Drug and Alcohol Rehab Client Letter
At age nineteen I found myself in an unbreakable cycle of addiction to meth. After being hospitalized one to many times for malnourishment, watching them draw black blood out of my body, I knew I either had to find help quickly or die. I crawled into my father\'s office and told him I was an addict, he immediately contacted pachills and took me there with in a matter of a few days. At first I rejected there program and let my withdrawals get the best of me, not paying much attention to what the counselors had to say. I tried to justify that meth addiction and alcoholism were not the same. i tried to read books during meeting, or draw. But eventually they got to me. I soon realized that addiction is addiction and I could\'t expect to drink like a normal person when I left there. I met a lot of wonderful people and attended many inspiring meetings. The church that we attended during my time there became my church after I was finished with the program for a time while I lived there.
NOW 3 YEARS LATER
I\'m 22 years old FREE of addiction and celebrating my 1 year wedding anniversary with the love of my life (who is also now FREE of addiction.) We have a beautiful 10 moth old baby boy.
And I\'d just like to thank the people here for giving me the tools to overcome the strongholds of addiction. and I\'d like to thank God for being present at this place.
Mindy
I just want to say thank you so much for what you have done for my family. I wish that there was a more powerful, meaningful word I could think of to express my appreciation and gratitude but thank you is all I can come up with right now. I want you all to know that you LITERALLY saved Jason's life yesterday. He was trying his hardest to do himself in and if he didn't have you all to turn to, I honestly believe that he wouldn't be breathing today. I understand that this is just the first step on a very long road and that there is no magic cure for all of this. My eyes are open to reality but so far in my reality, nobody has reached out to our family like you have. I am finding myself speechless at the sheer kindness, compassion, and hard work that you all have put in in order to make this happen for us. Please know that your gesture of kindness is not being taken for granted by me or Jason. He has promised me that he is going to give it his absolute all and he is going to soak up every minute that he is there. He is coming to you with an open mind and an open heart. You will be forever in my prayers. God bless you, your families, and the wonderful work you do to help the broken souls of this earth that deserve love and happiness as we all do.
Cameron
Dear Kirby,
Words cannot express my gratitude to you for accepting Todd on scholarship to your treatment program. I know your trust was in Roberto..and Todd needed to show that he could commit to the treatment program. I believe he not only committed but has flourished in your treatment program. He is embracing the AA program..lives it, thinks it, breathes it!
Now the difficult time is approaching. Stepping into the real world! I believe your generosity in accepting him into the "Transitional" treatment program, also on "scholarship" could prove to be the difference in continuing this journey of sobriety.
This has truly been the best gift we've ever been given. The ultimate"pay-it-forward".
As I have said to you..the dedication and devotion of Roberto (who seems also to be innately intuitive) has been a blessed event in our lives. God must have put him in both of our paths.
Thank you also for "Norm", a wonderful, insightful intelligent human being.
Most of all, thank you for taking this chance..the ultimate gift..a chance for one to learn to embrace a healthy life. Gratefully yours,
Traudi M
Dear Pastor Tom and Dexter, Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your help in Aaron’s life. We are so appreciative of all that you’ve done for him and for the program at Pac Hills. You made a big impact on his life and he speaks highly of you both. We are so joyful at having our son back! He’s a different person, yet oddly he’s still the same (he hasn’t lost his sense of humor or personality!) Thank you for guiding him back on track and for teaching him the life long tools needed to protect him self. He couldn’t have done it without a Christian 12-step and without renewing his faith in Jesus Christ. So…thank you, Tom, and thank you, Dexter, for your commitment to helping Aaron and for your part in saving his life. God bless you. Sincerely and in His Love,
Brian
Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. The second step of Alcoholics Anonymous is often the key to many people’s recovery. To many seen as the most important of the steps.
To me walking through the doors of Pacific Hills Treatment Center was already a battle in itself. But being asked to accept “God” into my life for the sake of recovery was blasphemy. God never really played a crucial role in my life; actually I tried to shun even the thought of a higher power. Believing I was too good or too smart to waste my time with such nonsense as religion or faith. Very close-minded to any possibility that it would work for me.
