I Felt Safe with You

By MaRisha Harris

This book reveals addiction not as a craving for substances, but as a quiet refuge formed in pain. Rayanne's life shows how addiction often begins as relief-something that enters when safety leaves, when abandonment, abuse, and betrayal create open spaces inside the soul longing to be filled. Each coping behavior that followed-restriction, self-harm, emotional withdrawal-served the same purpose: to regulate overwhelming emotion, to regain control, and to survive what felt unbearable.

The narrative illustrates how addiction adapts across seasons of life. When one behavior loosens its grip, another takes its place, each promising protection while slowly deepening isolation. What Rayanne becomes addicted to is not harm itself, but the momentary calm it provides-the illusion of control when trust has been broken repeatedly.

Healing, then, is not framed as willpower or moral strength, but as interruption: naming the lie that suffering must be managed alone. Recovery begins when Rayanne recognizes that her addiction thrived in secrecy and shame, and loses power when met with truth, connection, and support. The book ultimately reframes addiction as a symptom of unresolved trauma-and healing as the courageous act of allowing oneself to be seen, helped, and held without harm.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GLPDDW78
• ISBN13: 9798994758991
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Marisha Harris
• Length: 134 Pages
• Weight: 0.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 13 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary