I am so, so grateful I chose Fountain Hills Recovery as the place to trust for my treatment. Having never been to any kind of treatment facility before, I was essentially at the mercy of referrals from others and what information I could find online. When I timidly called to inquire about FHR, Sandy instantly made me feel comfortable and at ease (as much as one could in such a vulnerable and fragile state), answered all of my questions, and didn't put pressure on me while I tried to navigate the uncertainty and fear of such a new/somewhat scary step/process. Everyone is different and comes to treatment at their own unique place in their life/journey/struggles, but yet share commonalities that are all too familiar to many when it comes to substance abuse, addiction, and mental health. The staff at FHR do a wonderful job of addressing the unique needs and challenges of their clients, providing individualized care and support, while also allowing you to see that you're not alone – you're not broken, and you're not a failure. Rather, you're strong, capable, and resilient – and ultimately, you're on the right track. The program structure allows for individualized therapy as well as a lot of group therapy time. You get one-on-one time with your own therapist regularly (unlike some bigger named places that require you to request to be scheduled), a psychiatrist (who in my experience, wasn't looking to just load me up with meds), and several other counselors through a variety of group sessions throughout the week. They structure the weekdays well so that it doesn't feel like it drags on, giving hourly and lunch breaks to make the pacing manageable and allow you to have the mental energy be present in sessions. You go to meetings and the gym (optional) multiple days a week, as well as equine therapy when the weather permits. They also have a chiropractor available 2x/week and yoga 1x/week, if you want to participate. The weekends are still structured, but you get to enjoy activities (things like top golf, pottery, bowling – your group can decide/find things of interest) and a weekend bbq. Church is available as well for those who are interested. While the program is structured, it also allows flexibility/choice in things such as weekend activities, which type of meetings (AA, CA, NA, Dharma, etc.) you want to attend, and more, food/snacks you want at the house (they kinda spoil you with snack requests – I was not expecting that). Also, the housing is nice – Google images are pretty accurate. All of this to say that recovery is NOT easy. It's not comfortable. There is undoubtedly a lot of negative emotions, struggles, and frustrating moments through the process. Those emotions and challenges are going to exist at any treatment facility when you're battling something that wasn't solvable on your own. There will be days or moments or conversations or activities that trigger a deep resistance or you feel like it's all stupid and shut down, or maybe even lash out. I've seen it – I've done it. But it isn't a reflection of FHR, but rather, a part of the healing process that is bound to occur in recovery. It's on the other end of that where the growth occurs. The FHR team helped me to identify my own personal triggers, as well as so many positive coping skills that were realistic for me to apply in real world situations. As I write this, I can confidently say I'm in the best best best headspace of my entire life. I have so much love for myself and optimism for the future, and I'm able to show up for myself and for others in ways I truly didn't think was possible. I have an authentic excitement for life and I see it as worth living. I know this is long, but as a faint-hearted someone who found FHR just by Google, I know I wanted as much insight into the experience as real people would give me. At the end of the day, if you go in with an open mind and heart, show up, be present, and participate, you're going to come out the other side stronger and a better you. And you'll probably have some fun too (and eat great snacks).
