Ried's Story

My stay at a RTC was far from easy, but I got more out of my stay than I could have ever possibly asked for. Upon my arrival my life was unmanageable. I was selfish and self-centered. I was in pain, and most importantly, I didn’t know how to deal with life. My life up until that point was full of misery. My first therapist sat me down and said “Is this really making you happy living your life like this?” I had to be brutally honest with myself and realized that I wasn’t happy with the way my life was going, nor did I want to continue having the abusive relationship, that I was inflicting, with my parents. A big part of my success had to do with the staff and students there, and how no matter how horrible my day was going, I knew deep down that I was surrounded by people who loved me. The horsemanship program also played a big part in my recovery, and I grew extremely close to [staff names redacted]. They became like parents to me. There were staff there who taught me how to step up to the plate and face life, instead of constantly trying to run from it. I promise you life gets better--not easier, but better! I would tell students in programs to stop trying to run from the problems in their lives, because no matter how fast you run or how far you go, they will always be there right behind you. You can stick together and help each other fight through the issues you face, and take time to enjoy the simple things life has to offer you.