After weeks of attending groups and meetings with this attitude, I soon found out I was hitting a wall as far as my recovery went. After talking to therapists and people with experience in sobriety and the program. I soon found out that I would need to change my closed minded way of thinking because obviously my thought process and general way of living wasn’t working and was the reason I was where I am. So I decided to give this whole “God” thing a try. To be honest I had no idea where to start. It was suggested to me that I start with prayer, something I hadn’t done in a very long time. I was also told there was no wrong way to do it, so I thought I might as well give it a shot. So I got on my knees and continued to for a couple days, just pouring out my heart asking for guidance, hoping someone was listening.
To my amazement something in me the following weeks drastically changed. I just really had a better attitude towards recovery, my addiction, and the everyday life in treatment. Accepting that if I didn’t start to open my mind to new ways of thinking and take an invested interest methods that work. I would never really make a progress in getting where I wanted to be. To be honest I don’t know why things were happening the way they did and were working, but I wasn’t complaining.
So I feel that, why try to fix something that isn’t broken. I’m going to stick with what’s working for me even if I don’t completely understand it. And just trust that if GOD can make this much of a difference in my troubled life in a few short weeks what would a lifetime walk with God lead me.
Jamey
Hello
My name is David. and I would like to take a moment to tell you about my experience at Pacific Hills Treatment Center in San Clemente, Calif. First allow me to tell you a bit about me.
I was born and raised in North Eastern Pennsylvania; my mom raised five kids by herself. We were brought up in the church and by age 13 I wanted to go to Bible College and be a preacher. Events in and out of the church carved out a much different path for me and by 16 I was headed down a self-destructive path that would take me another twenty years to acknowledge. I finally hit a bottom in 1996 and reached out for help, it would be a long journey of long-term sobriety and relapse.
By the time I reached Pacific Hills in the spring of 2005 I was very angry with God. I had tried desperately to avoid the one common denominator that all twelve steps programs have in common, GOD. Pacific Hills offered a Bible tract in their program, which by this time I was willing to revisit. The combination of the Bible track, along with a well-trained and caring staff of individuals who genuinely cared about me, opened doors that had been closed long ago. Intense one on one and group counseling allowed me to address issues left untreated all my life. The atmosphere of family and camaraderie encouraged by the staff among the clients made it easy to connect and form bonds with others. Not neglecting the physical aspects of recovery I have found memories of volleyball games at the beach where we were able to blow off a little steam and have some fun.
In closing I would like to tell you that I was able to maintain sobriety since leaving Pacific Hills, but that's not the case. I still had to struggle with my relationship with God for a time and put into practice what I learned at Pacific Hills. After a few short missteps I was finally able to process what I was missing. I had tried the twelve-step program without God and then God without the twelve-step program. Pacific Hills taught me I needed both and how to practically apply these principals in my life. Today I have a life better than my wildest expectations and a relationship with God that absolutely rocks! Thank you Pacific Hills for your love, patience and most of all, permanent recovery from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body.
David
When I was young, I lived with my who instilled very religious beliefs upon me. I never really understood church religion or God but I went along with it. When I was 10, I moved in with my mom who was not religious at all. I didn't continue my Christianity. My life started to slowly unravel. At that point I started drinking and smoking weed when I was 13 that eventually led to me not caring about anything besides partying and ultimately led me to drugs.
When I first arrived at Pacific Hills Treatment Centers, I hadn't spoken to God in at least 5 years. But even in that time that I was not exploring my Christianity; I always knew that God had a plan for me. He was just waiting for me to be willing to follow it. One of the staff members suggested that I try praying for God to “show himself” and to show me a path. What I had done in the past obviously didn't work. So I indulged. At first I wasn't noticing or feeling anything so I figured my suspicions were right. But I kept at the path. I started to notice something. Everything and everybody was pointing me in a direction. I was just too fearful to want to follow it. Then I had an epiphany. This must be the start of God's plan for me! The pathway to stay in California and continue treatment in a sober living. I was still very fearful of leaving my friend's and family behind but gave my will to God and started the long journey of following him.
I have seen a tremendous change in myself in the aspects of willingness and determination. I am tired of failing in keeping my sobriety. I am tired of having to go through treatment. But most of all I am tired of having to restart my recovery and losing everything that I've gained. I've realized that I cannot do this on my own and who better to guide me than our Lord and Savior. I am finally ready and willing to let him help me.
AA and the steps do great things for alcoholics. But it is more than following a program just to keep you sober. It's bettering yourself as an individual and in whole having a fulfilled life. I believe that if anybody including a 'norme' thoroughly follows the steps that it will do the same thing.
