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More successes and stories
On detox:
“After a three-week alcohol binge, with the help of a friend, I surrendered and went to the Presbyterian ER. I was treated by a doctor who recommended and contacted Turning Point Detox for me. This was Sunday and by Monday I arrived for my intake appointment. I was awfully shaky but determined to go through with it.
My initial experience arriving at detox was total comfort and amazement. [A specialist] walked me through the intake and the entire detox process. The staff showed me such compassion and care. They were able to not only attend to my medical needs, but I was also able to eat raw vegan. After a four day stay, I decided to attend IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program). I feel like this program has given me another chance at my life and a chance to regain my integrity. Without the kindness and generosity of each staff member, this incredible opportunity would have been lost.
Currently, halfway through IOP, I’m dedicated to my sobriety and looking forward to attending weekly Aftercare. I will also continue wholeheartedly with the 12-step fellowship in the community.
Thank you, Turning Point Recovery Center, from the bottom of my heart!!”
Sincerely,
Anonymous
Detoxing from Heroin
“As a young heroin addict in my twenties – I never saw myself quitting drugs. I really never saw a future for myself at all. I thought I’d die young. Thankfully, through a beautiful series of events, including amazing people who pointed me in the right direction of TPRC, I made a change.
I called TRPC and spoke to the detox center multiple times before I finally made the solid decision to change my life. I went through the 7- day detox program with the help of really caring nonjudgmental, people. Detoxing was not easy, but once I committed, there was no turning back. I made it through, not only because I wanted it, but because when I checked in every day, the detox staff made me feel safe and comfortable, encouraging me the whole time through my detox.
After detox, I joined the IOP where I was welcomed with a smile by the staff. They showed me around the office and told me how the program works. I’ve been in this program for almost 3 months and honestly, I really look forward to coming in each time. My first day I was nervous, but the group is just like a little family, and I felt so safe when I heard people in the group being so honest and raw, it made me feel like I could tell my story without shame or receiving judgment. We keep each other accountable and support each other without a second thought.
Everyone in the group is here for the same reason connecting us on a different level. The entire staff is here to support me and have shown me nothing but support through my entire recovery. I’m indebted and so grateful for what this program, the whole staff, the owner, and my fellow group members have done for my life.
Thank you all for helping me change my life.”
Sincerely,
Anonymous
Another report from the Detox house.
“When I arrived at Turning Point Detox Facility, I was tired, sad, scared, angry, hungover, and shaky. When I was dropped off, I began to get extremely anxious. We were escorted by a kind and lovely women who worked there. She assured me that they would make me as comfortable as possible. The staff began to run tests and I had to fill out some paperwork about myself. Soon after I arrived, they gave me a little orientation and gave me some medicine to help with my withdrawals and anxiety. I remember another patient that was there who got me to eat something and talked to me for a while.
There was always a nurse or trained staff who was close by to aid me if needed. The first night wasn’t as bad as I thought. The staff kept me so comfortable and made sure I had everything I needed. I slept through the night and woke up feeling dazed but good at the same time. There were a handful of nurses and other staff popping in and out throughout the whole day. They were all so different in a good way. Most of them had been in treatment centers before and understood what the patients were going through. They were full of energy and happiness and they seemed to love what they were doing for us.
Every day I got better and better. I felt like I was in a timeshare on vacation somewhere. I would get up early in the morning and do my daily assignments, read and do a light workout. They would let me have free range of the kitchen and all its delicious ingredients. I love to cook so that made me very happy. If you made them a list of things you liked, they would go pick it up for you. They always made sure that we ate well, slept comfortably and felt at home. I had a great experience while I was at Turning Point.
I left there feeling good and full of gratitude. I met so many wonderful people while I was there. From all of the Turning Point staff, the patients, some of whom I have kept fantastic relationships with like the Doctor.
Now I am attending the IOP program for 10 weeks. I have been doing well and I feel very good about my recovery. My counselor is a great therapist who really gets to the bottom of my addiction and helps me deal with all the emotions and feelings that have been plaguing my mind. He is very passionate about what he teaches and redefines the words “TOUGH LOVE”. And to be honest with you, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Every day I look forward to going to the group. I want to succeed and become serene and happy and I’m on the right path!
I would just like to thank everyone at Turning Point Recovery Center for all that you have done for me throughout this difficult time in my life. I appreciate all of your hard work and dedication to my addiction and my wellness and all the other people you have helped along the way.”
Sincerely,
Anonymous
They had tried everything, now they have recovery.
How I Was
I was a mess when I walked through the doors of Turning Point Recovery Center one year ago. My life had taken me to a place where I no longer recognized myself let alone what my purpose was any longer. I was a 46-year-old wife, mother of three, and an RN who worked full-time for a thriving practice here in Albuquerque. I was on my third marriage and had enough drama in my life to be on a weekly daytime soap opera. I was exhausted and found myself inside a bottle by the end of every night. My husband had, as he put it, “a truckload of resentment”, and I found myself no longer able to meet the daily demands of my life. I was constantly tardy to work or I would call in sick. I had reached the end of the excuses and I was going to lose my career that had taken the last 20 years to attain. Most of my children were grown and moved out which left my youngest son 16, and my 20-year-old step-son.
