It's been sixteen years! It's hard to express the amount of gratitude I have for the life I have today. I remember some of the pain of denial in those early times and the struggle to believe I could live differently. I've stayed clean and sober through the death of parents, divorce and many other calamities by simply leaning on this program and applying the recovery tools I learned at TRC.

Today I am the Outreach Program Director for an Impaired Professionals Veterinary Medical Association and have a well respected practice. I'm a loving and available father to my six year old daughter, have many close friends and have begun to understand the value of my role in living a more spiritual life.

Looking back I want to say thank you to the staff at TRC for believing in me when I could not. They were patient with me through my denial and tears and helped me see that the events that had been shaping my life were additive and the real me could be set free!

Steve W

I was 19 years old, had flunked out of college, was completely broke, owed a lot of money to creditors and friends and had completely alienated my family. Most people believed that I would never amount to anything and, worst of all, I felt like a bad person. I did not have an ounce of self-confidence and I hated the person I had become. In February 1992, I checked myself into /TRC and took the first step towards recovery.

I felt so scared and hopeless and wondered how I was going to stop drinking and using drugs? The counselors at TRC provided answers to these and many other questions I had for them. They taught me how to deal with life's struggles without using drugs or alcohol as a crutch. They showed me that living sober is possible and that doing so is much better than I could have ever imagined. Getting sober at such a young age was, and I am sure still is, rather difficult. Then again, getting sober at any age is difficult. We all have to play the hand we are dealt, and that is what I started to do in 1992 and I still do now.

Today I'm married to a beautiful woman, am a successful attorney and I'm respected as a professional, as a person, and as a friend to many. I am eternally grateful to TRC and its staff for teaching me the easier, softer way. I am certain that I would not be the person I am today without the guidance and support of the staff and patients of TRC.

Nathan C.

Red Flags

Everyone always learns something new at TRC, and I am not the exception...although there was a time I thought I was.

During family week Dr. Talbot told my wife and me to meet him in his office. After introducing my wife to Dr. Talbot, he very kindly asked me to leave the room. Though feeling a little disgruntled, I patiently waited outside. Little did I know at that time that the conversation Dr. Talbot had with my wife that day would serve as the foundation that would help save my life and my marriage. Dr. Talbott introduced my wife to the concept of "red flags."

Red flags is a code that both my wife and I use to alert one another when a situation either of us is dealing with is cause for concern. When I find myself in a situation that I should not be in that makes me uncomfortable (i.e., a party involving drinking), I simply turn to my wife and let her know that "my red flags are up." Immediately upon hearing this, she will grab her purse, attach herself to my arm and out the door we head.

On the flip side, if she alerts me that "her red flags are up," this indicates to me that my actions are not representative of the recovery program that I should be working. In such an instance, I go to the nearest restroom, sit on the commode and go through the 3rd Step Prayer until I get myself back into a place where I am representing my program of recovery in a way I can be proud of.

To be quite honest, there have been times when my wife has sent me back to the restroom to repeat this process until I get myself back where I should be. All of this is done without anger toward one another, and we have both agreed to respect each other's view of where the other person is in any situation. This simple but well-executed plan works for both Alcoholics Anonymous* and Al-Anon**.

With love and respect,
Johnny W.

*Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a twelve step fellowship for recovering alcoholics

**Al-Anon is a twelve step recovery fellowship (based on AA’s twelve steps) for friends and families of alcoholics regardless of whether the alcoholic is in recovery or not.