Bridgewater Woman Finds Life After Addiction, Breaks Stigma

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater resident Fae Cushing once turned to drugs and alcohol to self-medicate after suffering years of mental, physical and sexual abuse. Now Cushing has broken free from her addiction and will be sharing her story openly in front of thousands.

Now three decades sober, the 50-year-old Cushing will graduate Summa Cum Laude from the Rutgers School of Health Professions on May 22 while also delivering the school's convocation address to about 3,300 people at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark.

She is hoping to give others the tools to combat stigmas they face in getting help for addiction and mental illnesses.

"I live my life in an open way to cut the stigma," Cushing said. "Out of 3,300 people, if I have one or two people come up to me and say, 'I really connected to you' — that makes it worth it. I feel the purpose of sharing my story is to help others dealing with mental health challenges, to help them recover."

Cushing’s story began at a very young age.

"In my youth I experienced physical, mental and sexual abuse. I was teased in school and had no social skills. Everything happened to me in school and everywhere else in my youth. I have mental illness in my family, I was raped in college and was in an abusive relationship where I was going to marry a guy that was not good for me until a friend helped me move away to Texas and it really saved my life," Cushing said.

After moving from New Jersey, Cushing started a new life where she got clean and sober and began taking anti-depression medication. She eventually met her husband who helped her learn social skills and eventually moved back to Bridgewater to raise their son.

Now that she's clean and sober and learning to overcome her own challenges, Cushing was inspired to share her knowledge with others. She began doing speaking engagements to share her story and then enrolled at Rutgers. After graduating she will be heading to New York University to continue to pursue the field of mental health and wellness counseling.

Cushing's mission is to continue to inspire and help others.

"I would love for people to feel more comfortable and break the stigma and share their stories," Cushing said. "More importantly I want them to know that they are not alone."

Cushing added that there are ways to overcome any challenges.

"It’s all about perception," Cushing said. "You need to use your experience to bolster yourself and not perceive yourself as a victim but instead allowing your experiences to change, grow and evolve yourself."

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