When I was at Willows of Red Oak, I knew I had a substance abuse problem, and I did not want to go home.
Josh was giving a talk in the area and he took the time to come see me. We found we had a lot in common and I really appreciated his willingness to meet with me
I was especially attracted to the meditation component of the Red Mountain program. When my parents saw the website, they said, “This is perfect for you.” Many of the young women at Red Oak had gone there as well and they had been very successful.
When I started at Red Mountain, I especially loved the meditation, as I thought I would, and I did the weekly intensive. Meditation helped with all of my issues, including addiction. I suppose it is because you just have to sit there in the present moment. Meditation goes beyond the literal practice of sitting on the cushion and staying present. Instead of running away from situations, emotions, and thoughts with the use of drugs or drinking, we learned to confront and tolerate the present moment and “sit” with these feelings as they arise.
RMS was good for me partly because I was a bit older than some of the other students and I was able to really invest in the program. I was old enough to realize how devastating my choices and addictions were. I had dealt with enough experiences and consequences and therefore, I was ready to make the necessary changes in my life. For those who might not be ready for change, RMS will seem restrictive and they might resist it, but for me, I felt like I had a lot of freedom and I embraced it.
I appreciated that the staff was very open and candid and I felt I could trust the program, as well asthe staff members. I got a lot of rewards for just plunging in. The staff seemed to trust me and no one was worried about me breaking rules.
I was also in recovery for anorexia and many girls come to Red Mountain with that issue. The nutrition component of the program was very helpful, as was the trauma group. I met with the wellness coach quite a lot. My therapist was experienced with somatic work and with trauma, which was very helpful for me.
It’s difficult to single out anyone who was especially helpful, because everyone contributed to my success. Maureen is amazing in her ability to empathize and validate. My one-on-one conversations with her were amazing and profound. Josh continued to be highly supportive throughout and he is also an amazing person.
I’m doing well now, working and planning to go back to school, which really wasn’t on my radar before I went to Red Mountain. I picked up a lot of wonderful tools for healthy living at RMS.
I would strongly recommend Red Mountain. Ultimately though, the choice is yours to regain control, trust, sobriety, and responsibility for your life. If these are things you want, and if you are willing to put in the work that is required, Red Mountain is the perfect place to support you in attaining those goals.
—Student