“Harmony has made a big difference in my life,” says Brad. That’s why Angie and he are now trying to give back and help others beat the disease of addiction—or at least “get ahead of it.”
“We have great role models in Brad’s parents when it comes to helping out in the community,” says Angie. “We know how lucky we are. That’s why we want to help because everybody who needs it should have the opportunity to go through a program like Harmony and come out on the other side as we did.”
They want to continue to donate their time and money, stay actively involved, and always remember “how lucky we are to have come through this because we have close relatives who did not.”
“Recovery is not something you can take for granted,” says Brad. The first few days of treatment at Harmony, he didn’t want to be there, remembers Brad with a smile on his face. But at the end of the experience after “accepting and diving into” his therapy, Brad didn’t want to leave. “It wasn’t easy but the more I got into the work involved, the more I got out of it and realized how much it was helping me.”
Brad realized what he learned in treatment does not only apply to addiction. “Some of the things you learn at Harmony apply to everyday life.” The location also played an important role. “The mountains have always given me peace and tranquility,” he says.
“This wasn’t Brad’s first attempt at rehab,” remembers Angie. “He had tried an intensive outpatient program before but it didn’t stick.” As time went on and Angie learned more about the disease of addiction, her expectations changed. “I’m in awe of Brad and our son for what they have gone through, their discipline and self-control,” says Angie. They are taking their recovery very seriously.
“The way the Harmony program was structured made me want to go there,” she jokes. “All the self-reflection and digging deep and looking at why you do the things you do.” She knows it was a hard few weeks for her husband but she thinks the program is structured really well. “When you look at your physical health, your mental and spiritual health, you make sure it’s all well-rounded and you’re not just bumping down the road. And Harmony hit all those points, which is really amazing. I learned a lot from Brad and how he dealt with his disease.”
“One of the important tools you learn at Harmony is self-examination,” says Brad. “It’s very important to continue with that throughout your recovery because you can start veering off track. If you don’t continue that self-examination to realize when you’re getting a little off, you’re gonna be in trouble.”
“The last thing most people want to do is look at themselves, but it’s so helpful and so important,” says Brad. An important tool for Angie was Harmony’s family program. “I learned a lot about the medical side of addiction,” she says. “I understand now that these individuals do not choose to be addicted. They may have made bad choices that bring their addiction along further but in the end, they didn’t choose it.”
In a good family program, family members learn how to deal with the substance use disorder and move forward instead of just “throwing their emotions at it.” It was important for Angie to realize that it was not Brad’s choice to have this disease.
Recovery is always possible. If you or a loved one is struggling with substance use disorder, or you have questions about our programs, call Harmony today at (970) 432-8075 to get the help needed as soon as possible.