Marcus
Dear Pacific Hills,
In November 2009, I came to you with my back against the wall fighting for my life. Today I will be graduating from the University of Missouri. I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving my life. You all gave me the tools necessary to truly live again and for that I am forever thankful. You showed me the true power of God and the true meaning of life. So many thanks to Tim, Nina, Ed and the rest of the staff there. I love you all with all my heart.
Byran
Dear Covenant Hills,
I really don't even know where to begin. I have so much to say and that is such a blessing because at one point in my life I had absolutely nothing to say at all. I remember that plaguing years of my active addiction and the overwhelming desperation and pain that consumed every second of my life until I was given a second change at life through recovery. As you know I started using and cutting myself at a very young age. Using quit being fun for me long before I got clean. It was a necessity. I started out needing to use to cope. Cope with my past, feelings, fears, pain, just life. It ended up that I needed to use to get through the day, the hour. When I came to Covenant Hills I was spiritually, mentally, and physically bankrupt. I was shackled by the chains of addiction.
I remember my first day at Covenant Hills. I was so scared. I really didn't think that I could live without drugs. I was also three months pregnant. I didn't even want the baby but I didn't want to kill it either. Y'all talked to me and loved me until I could eventually love myself. Y'all gave me hope. I remember my sessions with Pastor Sue. She would tell me that I was a precious child of God and He loved me like I was His very own child. It took me a long time to accept that love. I didn't feel worthy of unconditional love. I didn't know hot to pray or talk to God. Y'all told me to just talk to him, tell him how I felt. Be honest with him. Ask him for help. And I did. It was so hard at first but I remember the night that I turned my will and my life over to God. I was in room #1 and I got down on my knees by my little twin bed and I just told him that I would give him all of me for as long as I live if he could just help my little baby come out alive. I didn't car if she had down syndrome or autistic or anything like that I would take care of her I just didn't want her to die from my using. I think he was trying to show off because on June 9, 2009 I had an absolutely beautiful, 100% healthy baby girl. I remember the night the first time I held her and looked into her little eyes, I could just feel her heart speak to mine and I felt her say, thank you mommy, thank you and I just cried and said, thank you God, thank you'. Because I know that if I got what I deserved, I wouldn't have her in my life today.
I just celebrated two years clean in November and I will be eternally grateful to all of the staff and the program at Covenant Hills. Y'all took me by the hand and introduced me to a new way of life. Y'all showed me how to live one day at a time, and not be overwhelmed about my past or too obsessed with my future but to remember enough about my past to know where I'm going. There is no way I could have done this on my own.
When I got out of Covenant Hills I didn't have a job and I was about 15 to 20 thousand dollars in debt. Not two years late I have been doing hair, which I love with a passion, and have almost paid my debt completely down. I just bought a car WITH CASH ! ! ! I am just doing life and it's so awesome. I wake up to my beautiful little angel every morning and put her to bed every night. I know I couldn't be able to do that high. I am so grateful. One thing ya'll told me was to a meeting the day I got out and I did. I've been going ever since. I got a sponsor and am working the 12 Steps. I have found a freedom in the steps that I've always searched for a freedom from myself. The demands of my past were strong but recovery is stronger. I wouldn't of made it without the program y'all have out there and the love and support that y'all have given to me. I love you all so much and thank you for introducing m to a second chance at life.
Forever Grateful,
Holly
Dear Kirby,
About 6 months ago I was addicted to heroin and anything else that released dopamine. I had no connection with God, and I was using my Mother's death and everything that I thought was wrong with my life to drink or to use drugs. I got on my knees broken and defeated and prayed to God asking him to take over my life and show me the way. I went and looked at places to stay that scared me and made me feel like I just wanted to die, but I was willing to stay anywhere that God felt I should stay, and I honestly believe that when I became willing to do whatever it took, God opened the door to Pacific Hills Treatment Center. Your facility and staff Norman Boshoff and Stephen Heard saved my life. There are no words I could write to thank you, I feel I must show through action how thankful and blessed I am. I have a sponsor and I'm working the steps. I have an ongoing connection with God and I am 71 days sober. I can honestly say from now on, that my life did not begin until I received the gift of Pacific Hills Treatment Center in San Clemente. You are in my prayers of thanksgiving. God Bless you Kirby.
