Randi Rock 

I am Randi. I am from the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. I am also Southern Ute and Hispanic. I work for the Southern Ute Tribal Court as a Probation Clerk. 

I didn’t start drinking until after high school, but once I started, I drank a lot. My drinking got worse as I got older and after I had my daughter. Being a young parent was hard. Also being the only parent with all the responsibilities was not easy. But with my mom and close family, I had the support that I needed to raise my daughter.  

Fast forward some years later, I met my husband, who is also on his own sober path. He is nine years sober this year. My husband quit before I did. I realized that if I did not stop, we probably wouldn’t be together. I quit drinking a year after him. We have been together 11 years. 

In a small community, there are a lot of stigmas around addiction. Everybody knows each other and they think they know what’s going on in people’s lives. People hear about your struggles and assume you will not change. That kind of attitude can keep people from seeking help.  

Luckily, there is help. Southern Ute has the Behavioral Health Department, where they can get you set up with treatment or help you apply for Medicaid. Within the Southern Ute Tribal Court, there is a Wellness Court. Wellness Court uses our culture, as well as other resources, to help people with addiction. You can meet with someone from the Culture Department, and they will ask about your interests in learning the Southern Ute culture and offer you new skills and connections to culture, like beadwork, sewing ribbon skirts, Ute language, or other cultural classes. In general, there’s also much more discussion around mental health these days, which I think plays a huge part in addiction and sobriety.  

Loved ones can also be resources. Being present, even if you are sitting in silence, can mean a lot to someone struggling with addiction. If you are someone who is still in active addiction, you are not alone. It seems like you are by yourself in that moment, but if you reach out, someone is out there. I am here. 

Recovery from addiction is always possible. Find support and resources at LTLSouthernUte.org.