go to therapy now, too. Between 

that and the medicine, I’m feeling 

so much better. 

Hmm... This 

might help.

21

 Isabel is trying to study at the library. 

 Meanwhile, at the beauty parlor... 

19a

20

Hey Maria, you’ve been looking 

very good lately. Do you want me 

to give you a free haircut?

Staying clean isn’t easy. I keep 

bumping into Roberto. I’m always 

so angry. Gloria’s right, I need to 

make more changes in my life.
8

 24b

24a

I feel awful. I did 

drugs again. 

What is happening, 

Rosa? What’s troubling 

you?

I was following my 

treatment, and it’s been 

so hard. I have so many 

things to take care of. I 

have been looking for a 

job for weeks, and no one 

has called me back.

Well, I still take 

antidepressants. 

22

23 Rosa meets with Gloria in private at the New Life Center. 

And that’s okay. Lots of people 

need medicine, and you probably 

won’t be taking them forever.
9

It is incredible what you all have accomplished, 

both as a group and as individuals. Each of you 

understands your own value and merit, as well as that 

of this group. Now, the work continues, and we need 

to prepare for the possibility of relapse. 

So, Maria, tell me one 

situation that might 

make you want to have 

a drink? 

So what are you doing to keep 

yourself from drinking? 

Well, taking care of my mom, who is sick, and 

working full time is tough. Sometimes I feel 

helpless, and I start getting anxious, and then I 

feel like having a drink.

No, of course not.

I see, Rosa. But do 

you think cocaine is 

going to help you get 

your kids back? 

 I moved out of the apartment to help me forget 

about how horrible it was to live there with my exhusband. I’ve been living with my Aunt Clara, and she 

has been great. But I need my own place, and I need 

my children now. It was just too much for me... and I 

did coke again.

OK, let’s work on a plan to make sure 

you don’t have another relapse. 

25

28

26 At the next group meeting. 27

Well, when I feel like grabbing a bottle, I go for a walk or a run 

in the park instead. I also like to meditate or call a sober friend. 

It was hard at first to clear my mind, relax, and have positive 

thoughts, especially when all I was thinking about was a bottle 

of booze to help me forget about my problems. But I am 

getting better at meditating, exercising, and staying sober.
10

What if someone offers 

one of you drugs or alcohol? 

How do you say “no”?

Great job! So you will always encounter 

situations in your lives that may lead you 

to have a relapse. These situations may 

be external or may be inside of you. The 

important thing is to prepare yourself 

and have an idea of what you need 

to do to avoid a relapse.

Great! So Maria has identified 

some things she can do to take her 

mind off the idea of drinking when 

she has a problem. 

Well, I kept bumping into Roberto, my ex-boyfriend, and have tried to 

ignore him. It’s hard, you know, because sometimes I miss him and the 

drugs. But a few weeks ago, I confronted him and told him to get lost 

and that I was done with him and that stuff. 

To tell you the truth, I thought it would be harder to say “no” 

than it really was. It’s hard to stay clean, but it’s worth it.

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11

Meanwhile at the beauty parlor... 

Maria became a peer counselor. She helps other women in substance abuse treatment avoid relapse. 

Being there for other women helps Maria remember her own commitment to stay sober.

Wow, Maria, what a 

nice haircut you gave 

Mrs. Smith! 

Hi Patricia, how’s it going? 

Is everything OK?

Yes, she was nice 

enough to give me 

a second chance. 

We all deserve a 

second chance. 

 A few years later... Isabel just graduated from the 

community college. She will soon begin classes 

at the university and has become a speaker for a 

drug abuse resistance program. She visits students 

in youth programs at high schools to talk about 

abstaining from drugs.

 Isabel speaks to a group of high school students.

...And you may think drugs are cool and that you are under 

control. But all I can say is drugs can take control of your life. 

It happened to me for a few years, and it wasn’t easy to get 

out of it. I still need to work hard on it. 

Stay clean and sober; you’re worth it. It’s OK if your friends 

don’t get it. Look for real friends who can help you when you 

need them the most. You are in charge of yourself.

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12

 If you, a friend, or a family 

member is suffering from a 

substance abuse problem, don’t 

be afraid. You are not alone. 

There is help. Give it a chance. 

Give yourself a chance.

We made a different choice. 

We are changing our lives. 

We discovered that 

we are not alone. 

We are stronger now, and when 

we are not, we look for help.

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37 At Rosa’s house. I take one day at a time. 

I still follow my PTSD 

treatment, and I go to an 

aftercare program.
Resources

To find substance abuse and mental health treatment go to 

http://www.samhsa.gov/treatment/index.aspx

Other helpful publications

• Faces of Change: Do I Have a Problem With Alcohol 

or Drugs? 

• Helping Yourself Heal: A Recovering Woman’s Guide to 

Coping With Childhood Abuse Issues 

• Should You Talk to Someone About a Drug, Alcohol, or 

Mental Health Problem? 

• No Longer Alone is also available in Spanish 

How to get free copies

• Order these and other publications from SAMHSA’s 

Publications Ordering Web page at 

http://store.samhsa.gov

• Call SAMHSA at 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727) 

(English and Español)
HHS Publication No. (SMA) 13-4781ENG Printed 2013