Targeting my Emotions, Not just the 12 Steps

At first just like many people, I was very scared to commit to recovery so far away from my home in Vancouver to the Dominican Republic. This is my testimonial or testimony in regards to Always Hope. I have not left my home for more then a week in my life, and it was a very tough decision. Being 23, I am used to being around my family and girlfriend. I also have never quit drugs in my 9 years of using, never been to a long term treatment centre, gone to meetings or even seen a councillor.

After a lot of thought, my mind was made up, I decided to jump in to my recovery with both feet. Choosing to be away from home was hard, but the positives outweighed the negatives greatly. Firstly, I would not have access to the narcotics I was used to using. Secondly, I would be able to get away from my usual habitat and all the people and problems that came with it. This allowed me to have a clear mind through out this critical month. Although I have to go back home now, I am confident I have learned the skills to deal with my emotions and the scenarios I will inevitably have to face.

I got to Always Hope after completing a very tough 7 day detox, and still in withdrawal. I was on opiates for 9 years daily, Oxycontin, heroin, fentanyl and other substances such as cocaine, Xanax and marijuana regularly. Basically I was near rock bottom. I was in danger of losing my family and girlfriend, my house and car, and most importantly my life. This reality drove me to make the commitment. I met Roger at the airport and we went back to his place and I was very pleased with what I saw. A beautiful villa, with my own spacious private room equipped with air conditioning. A beautiful pool, chairs to tan on, and a beautiful scenic view. I was greeted by Shauna and the kids, as well as Jim our councillor.

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I spent a couple days under the weather, and then we got right to work. We worked the steps, 1 through 12, but not just that. We targeted emotions as well which was extremely helpful because I was so used to numbing them. We talked about triggers to the emotions as well as how to channel and diffuse them in real life scenarios. I won’t get into detail, but I can confidently say you will come out of the program a bigger person. Always Hope will prepare you to take on most situations life will throw at you, from a small issue to a disaster. Roger, Jim, Shauna and the kids showed me so much hospitality when I was there, i genuinely felt as if I was a part of the family. I owe them my life.

I sincerely recommend Always Hope not to just the readers on this page, but to my personal friends battling addiction as well. This is very different from the treatment centres at home that I researched, and I am so lucky to grasp this opportunity. It by no means was an easy choice, but if I had the option to do it over again I wouldn’t change a thing. It is the perfect environment for recovering from an addiction. If you are looking to change your life, this is the perfect place for you to start.

I will end this with a most sincere thank you to my friends at Always Hope.