NILES — An addiction to pain pills for a chronic back problem led Sarah Beans down a dark and desolate path, though on the other side was a bright light.

“I was a heroin addict. I’m in recovery and I’m three years, eight months clean,” a proud Beans, 35, said.

Beans, of Leavittsburg, shared part of her story during the Alliance for Substance Abuse and Prevention’s 10th annual Rally for Recovery walk Saturday afternoon at Eastwood Field.

An estimated 1,000 people of all ages attended the event, themed “We stand together, so nobody stands alone,” which recognized and celebrated those who are in recovery from addictions. The gathering also was to honor those who have lost their battles with addiction problems.

The pain pills Beans was taking for her back became too expensive, which resulted in her use of heroin to treat the pain because that drug was considerably cheaper. Beans used heroin about five years, she recalled.

Like many who suffer from an addiction, Beans eventually hit rock bottom. In her case, a failed drug test led to Trumbull County Children Services Board taking temporary custody of her daughter, though that provided an incentive for her to enter a treatment court, she explained.

“It was my rock bottom for sure,” she said.

Temporarily losing her daughter may have been the lowest point in her struggle, but it was not a defeat. Beans began attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings several times a week for about a year, then soon realized she was not alone in her struggles, she continued.

Beans, who works as a chemical dependency counselor assistant, advised those dealing with addictions to join support groups to break the sense of isolation many with an addiction face, and reach out to others during difficult times.

Despite the many resources and places to seek help for addiction challenges, certain myths, falsehoods and stereotypes persist. Chief among them is the notion that the problem is a personal choice or a moral failing, Lauren R. Thorp, the Trumbull County Mental Health and Recovery Board’s associate director, said.

ASAP is under the mental health board’s umbrella.

“Addiction doesn’t care what ZIP code you live in or what you look like,” added Thorp, who also is ASAP’s project manager.

To illustrate her point, Thorp used the analogy of people who run stop signs, some of whom never suffer any consequences and others who end up in a catastrophic accident. Both groups of people may have made a poor choice, but that doesn’t mean the latter deserved what happened to them, she explained.

An addiction problem often is rooted in one’s genetics. Two people can consume the same amount of alcohol, for example, where one person will have no ill effects and the other can soon become addicted, Thorp noted, adding that other triggers include trauma, mental health problems, being alone and fearing being stigmatized.

“Addiction feeds on isolation,” she said.

In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and other long-term stressors have worsened the situation. The health crisis has led to an increase in the number of overdoses as well as the amount of alcohol abuse largely because many people spent an inordinate amount of time alone and isolated, and with no one to monitor them, Thorp explained.

A variety of mental health and counseling agencies set up resource tables in the baseball stadium. They included Neil Kennedy Recovery Centers, Pinnacle Treatment Centers, Coleman Health Services, Alta Behavioral Health Care and Sahara II Community Recovery Center.

Also on hand were representatives from several area support groups, including Nar-Anon, a 12-step program for family members and friends of those with addiction problems.

“It really affects your whole family, not just you,” Jill Redmond, Nar-Anon’s regional chairwoman, said.

Those who attend meetings typically engage in readings on various topics related to addiction, she explained.

During the sessions, an often challenging task they are encouraged to take on is refraining from enabling those with an addiction problem, such as giving them money. A tendency is to try to fix their problems and shield them from consequences, though avoiding both usually is helpful to those with addictions in the long run, Redmond noted.

Nar-Anon meetings are 7 p.m. Wednesdays at First Presbyterian Church of Girard, 890 Churchill-Hubbard Road, as well as 7 p.m. Thursdays and Sundays at Rust City Church, 5555 Youngstown-Warren Road in Niles. For a list of support groups, go to www.naranon.org.

Also at the walk was Rock and Recovery, a program that uses uplifting music and inspirational messages geared toward those going through recovery from substance abuse, alcohol, trauma and mental health challenges.

Rock and Recovery can be heard at 10 p.m. Monday through Friday on WKTL-FM 90.7, the Summit, said Garrett Hart, program creator and director.

The program also streams on its website.