A Life Marked by Trauma from the Beginning

Teresa's story begins with a miracle. Born with life-threatening conditions, doctors didn't expect her to survive past her first year. Her mother, not particularly religious at the time, found herself praying desperately in a hospital chapel. There, she encountered what Teresa believes was an angel—a mysterious figure in clerical attire who brought inexplicable peace, then vanished without explanation.

But survival was just the beginning of Teresa's challenges. Her childhood was marked by domestic violence, witnessing murder at age six while recovering from open heart surgery, and dealing with over 200 eye operations that would eventually lead to blindness. Her mother, an 82nd Airborne army nurse who served in Granada, struggled with her own demons, eventually becoming addicted to opiates prescribed for chronic pain from severe injuries.

"When I say I understand hard times, I definitely get hard times," Teresa reflects. The loss of her mother—whether to overdose or suicide, she'll never know—became the breaking point that sent her spiraling into darkness.

When Faith Feels Impossible

The moment Teresa learned of her mother's death coincided with devastating news about her own health: her right retina had detached, and due to extensive scarring from previous surgeries, doctors said nothing could be done. Lying on that operating table, awake and hearing the surgeon's hopeless words, Teresa made a decision that would define the next five years of her life: "God, I'm done."

What followed was a descent into gaming addiction that nearly destroyed everything she held dear. With Child Protective Services targeting her family—claiming they were "too blind to be a family"—and grief overwhelming her ability to cope, Teresa turned to text-based online games for escape.

"I went to the gaming just to get relief," she explains. "When you're trying to numb the pain, you're looking for anything to get out of the hell you're living through." The addiction escalated gradually but relentlessly, threatening her marriage and consuming her life.

The Path Back to Light

Teresa's breakthrough came unexpectedly at a women's retreat she almost didn't attend. Unable to afford the ticket, she received it when someone else backed out—a provision she now sees as divine intervention. While she planned to game during the event, technology limitations forced her to actually listen.

During a prayer session, Teresa heard what she describes as the unmistakable voice of God asking, "You're still angry at me about your blindness, aren't you?" Her confrontational "Yeah" was met not with judgment, but with patient silence. God wasn't attacking the addiction directly; He was addressing the root causes.

"Don't go after the symptom," Teresa advises those helping loved ones with addiction. "The addiction is a symptom. Pray for the root cause."

Healing One Wire at a Time

Teresa's healing didn't happen overnight. She describes the process as untangling a ball of wires—giving God one piece at a time, often taking it back, then offering it again. Trust, she learned, is the Hebrew word for "safety," and feeling safe with God after trauma takes time.

Her breakthrough moment came through creative expression. Unable to find words for her pain, Teresa began writing music, "bleeding on the page" when speech failed her. She also found solace in Project 86, a Christian rock band whose raw, honest lyrics gave voice to her childhood experiences growing up as "the only person in my home" who believed.

Purpose from Pain

Today, Teresa hosts "Unresolved Life," a podcast that tackles the difficult questions many churches avoid—suicide, addiction, abuse, and even topics like UFOs and Bigfoot. Her willingness to address uncomfortable subjects stems from her belief that "if we don't have answers, the world will, and you want a godly answer instead."

The impact has been profound. After releasing an episode about suicide, Teresa received an email from a listener saying the show prevented her from taking her own life. "That about knocked me for a loop," Teresa admits. "But then I realized that's why I'm doing this."

Practical Wisdom for the Journey

For those walking through similar darkness, Teresa offers hard-won wisdom:

For those struggling with addiction:

• Invite God into your story, even if you don't know the root causes

• It's okay to be angry with God—He has big shoulders and would rather hear your honest struggles than polite silence

• Start small: give God one "wire" of your tangled pain at a time

For those loving someone with addiction:

• Pray for them daily, focusing on root causes rather than symptoms

• Don't try to speak truth when you're angry—wait for a calm moment to express love alongside honesty

• Remember that restoration takes time and grace

For everyone:

• Understand that we're in a spiritual war and need daily armor (Ephesians 6)

• Take every thought captive, especially in moments of despair

• Sometimes healing happens moment by moment, second by second

A Song of Survival

Teresa's journey continues to unfold through her upcoming book "Protected: A Story of Survival, Faith, and Redemption" and accompanying music project. One song lyric captures her ongoing relationship with faith: "I've held your hand through thick and thin, but lately it seems my grip is slipping... Don't let me go."

"Sometimes that's all you can say," she reflects, referencing a scene from The Chosen where Peter pleads with Jesus. "Don't let me go."

Teresa's story doesn't promise easy answers or quick fixes. Instead, it offers something more valuable: proof that God meets us in our darkest places and can transform our deepest pain into purpose. Her podcast, available at www.unresolved.life, continues this mission of bringing light to difficult conversations.

"I would rather walk through this minefield we call life with my hand in His than ever do a second without Him," Teresa concludes. For anyone struggling with addiction, loss, or feeling abandoned by God, her message is clear: you're not alone, your anger is understood, and healing—though difficult—is possible.

Teresa Blaes's books "God Met Me Here" and the upcoming "Protected" are available through her website. Learn more about her podcast "Unresolved Life" and get three free stories at protectedbook.com.