Jane C. is the mother of Gordon D., a successful graduate of the Turnbridge long term drug rehab program.  During Gordon’s battle with addiction, his life and the lives of loved ones were affected, but Gordon has embraced recovery and continues to serve as a positive example to other young men in recovery.

According to Jane, Gordon began smoking marijuana at the age of 12, setting off a chain of events that would later culminate in a fierce battle with heroin addiction.  Jane was initially unaware of Gordon’s use, but around the age of 14 he was fired from his first job after he was caught smoking marijuana.  “I don’t think he ever stopped after that,” Jane said.  “At one point I thought this was a psychiatric issue.  He had panic attacks at school, and was high strung, always up and down.  When he was happy, he was ecstatic.  When he was sad, the world was ending.  He just felt things deeply.”

Over time Gordon’s drug use gradually progressed to include prescription painkillers and later heroin.  “I knew when he was sitting at the kitchen table, just drooping,” Jane said.  “I knew that we had a very serious problem.  Then I wasn’t sure, but I know now that was when he was into heroin; he progressed all the way through.”  Gordon eventually came to terms with his addiction, and made a phone call to Jane that no mother wants to receive.  “He said that he had a drug addiction and couldn’t kick it, and he asked for my help.  I knew that he was struggling with something, but I didn’t know the extent of it at the time.”

In addition to the struggles caused directly by Gordon’s drug addiction, Jane also suffered through codependency issues, but found help and support through a support group at an outpatient center Gordon had attended.  “The program was not helpful to Gordon at all,” Jane said.  “I was in the parents’ program, and that was extremely helpful for me because I started to figure out what I needed to do.”  It affected Jane deeply, and she told Gordon that he had to leave her house. At that point, Gordon called his father, who made the arrangements that would lead to Gordon’s residency at Turnbridge.  Gordon followed his family’s wishes, and soon entered detox.  Since coming to Turnbridge, Gordon has embraced sober living and serves as an example to new residents.

Despite his years of drug abuse and the early struggles in recovery, Gordon has improved dramatically over time, returning to his old self, and even better, according to Jane. “He’s back,” Jane said.  “In fact, he’s not only back, he’s better than he’s ever been.  [Gordon] has the ability to take care of whatever he’s got in front of him, and he has the ability to be the leader I’ve always known him to be.  He can inspire people to look up to him and see him as an example.  He has serenity about him that he never had before.  I’m really grateful to Turnbridge’s addiction treatment program for giving him that opportunity.  I know he’s the one who did the work, but he had to have the environment to do the work in.  I’ll be forever grateful.”