James-Testimonial_
James is an alumni patient at Ridgeview Hospital. He went through our program three times before achieving long term recovery. His first stint of treatment was in April of 2016, when his neighbor put on an intervention for James.
At first, James was apprehensive about receiving treatment. Like many people in need of help James looked for any reason why he couldn’t go. Fortunately, the Ridgeview Hospital admissions staff acted quickly to help James and picked him up within 24 hours, which got him the treatment he’d been putting off.
James has this to say about his recovery experience: While in recovery, I learned a lot about my addiction and mental health. I was able to detox from crack and alcohol and dive deeper into why I was using. During individual therapy sessions, I uncovered a history of PTSD, and how I used drugs to escape from facing it. After discovering why I used drugs, we moved forward to coping with PTSD without resorting to drug use.
After my 28-day program with Ridgeview Hospital, the staff worked diligently to place me in a sober living facility close to home. I stayed clean for about six months and relapsed when I returned to my previous environment. I returned to Ridgeview Hospital a week later. But it was different this time, because I called the hospital myself and knew I needed another stent to get back on the right track. After my experience with Ridgeview Hospital the first time, I knew it was the best place for me to succeed.
My second time at Ridgeview Hospital was just as valuable as my first. I learned more coping skills, not only from the staff, but also during the onsite NA/AA meetings. When I first went to Ridgeview Hospital, I sat and listened to other experiences. This time I led the meetings and could see a change in my outlook on drugs. I realized that the takeaway this time was to get out of the negative environment I was in when I relapsed.
This time, I decided to attend sober living in Michigan, which was far from home. I left my second stay at Ridgeview Hospital with a new mindset, eager to succeed and regain some of the life addiction took from me.
I stayed sober for over a year until my health began to decline. I relapsed to deal with chronic pain, illness, and a few family matters that resurfaced and affected my mental health. I used for about two weeks then returned for the final time at Ridgeview Hospital.
The third time did the trick. We dove deeper into my past and how to deal with failure, depression, and PTSD from traumatic memories. We went through my medication and symptoms to get me back on the right track. I left the final time with goals and hopes to regain the trust I lost with my daughter and granddaughter. It took a little while for them to trust me again, understandably, and Ridgeview Hospital helped me prepare for these types of situations without resorting back to drugs.
After a year sober, I found a safe place to live, which allowed me to save up and buy a car and go to doctors’ appointments regularly. I reconnected with my daughter, and now I see my granddaughter every day. I have made mistakes in my life, but getting treatment at Ridgeview Hospital is not one of them.
If you are struggling with addiction and mental health, I recommend treatment at Ridgeview Hospital. Just do it. Don’t be afraid. I know, I was scared, too. I had no idea what treatment would be like for me. I had never done it before. But from the first moments walking in the door, there was no judgment. The staff accepted me when I relapsed and encouraged me throughout my stay. It was the best choice I ever made.
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