Drug addiction Alchoholism treatment Substance abuse

"Been There" Stories

Hear from people who’ve been there:

• Alcoholics and Addicts
• Families
• Renascent Counsellors

Alcoholics and addicts who’ve been there

I didn't know it at the time, but calling Renascent was the single best action I've ever taken in my life. It took me far too long to do it – I'd given myself every excuse in the book:  "I'm not that bad"; "What would I tell my boss?"; "I'm too stressed out right now"; "I'm not hurting anyone but myself"; "I still have a job and an apartment"; "I can stop any time I want to - I just don't want to stop right now"; and on and on ad nauseum.

Finally, one night at dinner (after a couple of bottles of wine) I "casually" asked my best friend if she thought I should go get help at Renascent. I fully expected her to say, "No way; you're just fine!" But she didn't. There was a long silence. Then she looked me straight in the eye and said, "Yes, I think that would be an excellent idea." It just cut through all my denial.  I knew she was telling me a truth I didn't want to hear.

When I made that call, they didn't judge me; they didn't ask me for money I didn't have; and they got me into treatment quickly.  At Renascent I found safety, understanding, knowledge about myself and my addiction, and a way to live my life clean and sober. It was the beginning of a healthy, long-term sobriety for me – light-years away from the misery of my drinking and drugging.  I am eternally grateful to Renascent for being there when I was finally ready to reach out for help.

One phone call - a second chance at life. How amazing is that?
- Dale

In the fall of 2002, I entered Renascent with some serious doubts as to whether I would have the inner strength required to maintain my much-needed sobriety. I was definitely at a crossroads. Physically I was a shell of what I once was, but more importantly, my capacity for lucidity and clarity of thought was all but destroyed by alcohol. As the days progressed, I kept an open mind and listened to the wisdom of those who had made the journey before me. Renascent and the Sullivan House counsellors saved my life. Of that, I have no doubt. But they weren't done there. They then provided a way in which I could freely come back to where it all began in order to give and share, in a forum that is as friendly and spiritual as it is crucial to my continued recovery.
- Paul

One of the most wonderful things about Renascent is that absolutely everyone from the counsellors, cooks and support staff knew exactly how I felt – they’d been there too. For the first time someone understood the pain, the fear, the confusion, the compulsion, the frustration, the self-hatred and the sadness that was my life.
- Mary

Luckily, Renascent accepted me as a client. While at the house I was taught many simple, yet important things, like how to make my bed and do chores daily, how to work with others, the importance of eating healthily, attending meetings, and picking up the phone instead of picking up a drink or a drug. My 21-day stay gave me hope. After leaving Renascent I did what was recommended. I got a home group and a sponsor and got involved in the Alumni Program. Almost 2 years later my life has been transformed and I owe it all to the safe beginning I got at Renascent.
- Vik

On October 24, 2005, I picked up the phone and cried for help. That day I entered a program that taught me I was not alone and I did not have to be alone ever again. My road in life, up to that point, had been filled with pain and anguish. Now, with a new solution, I am looking forward to discovering the new me: the hope of becoming a better man and father and friend, a man who just wants happiness for my partner and my children, and a man who can be of service to others. This hope, although it comes from others, is not reliant on others. It is reliant on something much greater than I, and it all began with a call to Renascent.
- Peter

Family who’ve been there

By the time I had placed a call to Renascent, I had exhausted all the possibilities I thought I had left – and myself in the process. Almost immediately, Renascent set the wheels into motion and my niece was on a positive road to healing within 48 hours. I had no idea that such a wonderful centre existed and I couldn’t be more grateful that it does. Today, my niece, Stef, is a beautiful, talented, thriving young woman who is once again full of the potential she had temporarily shelved.
- Carole

When the family program was first offered to me I didn’t think that I needed it. I thought I was in check with what was going on with my mom’s drinking problem. I was working through a program of my own and thought I was doing a good job. Denying my feelings worked at first, but then I realized the feelings I had were affecting my relationships with my own kids and wife. I was transferring the anger, the hurt and the upset into their lives. I’m really happy that I finally made the decision to attend the family program with my sister and dad.
- Kevin

I’m still somewhat overly accountable for my actions but the difference is now I refuse to be accountable for anyone else’s! I’ve learned how to love and support the alcoholic in my life while detaching myself from the disease. It is exciting to make decisions for myself, no longer just reacting to the actions of others. I’ve been able to come to terms with the destruction alcohol has caused in my life. I thank Renascent’s family program for helping me set my own recovery in motion – I’ve just celebrated my 11th birthday in Al-Anon.
- Maryon

Renascent Counsellors who’ve been there

Very often during assessments clients will say that I don’t look like an addict or someone who has gone through the things that they are going through.  I always tell them that if they asked me five years ago if I would be sitting here today helping others as an addictions counsellor, telling them my story, I would have told them they were crazy. 

Working at Renascent, helping others to see that there is a solution, is a dream come true for me.  Five years ago I was battling a cocaine addiction.  My abusive marriage ended abruptly and violently, my son was taken from me, I had no money, no job and was trying to navigate my way through the judicial system.  Through treatment and the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous, I was able to stay clean and sober and overcome the numerous obstacles before me.  There is the comfort of being truly understood when you come for treatment at Renascent.
- Jennifer

Each time a new client joins us at the Punanai Centre, I am brought back to my first days in treatment for my addiction. The most common theme for the people we treat is the overpowering sense of guilt and feelings of shame and remorse that they feel when they arrive at our door. I was experiencing those same feelings a few years ago. I was actively addicted to cocaine and drinking alcohol on a daily basis.  It came to a point for me that I was so ashamed of myself that I was starting not to care what happened to me anymore. My relationships with family and friends were all on the verge of ruin.  I was unemployable, unreliable, underachieving and dishonest – I hated who I had become.  I was deeply ashamed and increasingly more hopeless with each day that passed.

Counsellors helped me to get honest with myself about the impact my addiction was having on my loved ones and me. I was taught how to free myself from the burdens of alcohol and drugs through the practice of the 12 Steps. Most importantly, I was given the tools to relieve myself of the crippling senses of shame and hopelessness that I was feeling, and get on with my life.  I was taught how to live sober, and be happy about it. I am blessed today to remain continuously sober and unashamed, and honoured to be trusted to pass on the same messages of understanding, compassion and honesty that I heard when I was desperately in need of help and hope. 

At Renascent, we say:  “Where better lives begin.” If you are lost in your addiction and in need of some help, give us a call and begin your better life today.
- Alex