A front-row seat to transformation

Working at a detox is like having a front-row seat to the earliest stages of transformation. It’s been amazing to see the first glimmers of hope break through in people’s lives. Sam came to us when he OD’d after using heavily for many years. As he began detox, he was in a place of thinking he didn’t want to engage in any type of long-term recovery. Sam didn’t know what not using would even look like in his life, and he didn’t know what changing would be like or if it was even possible.

Yet as he detoxed, he recognized that if he continued to use he was going to die. With some perspective, Sam was able to put together the discrepancies between how he was living and what he thought was possible.

Through ongoing motivational interviewing, we were able to help Sam decide what type of ongoing treatment might be his best hope of recovery. He then chose a facility that treated both mental health and substance abuse.

In preparation for longer-term treatment, we gave him a ride across town with a sober companion to his apartment to pack and to rid the place of substances so he wouldn’t have to come back to that upon release. Then we sat down with Sam and helped him make some phone calls to postpone ongoing credit card charges (cable bill, gym membership, etc.) that were likely to be stressors if left unaddressed.

This is just one example of how we treat the whole person, not just detoxing them, but setting up a plan for the next steps and clearing away barriers to future recovery. Connect with us on our website at valiantstg.wpengine.com, and click on “detox.”