Alumni

Name: New Choices Treatment Centers
Price range: $$$

Featured Alumni: Hear Stories of Recovery, Renewal, and Reclamation

Eric Shares His Experience With Addiction — On the Path Towards Transformation.

“My life before I got to New Choices was just miserable. I was helpless. I was hopeless. I was in a terrible state of mind. I was extremely isolated. Over the last ten years I had really lost and gained and lost friendships, and the last three years before I came to New Choices, I had basically lost all my friends. I had lost the relationship I was in. I was on the verge of losing my apartment and I had lost my job. And, I didn’t know that there was a solution…drinking was the only solution I really had. I would be sober for ten minutes and I would be like, “This is intolerable.”

What was the catalyst for Amy’s transformation? How was she able to make a lasting change?

“I realized I can’t control everything…being willing to try all these new things, staying open to new modes of treatment…is what saved me.”

Today, Amy is taking her relationship with her own wellness and New Choices Treatment Centers to the next level by becoming a sponsor after a year of active sobriety.

Amy’s Experience With Addiction Brought Her Close to the Edge — More Than Once

“Before New Choices….it was absolute hell. In and out of jail, I was on the streets, constantly dope-sick. I was stealing from people. I have so many victims I need to make amends with — or would like to. But I can’t because…I don’t know them. My life was a disaster. My family wouldn’t speak to me. Constantly overdosing, a couple of times I was pronounced dead. Had to have my gall bladder taken out. Got sepsis a couple of times. Almost died then. It was hell…absolute hell.”

Detox, recovery, substance abuse treatment, active recovery coaching, and family-focused programs are just some of the ways in which recovering addicts help find sure footing again. “Waking up early and going to workout, it opens your mind up. Your day gets a lot easier after you work out. You can concentrate more.”

Jason Came to Texas Specifically for Treatment at New Choices Treatment Centers

“I went to treatment back home and it’s just different here. All the counselors have been in treatment themselves…so they know what we’re going through.”

He speaks about the difference a holistic residential treatment experience can truly make for an individual’s total wellness.

“The cool thing is that the staff comes whenever they can. Some people outside of the treatment center come just to show support. And, we still go, even though we’re out, we still come. A, to get some exercise, but, more importantly, to support the clients that are still here.” The actions you take and the friendships you make at New Choices have a lasting effect on the broader San Antonio community. “Just seeing someone come in, knowing their struggle, and seeing them give it everything they’ve got can be motivating. I get a lot out of it.”

Griffin Had to Leave His Comfort Zone to Get Back to Living His Best Life

“Once we started getting more comfortable with going to a CrossFit gym and doing all that, it got better and easier and more comfortable. That whole experience of doing something I’ve never done before…with other people…was amazing. The relationships, the community you build…”

The power of community is a significant part of what drives the New Choices Treatment Centers difference.

“It’s a really hopeful environment that’s. unique in how it’s set up. The New Choices Model is a great benefit to anyone who decides to come. A majority of the staff are recovering addicts so they come from a place of empathy and…they’re willing to share their own stories with you.” Andy sees that the staff at New Choices Treatment Center set the stage for successful clients. He also acknowledges that working on yourself is an ongoing effort but being helpful whenever you can is the key to staying centered.

5 Ways We Provide a Recovery-oriented Lifestyle

Recovery does not stop after 30 days, it continues for a lifetime. Similarly, our relationship with our clients continues well after they complete residential treatment. At New Choices, we provide a plethora of resources to our alumni so they can safely transition into a recovery-oriented lifestyle. Our goal is to assist our clients along their recovery path until they can achieve and sustain long-term recovery.

Weekly Alumni Meeting

New Choices offers a weekly recovery meeting that is open to our alumni and the community. Here our clients can stay connected with their peers and make connections in the larger recovery community.

Sober Events

Part of our continuing care for our clients is hosting events such as reunion meetings, speaker events, and holiday celebrations for our clients to stay connected with each-other and form connections with newer NCTC residents.

Recovering addict holding a map representing her journey to recovery.

Living Map

Recovery is a marathon, not a sprint. Planning for what is a life-long endeavor is critical in ensuring our clients maintain and enjoy their sobriety. While in residential treatment, our clients will collaborate with our team of specialists to create their individualized living map, including specific goals and activities that will assist them in their recovery. Our Alumni will receive assistance with education, employment, housing, and any other needs they identify in their recovery.

Integration Into Recovery Community

Navigating the convoluted, and often esoteric, world of recovery circles can be incredibly difficult for someone in early recovery. The meetings of AA, NA, SMART, Refuge, and other recovery pathways can be hard to understand, and even harder to get involved in. For someone with no prior experience in sobriety, recovery programs can seem intimidating and uninviting. All too regularly, clients leaving residential treatment centers are urged to find a support group on their own once they go home. With no knowledge of their at home recovery community, clients have a hard time finding a recovery pathway that they can be a part of. At New Choices we take steps to make sure that our clients leave residential treatment with a working knowledge of, and personal relationships with peers in a recovery pathway OF THEIR CHOICE.

24/7 Access to PRS

Peer Support Specialists are state certified individuals with a lived experience in recovery. These individuals support positive change, help clients avoid relapse, build community support for recovery, and work on life goals not related to addiction. These specialists are accessible to our clients from day one, to their completion of our treatment program. Historically, the period after residential treatment is a challenging time for newly sober people. Our Peer Specialists maintain a relationship with our clients and assist them in transitioning into their post-treatment life, helping them to assess and reassess their recovery and helping them amend their treatment plan to promote success.