Former patient shares how Herrington Center for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery filled him with hope

08/13/21 11:25:am

Brad believes that the Herrington Center for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery saved his life. He’d been using drugs from the time he was a teenager to deal with his intense feelings of self-loathing.

“I realized one day how sad I actually was,” Brad says. “I didn’t want to go on anymore. I didn’t want to live because if I stopped drinking, I knew what I would feel and if I kept drinking, I knew I would die. I really only had two choices: continue and die alone or come to Rogers.”

After going to a detox unit, he stopped drinking for five days and thought he was ready to go home. Then he realized that, in order to maintain his sobriety, he had to come to terms with the underlying feelings that caused his addiction.

“We really focused on the behavioral aspect of things, including my self-loathing and anxiety,” Brad says. “It wasn’t always easy, but it’s what I needed, and they knew that. Combined with some of the best therapy that you can get, I walked out of here for the first time in my life with some hope.”

Brad continues to do well after his discharge, and recently completed his first year of sobriety. “Now I can look forward to things in life, and I have happiness again. I have today, and that means everything,” he says.

“Brad’s transformation while at Herrington was nothing short of miraculous,” says Sloan Butler, a former residential care specialist. “His willingness to accept the course to freedom outlined in his treatment plan and his lifetime commitment to continued growth and maintenance of his mental health and addiction treatment is inspiring.”

“I think one of the beautiful aspects about the program at Herrington is the involvement of alumni in providing support to the current residents,” Sloan continues. “As a staff member, you really get to witness the continued fruits of your labor long after the resident discharges. Part of Brad’s journey has led him back to Herrington to share his experience, strength, and hope with the residents and encourage them as they travel down the same road to recovery. It is moving to see him continue to persevere and, more than anything, to know that he finally gets to experience a fulfilling and joyful life - something his addiction had robbed him of for so long.”