Making it Stick Surge client nds lasting recovery S ome addiction counselors consider relapse to be part of the recovery process, and it certainly was for Surge client John Garry, who struggled with substance use much of his life.
EDITO “It’s a little easier to swallow when you know the director has been down the road himself,” Garry says. “It made me feel a little more at ease.” Bright future With the newfound stability Surge has given him, Garry has his sights set on the future. While currently working as a cook at Surge and part-time at his old job, he says he’s re-enrolled in school and will pursue an associate’s degree. He’s started taking general classes but has yet to decide on a major. But he knows whatever he ends up doing in the future, it will be better than his past, thanks to Surge. After feeling hopeless while in active addiction, Garry says he’s rediscovered his old zest for life. He says he feels more balanced and is excited to make the most of his recovery once and for all. [ ] As someone who knows all too well the diculty of staying sober, Garry says he appreciates the fact that Surge Executive Director Martin Boyd is in recovery himself. He says it makes it easier to trust that the information he’s getting from the program is reliable and based on experience. “I feel very hopeful and I’m very grateful for that,” Garry says. “It’s all positive things from here on out.” [ ]
“e rst time I ever did anything mind altering, I was probably nine years old. I got drunk,” Garry says. Drinking eventually gave way to heroin use, an addiction that he would ght on and o for roughly 21 years. While he says there were plenty of clean periods during his life too, he never seemed to be able to fully shake his addiction. After violating his parole because of drug use, Garry turned himself in to police and spent time in prison before being released to a treatment program last year. Garry says he knew this time had to be dierent, and he was determined to make a lasting recovery. “I was at a turning point in my life, again, and I felt like I came through a metamorphosis,” Garry says. Spirited service His counselor suggested he try Surge Recovery and Garry says he was immediately interested because of the spiritual aspect of the programming. More than anything else, Garry says combining services with spirituality made the dierence in helping him get and stay clean. “I wanted a spiritual base, which is what they oered,” Garry says. “I’m praying to God and I truly believe that I’ve come to more of an acceptance level than I have in the past.” Garry says he came to realize he needed the structure that Surge provides, and credits the programming for helping him stay on the right path. He also thanks the sta at Surge, who he says have made him feel at home and comfortable sharing his journey. “Everyone here is really down to earth, cordial, very understanding when it comes to life,” Garry says. “ere's quite a bit of empathy here.”
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