Our treatment program is focused on intensive individual therapy, but the 3-5 weeks spent here are only the first step in the recovery process. A big part of our treatment model is our aftercare program that not only includes setting up connections to support groups and local therapists, but keeping in touch with our patients. Below are some success stories and letters that we’ve received from our past patients. Names have been changed or abbreviated to protect privacy.
Read about Williamsville Wellness’ feature on MTV for its role in helping a young addict find recovery.
S.C. wrote to us about his son’s recovery: Yesterday I attended a Wake for a friend who had lost his son. The handsome young man in the casket was 25 years old. It was not known by his parents, at that point, whether he committed suicide or overdosed. The sad reality of this very rainy day was that he was no longer alive. I was struck by the number of people at the service. They numbered in the hundreds and were mostly young. Clearly he had many friends, but what I had a hard time understanding was that no one there on that day could have saved him. It was a terrible waste which brought unspeakable pain to his parents. I know that they had attempted to get him into rehab but it was not successful. I chose not to mention a few years ago when I found about this young man’s issues that I also had direct experience with my son going through addiction and rehab out of unwillingness to share this very personal experience.
While praying at the casket, I was overcome with grief and broke down in tears over someone I did not know. What impacted me was the realization that just a few short years ago this could have been my son in the casket. At the time, we were dealing with medical expenses for injuries, failure in school, inability to hold a job, fear that he would hurt himself or someone else while driving, not to mention the financial jeopardy he put us in. We had attempted medical solutions and set appointments with more than one psychologist. Nothing was working since he did not believe that he had a problem and felt that he could stop drinking at anytime. All of the bad events were the result of issues not directly related to him but other unfortunate circumstances in the universe.
I was beginning to lose hope under the pressure of a career choice which demanded long hours and a significant amount of travel. While I prayed for another result, I feared that we would find him dead one day. His mother, however, never lost hope, continuing to look for a solution that would work. After a significant amount of research she came upon Williamsville Wellness. She believed that the approach to addiction which included physical well being, life skills discipline, education and counseling in a rural setting far enough away to isolate him during his treatment was the right solution for him. A little more than three years ago, we brought our son to your facility. He spent 5 weeks there learning new skills and learning about himself. At the conclusion, he finally understood his addiction and what was necessary to control it. Today he is sober since the day he arrived at your door. He recently was able to finish two years of school at the local community college and hold a job as a tennis instructor for more than two years. In just a few short weeks he will be attending University as a Junior with a goal of earning a Doctorate in English Literature and teaching at the college level.
Today I was able to direct a friend to Williamsville. I had recently shared with her my son’s experience. She approached me about how he was able to overcome his addiction. Her niece is also suffering from addiction and I highly recommended your solution directing her to the website.
This note is to let you know that what you taught N.C. is paying dividends. His life has changed dramatically and in a positive, constructive direction. As a parent I am overwhelmingly thankful.
S.C.
K.B., a woman in her 60s, had unsuccessfully tried to conquer her problem drinking at several rehabilitation facilities. Her drinking often led to verbal tirades in social situations and strained relations.
With the support of their minister, her husband convinced her to come to WW. She no longer drinks.
Hi to All, I am doing fine. I’m helping my mom after having to move my dad into an assisted living home.
She is moving into a smaller place to start a life of living alone for the first time. Getting support from the whole family , but I am here doing the hands on stuff. I will be starting school soon. I am going to a community college to become a phlebotomist. That’s the person who runs around the hospital drawing blood. I hopefully will be out of school and working by the end of the year. My recovery is doing fine. I have struggled from time to time as we all do. I really don’t drink at all anymore. I really miss playing poker…a lot at times. I know my life is better off without gambling. I find a meeting or review my relapse prevention. The times I have slipped in the past since being out of WW have been stupid. I am always super sorry, don’t feel good. Never lose large amounts of money…(we all know it’s not about money) .
Guess it’s like quitting smoking just keep trying. I do feel more in control of my addiction and my life more than ever recently. Recovery really is a process… with no shortcuts. Everyone has to go through theirs. Please tell Bob, Catherine, Bonnie, Joel, Sandy, Robert and everyone I am OK. Without WW I would not be alive today. They helped me with so much more than my addiction. My mom has started going to group therapy at my request. It has helped her deal with this life stage and things she had stuffed inside over the years.
