For years I had been plagued by my addiction. I would lose possessions and morals and regain them only to lose them again. I told myself life was manageable but I was naive. I thought one day I could put the drugs and alcohol down for good. After receiving a college degree I realized that all my dreams and ambitions had gone out the window and that did not bother me. I was more content struggling day today to get my fix rather that apply myself for a better chance at life. I was perfectly fine with surrounding myself with the wrong people and because of that, I did not see anyone beat their addictions. I thought that is where I belonged and I thought that I would die that way. The hope rose for me once I was introduced to the 12 steps at Brook Recovery, for the first time in my life I met people that I could relate with. These men had learned to curb the mental obsession to use, something I had never been able to do and I was intrigued. As I went through my journey at Brook Recovery I learned the necessary tools to not feel the need to get outside myself and to be content. With this relief, I was able to stop thinking of myself and to be a more selfless active member of society and that's truly all I've ever wanted. Without this program, I don't know where I would be today, but I am happy to say I am overly grateful to be a part of this amazing community

Not only was my life unmanageable due to drugs and alcohol, but my life was also unmanageable due to myself. I didn’t know how to live a “normal” life like the rest of my friends and family and turned to drugs and alcohol to escape from reality. I had tried all of the medications, counseling, psychiatrists, and doctors but none of these things ever helped me in the least. After many failed attempts of trying to get sober by these methods, I felt completely hopeless and was content dying a drug addict. As a last effort attempt, my family put me in the Brook Recovery. I entered a completely broken person. I didn’t know how to live my life without drugs and needed to learn. I was skeptical at first because every other attempt at sobriety had failed me. But something was different about the 12 steps. They addressed the problem as being me, and not being my drug of choice. They showed me how to live without drugs and alcohol, which at one point I honestly believed was impossible. But more importantly to me, they showed me how I could be happy in sobriety. And being a drug addict that’s all I really wanted, was to be happy and be happy with myself. Brook Recovery has saved my life and made me into the man that I am today. I am forever grateful.

Before I came to Brook Recovery I had spent over a decade struggling with addiction. I’d attended many detoxes, rehabs and intensive outpatient programs but I was never able to stay sober for more than a few months at a time. I tried medication-assisted therapies and every cutting edge treatment I came across but to no avail. Upon entering Brook Recovery I was first struck with the similarities in the experiences of the staff and my own. It was easy to begin trusting them because they were addicts and alcoholics of the same kind as myself. They talked, acted and thought like me but they had turned their lives around and were living meaningfully with a new sense of purpose. As I progressed through the program I came to understand that I wasn’t unique, that I could be helped, and that the staff had a proven track record of winning in a battle I had believed hopeless. Today I’m proud to be a part of the community surrounding Brook Recovery and happy that I can continue to see others go from hopeless to whole.

We began seeking help for my son's anxiety when he was in elementary school. We went to many doctors and various programs over the years only to get more prescriptions. Being a quiet and well-behaved kid no one would ever have thought he would become an addict. But because he wanted to feel normal just like everyone else he began self-medicating which led to his addiction to both drugs and alcohol. Brook Recovery provided a structured program and guided him through AA's Big Book of Alcohol Anonymous and taking steps to recovery. With their support my son found the solution to his recovery and a true understanding of who he is as a person. Brook Recovery did for my son what no medical doctor or other programs could give him. He now has over 1 year in recovery and is not on any medications. The Brook Retreat is committed to helping others find recovery. Words cannot express the how grateful our family is to the Brook Retreat.