RCA Alumni Yearbook

Hey yall , I still take everyday day by day .. living proof talking to god & staying consistent with my recovery . It’s not easy but keeping good friends around will definitely keep you grounded . I want to thank Mrs.Nikki & Dan for the awesome motivation to remind me what my recovery was for . I have met great people at RCA , in-fact I met one of my very best friends at RCA and we keep each other grounded . RCA has really help in so many way and I thank you !

The staff At Bracebridge were and are amazing. They cared then and still care now. Shout out to Dan, Tami, Caddie, Beth, Mr Al, and everyone who was there and still may be now. I needed to stay this time, my 4th, because it brought me to the person I am today. May 17th will be 15 months for me. I thank God everyday and couldn't have done it him and all you wonderful people at Bracebridge! Thank you and God Bless Debbie

Seeking validation, co-dependency and low self worth were the reason I used to get high. Today, I have a home group, sponsor and work the steps of. NA. I absolutely love myself enough to know I’m worth nothing but the best. I seek only the approval of myself. I had Darren as a councilor at RCA. His compassion and craft at being the best has me shed several tears and break barriers I never thought I had. I am almost 14 months into my journey.

There is no better place to get true, meaningful help than RCA. I had the pleasure of being a patient, then an employee of RCA after my stay and I can honestly say this place changes my life.

"It stops feeling like effort the moment it becomes who you are." - R.S. Light I was in rough shape coming into RCA Bracebridge- coming straight from Christiana Hospital, barely being able to walk, let alone process what was happening in my life; to say that I needed a fresh start would go without saying. But, I understand that it's hard for people like us to get that with friends, family, and society expecting something from us and wanting their hands all over us and our recovery. Before I found my way to RCA Bracebridge Hall, my drug-addict fíancé broke up with me because I drank while she used. I was supposed to be "something else." I was kicked out of my home while I was owning my recovery at RCA because those that were close to me were scared. 'Out there,' I was surrounded by people that wanted nothing to do with helping me heal from my traumatic past- only that I live up to expectations that were "approachable" and "safe" to them. But none of that ever diverted my hunger to start over again and get back what is mine. Sobriety, freedom, potential and hope. RCA gave me what I needed in people that rally around each other in support in growth and healing. It was difficult to start again, but it had to happen for my own sanity. I cut out the people that didn't support what I needed, and moved forward with a new team. Everything else fell into place once I became who I was meant to be. Thank you to Junior, Kirsten, Dan Hartnett, the team RCA Bracebridge Hall, and everyone that was in there healing alongside me. Things do get better when we, ourselves, make them get better.

I've spent the last 48 years of my life living for something I'd never expected to be without. It was never in the cards for me, and I truly believed that with every fiber of my being. The love I had for being mentally altered was overwhelming and consuming. Escape awaited me with every sip. Sept 2 I will have 5 years without my armor, my mask. Today, I get to have feelings, today I have gratitude. I don't resent the air in my lungs or waking like it was a punishment. Those who know me well probably didn't expect me to ever change, I'm pretty sure they became complacent in my misery right along with me. I'm grateful for them sticking around regardless of how painful it became to watch me destroy myself. To stand behind me while I chipped away slowly at myself until I began to fade. I knew what I was doing and I didn't care. I didn't care about anything. I will never forget how awful it feels to truly hate yourself and I will carry that memory to keep me carrying on. No matter how heavy it gets. I don't regret it because it's part of my story, and though I can't change it, I can try every day to be better for myself and everyone around me. I thank you all for being my support and love and understanding through this journey. It's going to be a long one but my path isn't diverged any longer. I wouldn't be here without any of you and the friends I've made in NA,AA They are truly angels on Earth. They are people that love you because of your flaws, not in spite of them. Today I have an overwhelming sense of I've spent the last 48 years of my life living for something I'd never expected to be without. It was never in the cards for me, and I truly believed that with every fiber of my being. The love I had for being mentally altered was overwhelming and consuming. Escape awaited me with every sip. . Today, I get to have feelings, today I have gratitude. I don't resent the air in my lungs or waking like it was a punishment. Those who know me well probably didn't expect me to ever change, I'm pretty sure they became complacent in my misery right along with me. I'm grateful for them sticking around regardless of how painful it became to watch me destroy myself. To stand behind me while I chipped away slowly at myself until I began to fade. I knew what I was doing and I didn't care. I didn't care about anything. I will never forget how awful it feels to truly hate yourself and I will carry that memory to keep me carrying on. No matter how heavy it gets. I don't regret it because it's part of my story, and though I can't change it, I can try every day to be better for myself and everyone around me. I thank you all for being my support and love and understanding through this journey. It's going to be a long one but my path isn't diverged any longer. I wouldn't be here without any of you and the friends I've made in the rooms. They are truly angels on Earth. They are people that love you because of your flaws, not in spite of them. Today I have an overwhelming sense of peace because of my higher power I choose to call God. He is doing for me what I couldn't do myself. My name is Dawn, and I'm an addict.

So thankful for my recovery journey I went to RCA after relapsing with 4 years clean, they encouraged me to continue on this journey. I now live in North Carolina helping with my granddaughter cause my son joined the navy . Without recovery I wouldn’t have been able to be present for what god has planned for me.

As I approach my two year sober birthday, I would like to thank all the people at the Rca Saint Charles Illinois facility for giving me my life back. Not only did they treat my disease with compassion, understanding, and most of all the knowledge of how to lead a sober life. Without all the help and support I received from every staff member, I have no idea where I would be today. Speaking of today my life has turned around 360° due to the fact that I lead a clean and sober existence. To anyone struggling with addiction there is help out there you just have to ask for it and if you are looking for a brand new start to your life a Rca treatment center is definitely a great beginning on the road to your recovery.

I honestly wouldn’t be here without the help of rca Danvers and all the staff there. Going in I thought okay I’ll just do this real fast and go home only to be doomed to repeat this process because trust me I’ve lived in that loop for many years but this place was different I not only received unbelievable care and staff going above and beyond to keep me going but they gave me the foundation to which I (through years of continued work) built and continue to build my life upon. For that I am forever grateful

2,106 days since I walked up the front stairs at RCA Danvers. My life was forever changed that day, shifting from a life of isolation and unfulfilled potential to one of opportunity and connection. Thank you for giving me the tools to live a beautiful life, and helping me feel part of something meaningful.

I went to RCA Indianapolis in July 2023. Life was unmanageable, I was living a reckless life and it was time to make a change. I can't say enough good things about the time I spent there, the staff that helped me, the friendships I made or the complete life change that happened in those walls. As I approach 1000 days and almost 3 years clean, life looks much different. I am present with my family, with my job, with my friends. The constant noise in my head has quieted. I'm proud of myself for conquering something that once seemed impossible. There is hope and light at the end of every dark tunnel, it just took me walking in those doors to figure it out.

Being at RCA allowed me to be with others who were on my same journey to sobriety. The therapist I had really helped me get to the point of what my issues were beyond the bottle. This was the start I needed to get myself back on track to a better, healthier life mentally and physically.