Miranda’s mom, Peggy, thought her daughter was dealing with normal teenage angst. She was at times unapproachable. She fought with her siblings and her girlfriends. She’d cry or get angry for no apparent reason.

If it was raining, somehow Miranda managed to make her mom feel responsible. But her grades were good and there were no major problems, so Peggy assumed Miranda would outgrow her issues.

When it was time for college, Miranda enrolled at Buffalo State College. But after one semester, she couldn’t handle the stress and she dropped out. Peggy tried to encourage Miranda to get a job, but was unsuccessful. It was getting more and more difficult to reach Miranda. She had begun using self-mutilation techniques. She was showing signs of anorexia.

“I had no self-esteem,” says Miranda. “I felt ugly and I hated myself. I didn’t know it, of course, but it was all due to my illness. It was a very difficult time, and it upsets me to look back.”

Finally, her parents decided to seek the help of a psychiatrist. Miranda was diagnosed as having major depression and she was put on Prozac. From there, it was a sequence of different doctors, different drugs, participation at mental health clinics and total frustration for Miranda and her family. Then someone suggested to Peggy that she give Horizon a call. “That’s when positive things began to happen for Miranda,” says Peggy. “Finally, at age 20, Miranda was properly diagnosed and treated.”

The diagnosis at Horizon was bipolar disorder. A treatment plan, involving counseling, was set up for Miranda. Her physical state was thoroughly examined. At first, Miranda would not cooperate, and refused to participate in the treatment and counseling program, though she kept in touch with her doctors.

“I had two great counselors at Horizon when I first started,” says Miranda. “But both left and I never bonded with my third counselor, so I got discouraged and wouldn’t participate. That was a big mistake.”

Eventually, Miranda came back to Horizon, continued to see the same doctor she had been working with all along, and once again participated in both individual and group counseling sessions. She also enrolled in Horizon’s vocational program to learn the skills that would prepare her for the job market.

“I have always found everyone at Horizon to be extremely supportive and very patient with me,” says Miranda. “They are very responsive to my needs, very positive-focused and very encouraging. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Horizon.”

Miranda’s mom agrees, saying she also found the staff at Horizon to be very accommodating, very easy to talk to and most reassuring. “They helped me to realize that Miranda’s illness is treatable and that it wasn’t my fault. Without Horizon, Miranda and I would never have the relationship we have now!”

Miranda has learned many things that have tremendously helped her to cope with her illness. She’s more proactive now, rather than reactive, so she’s more aware when the symptoms are creeping up on her and she can deal with them head on. She’s become involved in nutritional groups because she wants to fight her anorexia and improve her physical condition.

But most important, says Miranda, is that she’s learned to maintain a more level grounding. To be hopeful and look forward to things, but not to be overly hopeful or set herself up for disappointment or failure.

“I didn’t even realize how much I’ve learned at Horizon until I find myself using the techniques they taught me,” says Miranda. “Now I don’t define myself as mentally ill, it’s just one part of who I am.”

Today, at 30, Miranda has a very positive outlook for her future. She’s taking her medicine, she’s continuing her counseling at Horizon and she’s looking forward to a job in the florist industry. Perhaps one of the most significant improvements is Miranda’s relationship with her mother. Over the years, as Miranda dealt with her illness, her feelings for her mother fluctuated; she was often very unapproachable and would not allow her mother to show her any affection. Today, they are very close and have a very communicative, open and affectionate relationship, which is very important to both of them.

And, because of all she’s been through, Miranda also wants to volunteer and help others in similar situations to hers. “I know firsthand what they are feeling and what they are going through. If someone else can benefit from my experiences, I would be happy to help them.”

Path To Recovery
The Path To Recovery includes true stories of consumers who overcame many obstacles with the help of Horizon Health Services to turn their lives around. Last names have been omitted for privacy.

When she was a teenager, Sally, now in her late 40s, drank beer and smoked pot with friends. At 18, she began frequenting bars and getting into “the hard stuff.” “Vodka was definitely my drink of choice,” says Sally.

She graduated high school and began working, but the drinking continued. Sally tried to stop, even entering an inpatient facility on her own, but that didn’t work. An outpatient stint after a DWI conviction also failed, as Sally continued to drink during and after the treatment.