Thanks for keeping in touch,
Love to all, Paul
J.T. was a sports star at a Division I college when his drinking first sabotaged him.
When he lost his scholarship, he became a binge drinker and prone to blackouts.
His estranged father, a recovering alcoholic, re-established ties with J.T. and placed him in Williamsville Wellness.
They now go to AA meetings every Sunday and enjoy a strong bond.
Dear Mr. Cabaniss,
First of all, I would like to thank you once more for everything you have done for my family. The program that has changed my mother’s life is one of a kind and you have done a great job with the success of your patients and their families. So, thank you again for helping my family through such a difficult time.
It was a pleasure to meet you when I was there and all the counselors you have hired for the Wellness Center were very impressive. My interest in psychology has been increasing ever since. I noticed all of the various areas that can be studied even further with the introduction to all your staff.
Thank you again for Williamsville Wellness Center and I wish you the best in 2010.
Sincerely,
Carissa
“If you’re an addict then Williamsville Wellness IS the place for you!” I still look at the time I spent at Williamsville Wellness as the best investment in my life! Williamsville Wellness helped save my life and provided me with a plan for an amazing future!
I am 23 years old and came to Williamsville Wellness 22 months ago because of serious gambling addiction! I left with three suitcases and $125! 22 months later the staff is like family to me! I have a car, what I call a home and I just got offered a job as a manager of a restaurant!!! Not to mention life full of Love! Forgiveness! And Hope!
And though it took a lot of hard work and there were a few bumps along the way, I look at the time i spent at Williamsville Wellness as some of the best times of my life!
PLEASE if you need any help which most of us do! Consider Williamsville Wellness YOU WON’T REGRET IT!!!!!
J.C.
I’m a compulsive gambler. That was difficult to admit when I attended my first GA meeting. But it was even more difficult after I had relapsed.
I had stopped gambling for more than three years when I succumbed again to the compulsion of gambling. It was at this time that I knew I needed more than a weekly GA meeting to get me on the road of recovery. I searched the web for places that concentrated on compulsive gambling and found Williamsville Wellness. I contacted the center, and Bob called me. With his encouragement, I applied and have never been sorry.
Apprehensive at first, I was welcomed by the staff and other compulsive gamblers throughout the four weeks I was there. Bob’s staff is incredible—top shelf all the way. They challenged me, listened to me, guided me and encouraged me to see the true inner self and the possibilities that had been hidden by my own behavioral patterns and compulsive gambling.
Today I am on my road of recovery, thanks to the staff at Williamsville Wellness. What I gained there was worth the time, the financial investment, and the work to get me back on track.
Vern
When my husband introduced me to Williamsville Wellness, I was scared. I didn’t understand how they were going to be able to help me. I didn’t think I was addicted to gambling. I felt I had managed well for my family. When my husband found out that I had run our credit cards up to their limits to cover my bets, he told me I should get some help.
The people at Williamsville understood me and showed me how I could be free of my compulsive gambling. Today, I have so much support.
Thank you very much, Williamsville Wellness.
Donna M.
M.R. had a severe gambling problem when he came to Williamsville.
His employer knew about his problem and paid for his stay at WW. However, when his employer discovered he had embezzled funds, he lost his job.
With the support of the professionals at WW and his wife, M.R. completed his treatment, is now working and is moving on with his life.
J. W. was a 20-year-old gambler and a recovering heroin addict when he arrived at WW. During his stay, he overcame his gambling compulsion, but he still needed to work on his drug problem.
When he left, he kept in touch with Williamsville’s executive director to discuss his problems and worked on his drug rehabilitation.
Today, he is living in a halfway house and is drug free.
S.H., a 45-year-old woman, was so addicted to playing the slot machines that she took the drastic step of moving to a part of the country where she could be closer to casinos and slots.
She had contacted WW, but only after she gambled away $30,000, did she seek treatment.
She has since moved away from the area near the slot machines and has not gambled for more than a year.
Wouldn’t it be great to see YOUR success story here? It CAN happen!
