Testimonial: C’s story

Mother of an addict/alcoholic son

It’s been a year since our son’s life completely imploded. If the staff at Andy’s House hadn’t worked with us to get him into treatment, he would either have been arrested or died.

Andy’s House arranged for an intervention, but unlike television, it did not immediately succeed. He refused treatment. Notwithstanding this, Andy’s House continued to offer us support and guidance. Together, we got him to enter the program.

He went in angry and defiant. It did not deter them. They worked with him. They supported him. They not only helped him overcome his addictions, but they also helped him discover the root causes and deal with them. They taught life skills of how to deal with negative emotions such as sadness, disappointment, and anger in healthy and non-self-abusive manners. They re-instilled in him the values of living an honest, responsible, productive life.

During his three-month stay at Andy’s House, our nightly brief telephone conversations with him kept us connected. Our weekly visits gave us the opportunity to re-discover each other. We saw his progress: emotionally, spiritually, and we saw him look more and more healthy.

The weekly family support meeting has allowed us to express our concerns, worries, questions, and fears. The social worker leading the group addresses these issues. She helped us understand the trials and tribulations facing the addict and those who care for them. She helps us set realistic expectations and goals. She helps us deal with setbacks, big and small.

Aftercare is amazing! Andy’s House continues supporting the addict and the family for as long as is needed, as often as needed: weekly aftercare meetings, open doors to join programs, meetings with counselors, 24/7 telephone availability for addicts and family.

Andy’s House not only saved our son’s life and enabled him to live a sober, productive life, but by including us as part of the program, it made us into a functioning, loving family again.

The financial cost is high. The payout is priceless.

– Anonymous