My name is John and I went through Lakeview’s addiction treatment center in 2003 and have been clean and sober since then. I never dreamed that I could stay clean and sober for 5 days much less 5 years. If it wasn’t for the compassion of the staff and I never would have stayed. They kind of loved me back to health and accepted me unconditionally because I was a real pain. I just wanted to thank all of the staff in Lakeview’s addiction treatment center for everything they did for me and my family.

Who would have thought I would have traveled from New Jersey to go to an addiction treatment center in Jacksonville, Florida and ended up in a halfway house in Delray Beach, Florida and be living in my own apartment in Delray, Florida; and guess what, I pay my own rent, gas and electric etc. I no longer rely on a man or my parents for support. I am a year and a half clean and loving it. Lakeview gave me my life back. Don’t get me wrong, this hasn’t been easy. I have wanted to use a bunch of times, but got through them with the help of Lakeview, my friends and Narcotics Anonymous.

First I want to thank the alumni coordinator, Terri, for calling me all the time to see how I was doing. That meant the world to me. It told me that I was more than a dollar sign to Lakeview. I got to tell you, I really didn’t like the addiction treatment center the first two weeks I was there. I hated the staff, the patients and most of all myself. I just wanted to use and say the hell with it. This was just too hard. Then one day sitting by the lake a tech came up and said to me, if I can do it, so can you. He told me he was a recovering addict too and had 8 years of recovery and told me his story. After listening to it I agreed with him. He was far sicker than me and I think that was the first time I laughed in recovery. Now I tell everyone, if I can do it so can you and always think of that time by the lake. I am in recovery 7 and three months, but who is counting

Brian P.