Alex
Alex
We want to express a heartfelt thank you to you and the Pacific Hills’ staff in San Clemente for all you have done and continue to do for our son, Jesse. It has been a very long time watching him go from a promising future to almost losing everything, including his life. His drug use started as a teenager; seventeen years of watching and hoping that a change would come. We watched him lose job after job, a place to live, everything. In the end, all he had was his clothes and his daughter, who continues to love him no matter what.
As a mother, I had tried everything I could think of to help. Jesse had become very angry, blaming others for where he was, not able to admit that his drug use had become a much bigger problem; much bigger than even we had thought. It seemed that my prayers would never become reality. I had come to a point where I had given up hope that he would ever change; a point where I believed he would either end up in prison or in a grave. The grave became that very real possibility.
It has been almost two months since I received the call that Jesse was in the hospital with a meth overdose. When we reached the hospital, he was already on life support. It was only by the grace of God that Jesse was able to get out of the apartment and find help.
After two days on life support, Jesse admitted his addiction and wanted to enter a drug rehab center. Jesse was released on a Friday to our home. We wanted to find a treatment center as soon as possible. The next day, I began the search. I checked numerous treatment centers, but after speaking to you, I knew that Pacific Hills was the best place for our son. Your encouragement and Pacific Hill’s Christ-based approach, along with physical and emotional support, was where Jesse would have the best care and hope for a second chance at life. You helped us through the process, along with much-needed encouragement. Jesse was discharged from the hospital on a Friday and on a plane three days later to start the journey that gave us back our son.
Jesse has embraced the program. He is happy, no longer do we hear angry outbursts when problems arise. We never thought it possible that Jesse would say this was the best gift we could ever give him or that God is part of his life now. He has a desire to help others in the same situation he found himself. We realize it is a long road ahead, but he is taking it one day at a time. We are so proud of our son. We have hope once again. I hope that this letter can help someone who can identify with the discouragement and fear of losing someone they dearly love.
There can be hope for the help that is needed to give that someone their second chance at life.
Pacific Hills has become a very important part of my son’s life. Visiting the center as well as meeting the staff has left no doubt in our minds that Pacific Hills was the very best decision we could have made. Thank you for everything you have done for our family as well as what you continue to do.
Lillian
I was very impressed with the level of treatment and care that I received while I was here. I truly believe the staff cared about me and my overall health and recovery. I feel I have been given some very helpful and useful tools and coping skill to take home with me. I feel like this is just the beginning of my amazing journey and would not have started it anywhere else.
Lana
Everyone here treated me with dignity and respect even when I didn’t feel dignity and respect for myself. The entire time of my stay I felt safe and Free from harm. The house was also always clean.
Private
As I write this card I am 3 years, 8 months and 8 days sober! Thanks to AA and its newcomers, I still haven’t forgotten that each day I am sober is a miracle, and each day that I am happy is a gift. What a blessing that I am able to live life knowing it is a gift! I had a lot of exciting firsts this year: In April I bought my own car for the first time ever. It’s a used car with 90,000 miles but it’s mine and I’ve worked hard to get it. ? I also went back to college for the first time in 8 years. My sponsor was very helpful in helping me set realistic goals with my schooling. I was overly ambitious at first, planning to do 4 classes a semester while holding 2 jobs and going to AA and taking dance classes at the gym! I’ve now been taking 2 classes per quarter, which has been a good fit for my busy schedule. I’ve maintained good grades and even made it on the Deans list! I’ve never been on the Deans list – ever! Thank goodness I listened to my sponsor. ? So I am very busy but I’ve never felt so productive. I don’t know where my energy is coming from. I do know that my Higher Power is the driving force behind anything positive in my life. And anything negative is my alcoholism trying to be heard. Most days its pretty quiet though. I hope things are going well at the treatment center. I think of the house and everyone often and I miss you always! Perhaps this summer I can make it out for a visit? Love you and Happy Holidays!
Melissa
Hey Everyone
I miss you all soooooooo much! I'm doing great here in California and will be going home in a week. I feel like a new person and that is all thanks to all of you. I'm soooooooo thankful I went to Texas for residential instead of here. I brag about you guys all the time and how lucky I was to have such an awesome experience. I hope everyone's doing well and words cannot express how thankful I am for all of you. You all saved my life and for that, you all will ALWAYS have a special place in my heart!
I love you.
Jen S