KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — After two weeks of separation, Cassie Gault and her 3-year-old daughter were reunited.
"Alcohol had brought me to a place where I drank too much, and I drove with my daughter in the car. It's really ugly. My husband called DCS on me," she recalled. "That final car incident is when I was like, 'I need more help. I can't do this on my own anymore.'"
That incident led Gault to Renew Clinic on Western Avenue in Knoxville, a recovery ministry combining faith with science.
For people battling addictions, this time of year can be tough.
"Relapses, sad to say, are a much higher occurrence. The rates of suicide go up for those struggling with addiction during this time," Sean Glass, a Renew Clinic counselor, said.
Glass ditched alcohol almost two and a half years ago.
"I was at a turning point in my life, I had lost a career over it. I was at the point where I was about to lose my family," he said.
A combination of factors in his professional and personal life led him to addiction, Glass said.
"Stress, working too long, seeing problems that are happening in your personal life, your professional life, and not getting the help that you need before it becomes a serious problem."
Glass is a U.S. Air Force veteran and worked as a firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). He is now devoted to helping veterans break the cycle of addiction.
Breaking the cycle is the goal of all staff members at Renew Clinic, and they believe the unique approach of combining medicine with faith is the road to recovery.
"The way I'm using my experience, my own personal experience is really, like, I've been there," said Renew Clinic's executive director Sarah Keel.
Keel spent years of her life in and out of jail.
"I had been shooting heroin by the time I was 18, using hard and heavy drugs, by the time I was 14," she said.
"I did not grow up in a Christian home," Keel added. "But I had a radical encounter with God that changed my life. And I believe that he did that in my life so that I can help others. We are Christ-centered, but you don't have to believe what we believe to come here. We truly just want to love on people. We're a resource for the community."
As East Tennessee continues celebrating the holiday season, Gault is celebrating four months of sobriety and looking forward to more milestones.
"Just know that you're not alone. This is a lot more prevalent than people realize," Gault said.