From Rock Bottom to Recovery: How Brandee Downs Turned Her Pain into Purpose

Addiction can take everything—your family, your home, your sense of self. But it doesn’t have to be the end of your story.

Brandee Downs is living proof that recovery is possible. Today, she is the Peer Recovery Supervisor at Daviess Community Hospital, helping individuals and families facing substance use disorder (SUD). But before she became a mentor, a coach, and a leader in recovery, she was battling her own demons—fighting for her life, her children, and her future.

Her story is one of pain, loss, redemption, and renewal—a testament to the power of second chances.

➡️ Read Brandee’s full testimony here.

A Childhood Shaped by Trauma

Brandee’s story begins with instability and heartbreak. At just nine years old, she lost her father under unclear and devastating circumstances.

“They told me as a child he was cleaning a gun and it went off,” she said. “Later, I was told it was suicide. To this day, I don’t know the truth.”

At home, she lived in constant fear. Her mother was in a violent, abusive relationship with an alcoholic, and Brandee worried every day that she would come home to find her mother dead too.

By the time she was 11 years old, drug use was a normal part of her household. Her mother’s boyfriend smoked marijuana with her, and one of his friends offered her methamphetamine—telling her it was like drinking a pack of Mountain Dew.

That one moment set her down a path that would control her life for years to come.

Addiction Takes Hold

At first, the drugs numbed the pain. They gave her confidence. They made her feel like she could escape everything she had endured as a child. But that feeling didn’t last.

By the time she reached junior high, what started as occasional use became daily dependence.

“I thought I had control,” Brandee said. “But addiction took me further than I ever expected to go, kept me longer than I ever planned to stay, and cost me more than I ever thought I’d have to pay.”

Skipping school. Getting into fights. Being expelled. She became unrecognizable—even to herself. But at home, she wasn’t disciplined. Instead, she was applauded for standing up for herself, reinforcing the dangerous behaviors.

Despite the chaos, she held onto one dream: breaking the cycle and creating a better future for herself.

She worked hard, paid her own bills, graduated high school, and even secured a spot at the University of Southern Indiana. It was her chance to start over. But addiction doesn’t let go easily.

Even as she pursued her education, the pull of drugs remained strong.

Losing Everything

The real breaking point came when Brandee’s mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer.

They had finally started rebuilding their relationship, and Brandee left school to become her primary caregiver. She watched as her mother struggled through pain, hair loss, and hopelessness.

At first, she thought she was helping. When her mother offered her OxyContin to ease her own C-section pain, she accepted it without hesitation.

From there, addiction tightened its grip.

When her mother’s cancer spread to her bones, she turned to even stronger drugs to numb the pain.

Brandee followed in her footsteps.

Her mother passed away at just 42 years old. And Brandee spiraled into the darkest place she had ever been.

“I blamed myself,” she said. “I wished I would have helped her get healthy instead of taking her pills with her.”

That’s when everything fell apart completely.

❌ She lost her home.
❌ She lost custody of her children.
❌ She lost herself.

She was homeless, using a needle daily, and felt like there was no way out.

Until the day she was caught with a syringe and arrested.

The Turning Point: Choosing Recovery

Sitting in a jail cell, stripped of everything, Brandee hit rock bottom.

“That’s when the darkness was brought to light,” she said. “And that’s when the devil lost his hold on me.”

She was sentenced to six months of house arrest, but before it started, her cousin invited her to church.

The message that day?

"Come as You Are."

It was the first time in years she felt like there was hope.

At the end of the service, the pastor invited those ready to leave their old life behind to come forward.

Brandee felt a force stronger than herself push her to the front of the church.

On March 4, 2012, she was baptized—and she has been clean and sober ever since.

Rebuilding and Finding Purpose

Recovery was not immediate or easy.

It required:
      ✅ Cutting ties with toxic relationships
      ✅ Finding a support system that truly cared
      ✅ Learning how to live without substances

She poured herself into her faith, relied on her support system, and rebuilt her life from the ground up.

She went from homeless and addicted to:
     ✔️ Raising her three sons
     ✔️ Becoming a mentor for those in recovery
     ✔️ Leading Peer Recovery Services at Daviess Community Hospital

Helping Others Find Hope at Daviess Community Hospital

Today, Brandee is more than 12 years sober and dedicated to helping others find the same freedom she did.

As Peer Recovery Supervisor, she leads a team that provides:
     ✅ Personalized recovery plans
     ✅ Connections to treatment, mental health services, and employment resources
     ✅ Support for families of those battling addiction
     ✅ Encouragement from people with lived experience

“There is something powerful about hearing the words, ‘Me too,’” she said. “When someone knows you’ve been where they are and made it through, it gives them hope.”

Recovery Starts Here: Get Help Today

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, help is available.

     📞 Call: (812) 254-2760, ext. 4178
     📍 Visit: 3rd Floor, Daviess Community Hospital, 1314 East Walnut, Washington, IN
     🔗 Request help online: dchosp.org/peerrecovery

Recovery Is Possible

Brandee Downs is proof that addiction does not have to define your story.

You are not too far gone.
You are not broken beyond repair.
You are stronger than your past.

➡️ Read Brandee’s full testimony here.

If you or someone you love is struggling with substance use disorder, reach out today. Your new life is waiting. 💙