Max S. is a recent Turnbridge graduate who completed the program on October 1. Max’s struggle with alcoholism very nearly took his life, but since completing primary treatment at Hazelden, and coming to Turnbridge for extended care, he has taken the necessary steps to prepare for a sober, productive life. Max made a gradual decision to seek a sober lifestyle following a harrowing experience that included an episode of hospitalization, in which his heart actually stopped beating for a short period of time. “I drank a handle of absinthe one night, and woke up four days later in the hospital,” Max said. “I ended up dying in the hospital and they resuscitated me twice.” Following this devastating ordeal, Max’s parents delivered a powerful message that may have saved their son’s life. “My parents came to me and told me ‘you have to go to rehab, or we can’t do anything for you, we can’t enable you.'” Max rebelled against his parents’ decision, and went to live at a friend’s house the week following his release from the hospital. He was with his friends for exactly one week before making the decision to enter drug rehab. “I was sitting on the back porch thinking, ‘what I am doing with myself,'” Max said. “I had nothing going for me, so why not try to help myself. My parents were offering me one of the best in-patient rehabs in the country.” Soon after making that decision, Max entered Hazelden treatment center in Minnesota for a 30-day, in-patient program. Max successfully completed the primary treatment at Hazelden, and was offered two options for extended care: stay at the Hazelden facility, or try Turnbridge. He chose Turnbridge, but initially thought he would only be there for one month. “It’s been a bumpy ride [at Turnbridge],” Max said. “I was really homesick, and I was making plans to leave. I had a crazy plan that I wanted to move to Georgia, but I ended up going against the plan and stayed. It’s been pretty great. I’ve met a lot of great people here that outweigh the fact that I didn’t want to be here.” According to Max, “things have taken a complete turn for the better” in regards to the relationship he has with his family. “They actually are proud of the things that I do,” Max said. “I feel that they feel that they can trust me again. I’m up-front, and completely honest, and my relationships are a lot better. I feel like I work a lot harder than I ever have. I am a lot more comfortable with myself.”