Three months ago, Nadia Lockyer resigned from her seat as Alameda County supervisor–the first supervisor in the history of Alameda County to resign for personal reasons. In an interview about her resignation, Lockyer apologized for all “the drama” that occurred while she was in office.
And there was a significant amount of drama. Nadia Lockyer has gone through a lot in the past year, yet her story sounds just like the story of anyone struggling with addiction.
Lockyer’s Story
In April, just a week before the official resignation, Lockyer sent the press an email claiming that her husband, state Treasurer Bill Lockyer, had supplied her with drugs–and later said her phone was hacked. Turns out, both claims were untrue.
Rewind to June of last year and what really happened: Lockyer took a leave of absence to enter rehab–she claimed–for “chemical dependency and chronic pain from a past debilitating car accident.”
But during rehab, Lockyer met and became involved with a meth addict, Steve Chikhani. Later, she visited him while he was in jail, telling others that she was doing so only within her professional capacity as a lawyer.
But the drama came crashing down one night in February when Nadia checked into a hotel, after she and her husband fought about her relationship with Chikhani. Later , Nadia claimed that Chikhani visited her in the hotel that night and assaulted her–an accusation Chikahni denies. But suddenly, her addiction and their affair, fueled by drugs, alcohol and rumored sex tapes, became public.
When she resigned in April, Lockyer said she planned to focus on her “recovery from both the assault and the abusive relationship, healing her heart and her psyche.”
Drama? Yes. Tragedy? Yes.
But how did it happen? How could someone with so much–family, a promising career–land in one of the biggest scandals in California?
It Can Happen to Us All
Dependency on drugs and alcohol can be one of the most debilitating diseases to affect people. And this disease usually comes with a large dose of shame, buried under layers of denial, deception and lies. Facing the reality of an addiction is perhaps the hardest–but most important–step an alcoholic or addict must take. And unfortunately, it can happen to any of us.
Regardless of what you may think about Lockyer and the situation, one thing’s for sure: her addiction played a huge role in her story. So often we assume that only those of us who struggle to keep a job or who were losers at school, struggle with drugs or alcohol. But here’s a true story of an accomplished woman whose life is being torn apart by addiction.
You are not alone.
Although we are saddened by this public story of addiction, we are encouraged to hear (in an exclusive video interview Nadia did with Mercury News), that she has promised to “focus on her family and recovery from addiction.”
What about you? Are you quickly becoming buried underneath stacks of lies, deception, and even physically harmful circumstances? Is your addiction destroying you?
Are you ready to pursue hope? If you are, please call us today (707-348-4874).