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
The beginning of my life wasn’t much different from many others. I had a loving family, friends, two younger brothers who looked up to me, a roof over my head, and food on the table. From the outside, things seemed great. But something was never quite right. As far back as I can remember, I didn’t feel comfortable in my own skin. I thought people were always talking about me (I know—it’s wild to think I was that important). I just felt like I was never good enough and that people didn’t like me.
Then, at the age of 14, I found my solution…or so I thought. One fateful night, I smoked some marijuana, drank a few beers, and got high for the first time. I thought I had found all the answers to the world and finally understood why people used substances in the first place.
After that, there was no stopping the train—it had left the station, and “AJ” had arrived. From that point on, I took care of my commitments, but my main focus was drinking and using. It was the only time when I actually felt ok being alone and by myself. The world felt right for once.
During my junior year of high school, we moved to Austin and I enrolled in a much larger school. That didn’t help my situation. Immediately, I began trying to fit in and find drugs and parties as fast as possible—which wasn’t too difficult at a large school. At the time, I didn’t think there was an issue. Afterall, it was only marijuana. But over the next five years, my use soon escalated to cocaine, mushrooms, ecstasy, pills, and anything else I could get my hands on.
Even then, I didn’t think there was a problem. I told myself I was young and just having fun—until I ended up in the hospital for two weeks and entered treatment for the first time. Still, I personally didn’t believe I had an issue. I stayed sober for a few months and genuinely thought I had it kicked. I would soon find out the hard way though, that was not the case. Not only did I start using again, this time I stayed out for another 17 years.
By the end of that stint, I had run the gamut of substances and met my “final boss,” for lack of a better term: methamphetamine. Meth took ahold of me harder than anything else ever had. It controlled my life.
I was unemployed, selling drugs to feed my habit, and surrounding myself with purely transactional relationships because I had lost nearly everyone else. I was homeless and all I cared about was getting high and avoiding withdrawals, which tormented me mentally and physically.
By the grace of God, I’m not the only one in my family who understands the disease of addiction. My brother saw the signs. One day, after he had allowed me to live rent-free in his guest room, he walked in with his puppy and saw a meth pipe lying on the ground. He picked it up and said, “What the hell, man?” I tried to lie my way out of it, but it didn’t work. It was in that moment that I finally admitted I needed help and didn’t know what to do. He had a simple answer: “You’re going to Harmony.”
I completed the online paperwork for admission, spoke with the wonderful admissions team, and even drove up to speak with someone in person. From the moment I arrived a month earlier, I knew this was the place where I had a shot—however slim it might be—to get sober. I continued using until I arrived to admit on April 7, 2025—terrified, broken, lost, hurting, angry, beaten down, and in complete chaos. Little did I know I had just done the one thing that could save my life.
At Harmony, I learned I wasn’t alone. I met others just like me. The staff was so welcoming I can hardly describe it. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I belonged and could truly be myself. Over the next 28 days on what we call the “Magic Mountain,” I found AJ again. I learned how to deal with emotions, handle my issues, build self-awareness and self-worth, and make friends again. I felt at home. Not only did they help me in ways I couldn’t have imagined while I was there, but they also set me up for success after I left.
Today, I have all my relationships back with my family. I am no longer wanted in any county, have zero outstanding warrants, and most importantly, I don’t fear interactions with law enforcement. I wake up hopeful for the day ahead. I have a sense of peace I never knew was possible. I have purpose. I have a career I love—I actually work at Harmony Recovery now, helping people who come in wanting to change their lives. I can honestly say that I am happy today—free from drugs and alcohol—living in a way I never thought was possible. Happy, joyous, and free. And I have Harmony to thank for giving me my life back.
– A.J.