Rickeesha Binns was just eight years old when she got her first taste of alcohol. She had climbed behind her papa's bar and sampled some of his Malibu rum, thinking it was coconut water, and remembers the “warm, fuzzy feeling” she experienced.

She continued drinking casually, in some cases not knowing the drinks she was choosing were alcoholic, until things took a serious turn while in college.

After the death of her grandfather and being sexually assaulted by another man, Ms Binns started turning to harder drugs like marijuana, ecstasy and 'crack' cocaine. The habit began to spiral out of control and she ultimately lost everything.

It wasn't until entering Caron Bermuda's addiction treatment programme that she began to turn her life around.

Ms Binns was one of eight people to receive awards from Caron Bermuda this week. She was handed the Alumni Award for her efforts in helping to inspire others in the battle against addiction.

“My recovery journey started in 2010,” she told The Royal Gazette. “I had been sober for a while, but started drinking again around Christmas 2009. I started dabbling with drugs again around February, then by March I had started using heavy drugs like crack every day. Before that I would only use here or there.

“I knew the only way I would get help was to go back to treatment, so that's when I made a pact with my then boyfriend that if I couldn't get it under grips by May 15, I would check myself into the hospital.”

She started going to Caron's Outpatient Care programme, but still couldn't get a handle on the addiction. She decided her best bet would be to enter Caron's intensive relapse programme in Pennsylvania.

She said: “When I got to Caron in the United States, they did an intense medical history check up and that's when I found out I was pregnant with my daughter.

“I had made the commitment to get clean before then and I'm glad I did. A lot of people will say that a child will change your life and I wouldn't disagree with that.

“But although my daughter is a high motivating factor, I wouldn't want her to have to carry that burden [of being the sole reason why I got sober], so I always try to remember I made that choice for myself to get help.”

Ms Binns said she was initially concerned that her drug use might have caused some kind of harm or damage to her unborn child.

At one point during her pregnancy, she questioned whether it might even be better to have an abortion and spare her baby from any negative side effects from her drug use. But after praying to God she had a change of heart.

“I said to the Lord: 'You have given me this gift, please help me in my recovery to do right by this child'.

“After that I felt at ease and knew I was ready for the gift He was giving me. I also realised my daughter was going to be okay. When she was born everything was in order. She had all her little toes and fingers. She has been the joy in my life.”

Her daughter Faith is now 21 months old.

Ms Binns, sober now for the last two years, said the award from Caron was “a huge milestone, acknowledgment and [source of] accountability”.

She said: “I have a tendency not to think about how much time I have been sober. I don't worry about all that and just try to focus on keeping it going, but even my counsellor said 'Every year I am clean is a milestone because some don't even reach a day'.”

The award ceremony was especially moving for Ms Binns, considering that one of the girls in her recovery group recently died.

She said “it was rough” not seeing her at the award's breakfast, but also came as a “reality check that some don't make it out”.

“This is an opportunity to celebrate someone who has made it out and is continuing on their journey — and that person is me,” she said.

“So to be able to stand there for all of us who are working on the programme, taking the recommendations and using them to keep our life straight, was humbling.”