Harmony Recovery has been providing addiction healthcare services in Estes Park since 1969. We would like to offer these stories from our alumni to show the humanity, strength, and perseverance of those working to recover from addiction. Often stigmatized and misunderstood by society, people on their path to recovery are managing a chronic illness which is a unique journey for each individual. Here is one such story. – Shane Hudson, CEO, Harmony Recovery
I grew up in Greeley, CO and I remember many Saturdays driving up US 34 to Estes Park with my parents and siblings for adventure. We would travel up the windy roads to come spend the day shopping on the strip and taking in the views. It became a tradition that I passed on to my own family when I had kids. But nowadays, when I drive up those same windy roads on US 34 I always think back to April 29th, 2023. At 1:00 PM on April 29th I should have been celebrating my 23rd wedding anniversary, but instead I was being dropped off by my parents at a treatment center for addiction. I remember standing in the parking lot with my parents thinking, “How did I get here?”
Honestly, I had a great childhood and alcohol was never in my household. It wasn’t until I was in my late 20s that I actually began to drink, and it didn’t take that long until I realized that I had a problem with alcohol. One drink was never enough and there was no way for me to manage the dosage. I would try to just drink 1 pint during the day, but I would end up buying 2. So, I would try to manage my addiction by buying two half pints in the morning, but by the end of the day I would be buying two more. This problem would begin to progress over the next decade. When my drinking problem really began to spiral, I was the Senior Pastor of a small Baptist Church in northern New Mexico. Eventually they would catch on to me and I ended up relocating my family to Alamosa, CO in 2019. My drinking would only increase in the next 4 years and eventually I wound up divorced and co-parenting my 3 kids every other week. I was drinking 2 fifths of vodka a day when a group of my friends decided to have an intervention.
One of my friends that reached out to me was an Alumni of Harmony. She told me at that time that she was almost two years sober and it was mainly because of the treatment that she received at Harmony. I had a terrible view of what rehab could possibly be and I was terrified to check myself in. But I am forever grateful for Harmony. Harmony is where I met myself again. Harmony approaches recovery for those with addiction in a very holistic way. It is not just a place to go and stop drinking or using for 30 days. They really do make you take a look at the mental, physical, and spiritual sickness you are experiencing from your addiction. They don’t treat alcoholics and addicts; they treat people — real human beings who happen to have addictions. They make you feel like a real person, and they give you hope that if you utilize the tools they give you, you can stay sober.
I am happy today to proclaim that I have two years of uninterrupted sobriety. Everything that alcohol stole from me I have been able to recover, or in some cases, completely replace with wonderful, beautiful new things. My kids love having a sober dad, I have a new wife and a larger family, and a brand-new home. I have money in my pocket. I have peace and serenity. I am now working at a Residential Treatment Center myself in the San Luis Valley and I proudly serve as a Spiritual Adviser and Community Engagement Coordrinator. I am proud to say that I am an Alumni of Harmony, and I am an example of what success can look like when someone gives themselves fully over to the work that Harmony does. There is hope!
– David H.