Success Stories
Since Healing House was founded in 2002, we have helped more than 15,000 men and women struggling with substance use disorder. Read their success stories and learn more about how our graduates achieve life-long recovery.
When you meet Jenna today you immediately notice her warm smile, engaging personality, and bright eyes so full of life. But that was not always the case. Jenna struggled with an opioid addiction for more than three years before recovering at Healing House. At the age of 20 Jenna suffered a wrist injury and received a prescription for Percocet. Percocet is one of several powerful opioids often prescribed after an injury or surgical procedure. For Jenna, one pill relieved the [...]
Alcohol and drugs nearly ruined Charles’ life at a young age. Both of his parents struggled with drug abuse, and his mother died from complications of addiction when he was 14. By the time police arrested Charles for drug possession, he’d spend months on the streets, and was homeless, living in a tent. “I was burnt out and my health was in bad shape,” he recalls. “I was 27 years old and just waiting for things to end.” The police [...]
Sarah was arrested in September of 2016 for the last time. Growing up with parents that drank and smoked weed, the life of the hustle was second nature for Sarah. At an early age Sarah started stealing weed and was smoking herself. Always thinking to work smarter, not harder, Sarah quickly learned that the best price and most efficient way to get the drugs was through dealing them herself. The hustle was as addictive as the dope. Sarah would end [...]
Liz is living proof that addiction knows no boundaries. Addiction does not care about age, gender, race, culture, religion, geography or social status. Liz is also living proof that addiction is a lifelong battle that can only be defeated one day at a time. Liz was adopd at 2 months and raised with 2 adopted sisters by a single mom. Her grandfather was an Episcopal priest. She attended both private and public schools during childhood in suburbia. Life was relatively [...]
My name is Judi and I am an alcoholic. By the Grace of God I celebrated 9 years of sobriety August 7, 2012. I had lost all respect and trust from my family and friends. I had been in and out of treatment for 14 years, which included 11 treatment centers. Every time that I have tried to get sober before, God was not a part of my plan. I had no concept of spirituality. This time I knew it [...]
Terri was a mother of four when she turned to drugs for the first time. “I started using meth at 28, then drinking in my 30s. At 37, I was severely depressed, drinking more and more … my escape was alcohol and it got control of me.” As Terri’s life spiraled, her ex-husband filed for full custody of their children and succeeded. Suddenly, she was alone and terrified. “My kids had seen it all—the filth, abuse and neglect. I was [...]
When Elise came to Healing House in June 2021, she’d hit rock bottom. An Adderall addiction had led to opioids, meth and even heroin. Things were spiraling out of control. “I just kept putting a Band-Aid on things,” Elise remembers. “But the Band-Aids kept breaking. I was in pretty big trouble, but I thought I would just go to rehab for 30 days, and everything would get ‘fixed.’ That’s not how it works.” When Elise’s plans for rehab fell through, [...]
I struggled with addiction from the age of 13, using alcohol and drugs to escape feelings of loneliness and unworthiness. My life spiraled as I faced trauma, addiction, and incarceration. I lost everything—my family, career, and even my will to live. In 2012, after suffering two ruptured brain aneurysms and a hemorrhagic stroke, I woke up in a coma with cognitive disabilities, unable to walk properly, blind in one eye, and plagued by seizures. With nowhere to go, I ended [...]
Joey’s father died when he was very young, and his mother struggled with addiction. Much of his childhood was spent in foster care. At 17, he was sentenced to a stint in prison for a felony offense. And at 20, he was convicted again—this time for eight years. When Joey was freed from prison in 2019, a last-minute change in plans meant he’d be going to Healing House instead of moving in with his grandma. At the time, he figured [...]
Everybody knows Bob. He is a veritable icon at Healing House and an incredible inspiration to residents and volunteers alike. Bob is currently the House Manager of Agape III among his many other responsibilities. A beautiful rescue dog named “Baby Girl” is his constant companion. Bob has become a great man of faith and will celebrate 6 years of sobriety in January 2018. But life has not been easy for Bob. Born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas, his father [...]