I faced the realization that I could not do this any longer. Everything I had tried failed and I was completely out of ideas. I was terrified and absolutely could not imagine how I was going to live without using alcohol to cope. I felt completely alone like there was no hope of ever being understood let alone accepted. I was so disappointed angry and bitter about life as I had come to know it.
What Happened
I went through the 10-week intensive outpatient program at Turning Point. I began to hear that I could exist in life as a sober person. I began to learn how to identify the things that had been torturing me and give them a name. These were my fears, my expectations, my shame, and my absolute belief that I was just somehow different than others. I found out that I would be safe while doing this; not judged or shunned but welcomed and encouraged. I was told if I was in enough pain to put it all out there and I would be able to leave it and walk away from a different person. I learned that, while I may not always like what I heard, I could use this information and the tools gained to begin a new life and a new way of thinking to help with life. It was a learning process. I also heard that this new process would do nothing but help me how to figure out a solution for my insanity and I wanted that! I was not alone. When I would share, someone else in the group would know exactly what I was talking about. I soon found out that the only real repercussion from this program was going to be growth. If I wanted it, but I had to want it. The program will educate you and give you choices. It will give you an option to not going it alone.
How I Am Now
This growth process was one of the most difficult things that I have ever done but also the most personally rewarding. I found there was much I would need to change. I had to learn to let go of fighting change, to admit what I feared, and to accept that I did not have control of much at all. I will always have these resources, I just have to remain willing to ask. In my past, the change was usually equal to a lot of negatives. Now change is my daily challenge. My choice is how I get to deal with it, alone or with my higher power. I no longer have to be perfect or do this program perfectly, I just have to do it every day to the best of my ability. What will take me out or kill me is not using this program, and all the tools and resources that I have learned to the fullest. If I don’t make that choice daily then eventually I will drink again. That is not a fear for me, it is the truth. My life now is GREAT! All the relationships in my life are richer. The way I now respond to each and every one of these relationships individually is very different but it no longer dismantles me. With each interaction, I am able to remain at peace. What do you have to lose? If you’re anything like me 10 weeks didn’t even scratch the surface of all the time I spent absolutely miserable. You will never be the same!!
The Recovery of Joe
“I’m Joe and I’m an alcoholic.” Never thought I would say that in front of a group of people, but I do. I grew up pretty much a normal kid. I came from a middle class working family with no abuse or anything like that. Everybody in the family was a normal drinker that I knew of. In high school, I did the normal teenage parties every now and then on the weekends. College was the same, classes during the week and partying on the weekends, but nothing abusive. I married my wife when I was 29 and we had our son at 35. We had our daughter when I was 37. Until our kids started first grade I worked second shift. Since I couldn’t drink before work and I was still only drinking on the weekends, my career was on the rise and I was promoted and moved to first shift. My alcohol consumption increased over the next few years, but I considered it as moderate. I was then promoted to management and my consumption started to increase even more. I started to isolate and drink in the garage after work. I can’t really pinpoint what increased my alcohol consumption, maybe it was just the stress of life creeping up on me. My drinking started to affect my relationship with my family. It was suggested by a family counselor that I seek an evaluation for my supposedly drinking problem. Turning Point Recovery Center was recommended and I went for an assessment. It was determined that I was an alcoholic and should attend the IOP program. Of course, I declined. I have always pulled myself up by my own bootstraps, this was a problem I could solve myself. About a year went by and my drinking was getting out of control. I started to see a therapist that specialized in addictive behavior and attended a weekly group session. It turned out not to be enough. There was no accountability and I was just punching a ticket to get away with drinking. Although my drinking didn’t get me in trouble with the law or at work, the relationship with my family was deteriorating, especially with my 10-year-old daughter. She became afraid to go anywhere in the truck with me. She also started seeing a therapist for OCD (over compulsive disorder) because of my drinking. The time had come for me to surrender and seek real help.
I made an appointment with Turning Point and entered the IOP program. It was tough at first, there was a lot of fear and anger. After all, I considered alcohol my best friend and he was always there when I needed him. I didn’t want to give him up and he wasn’t going away without a fight. At first, I thought the 10 weeks of IOP were going to be an eternity, but it actually wasn’t that bad. I was surrounded by people in the same situation as me that understood, and together we helped each other cope with our addiction. For once there was hope, a light at the end of the tunnel. The tools that were given to us, plus the accountability and one on one counseling sessions, were the key to my success in my opinion. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease. Our loved ones like to think of us as cured or fixed. I think we are in remission. I constantly remind myself that I am indeed an alcoholic and that the enemy is still within, lurking, waiting for me to let my guard down. I pray every day to my higher power to keep the enemy at bay. Another important part of my recovery has been the After Care Program. It has helped me immensely to maintain my sobriety. I like to think of After Care as a group of “addiction alumni” that come together once a week to support each other in defeating the enemy. I have been in remission for 14 months now, and my new life is awesome. My daughter is over her OCD and the family problems are on the mend. The other day I was backing out of the driveway and my daughter stopped me and jumped in the front seat and asked: “where are we going Dad?” At that moment I realized who my real best friend is. I can honestly say that Turning Point Recovery Center saved my life. Thank you!
I’m Joe and I’m an alcoholic, and I choose not to drink!!!
–Joe