‘Lot of regrets’ for tumultuous teenager years

“I made some pretty bad choices as a teenager. I used to threaten my parents, like saying I was going to kill myself. I did it just to make them feel bad, so I could get what I wanted.

Alexis Greathouse is back home living with her mom and stepdad.

“They finally had enough of it. I spent the first week of my senior year of high school in a mental institution. I found out real quick that wasn’t a joke. I learned there are some crazy people in this world, and I didn’t want to be one of them.

“Right after that, I left home to go live at my boyfriend’s house. I thought my parents were being horrible, but they were really just trying to help. I’m so stubborn. I wanted to make the point that I didn’t need them. I thought I could do it all on my own. I also had anger issues. I know how to control it now, but back then I just kind of let it all out. I would think and say things that weren’t even true, like my mom hates me. In reality, she just wanted the best for me.

“I didn’t take all of my classes seriously, which hurt my GPA. I decided to quit the softball team, only to find out later that a couple of colleges were looking at me. I could have gotten a full-ride scholarship. That was a hard lesson because now I have to pay for college myself.

“I have a lot of regrets. I would have changed a lot of things. But my mom tells me, ‘Put it behind you. It happened, so just let it go. You’re starting fresh. You’re doing something about it now.’

“It’s been kind of hard, but it’s getting easier now that I’m actually in college and working toward something positive.”

— Alexis Greathouse