“I tried to stop drinking, especially when my godchild was born,” says Sally. “But I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to do it.”

As her drinking escalated, so did her problems. She lost her job. She attempted suicide. Friends brought her to the hospital, where she finally realized she had hit rock bottom. But then she was referred to Horizon and, as Sally says, “life got a whole lot better very quickly.”

Sally credits Alcoholics Anonymous and Horizon with helping her to get back on the right track, but she also realizes that, by the time she got to Horizon, she was truly ready to conquer her addiction, and that made all the difference.

“My addictions counselor, Marcia Valente, has been just wonderful,” says Sally. “Both she and my mental health counselor helped me to see I was not a bad person. They made me believe in myself and, most importantly, they gave me hope.”

“Sally has done a remarkable job in terms of becoming sober, remaining sober and making the determination that she wanted to go back to school to become a counselor and working toward that,” says Marcia. “She’s really done well.”

Sally graduated from Horizon’s addiction program last year, and got her old job back with the stipulation that she remain in counseling for 18 months, so she continued in Horizon’s co-dependency program. She has been sober since 2004.

Today, Sally is also attending school to become a full-fledged counselor, where she hopes to apply her knowledge and experience to help those who think recovery is not possible.

“The best gift you can give yourself is recovery,” says Sally. “Because there is hope, there is a way out – for anybody who wants it.”

Path To Recovery
The Path To Recovery includes true stories of consumers who overcame many obstacles with the help of Horizon Health Services to turn their lives around. Last names have been omitted for privacy.

Gregory was 12 when he took his first drink. By age 19, he was using crack cocaine. As a roadie for a rock band, Gregory had no trouble getting coke on the road and, besides, “everyone else was doing it.”

“Using coke felt great,” says Gregory. “I had a big hole inside me – I had no self-confidence and I was insecure. The coke was the perfect substitute for the inner strength I lacked.”

For nearly 20 years, Gregory used coke intermittently, mostly on the weekends. He could afford it – he had a great job and was financially well off. He didn’t see a problem with his using coke so casually; he felt he controlled the situation. But then his weekend habit progressed to a daily habit. He went from snorting to smoking coke. His “recreational” habit was now costing him $300-$400 a day. He was drinking more, too – nearly a quart of vodka every day. His addiction cost him his job, two marriages and two sets of children. It alienated his family. He began to get into trouble with the law. For a time, he lived at the City Mission. He realized he was not in control at all.

Gregory sought help many times. What he didn’t realize was that, at the time, he was also suffering from depression. When he quit using coke, he would be unhappy. So he’d go back to what made him happy: drugs. And his recovery efforts would fail.

“I wanted the drugs to end it all for me, but they didn’t do that,” says Gregory. “There were many ‘final straws,’ but I’d always go back to coke and to stealing and conning to get it.”

His epiphany came when he landed in jail for nearly four months. At first, he was just dying to get out of jail, back onto the streets and back to his habit. Then he started praying heavily, asking God for the answers. “It seemed like God was keeping me there for a while, so I had a chance to change my way of thinking and to clean myself up,” says Gregory. “I started feeling better, looking better, and I reconnected with my parents. I realized they didn’t hate me…they just didn’t like me when I used drugs.”

Gregory credits the help he received at Horizon with his turnaround. He underwent counseling, participated in group sessions and generally received a lot of support. “I couldn’t believe how much the people at Horizon genuinely cared about me,” says Gregory. “They were always, always there for me, giving me advice and offering me unconditional support. And I made a lot of friends through Horizon.”

He admits, though, that recovery is not easy. He didn’t always take the advice offered to him. Gregory says he had to have a real desire to overcome his addiction, and had to find the strength to do whatever it took. “I realized I had to put as much effort into staying clean as I had to put into being an addict,” he says. “But being clean had so many more positives.” Gregory soon realized he enjoyed being clean and that his prayers were being answered.

Today, in his 40s, Gregory has just passed his first full year of sobriety. He’s going to school full time to become a paramedic. His parents are back in his life, as are all of his kids. He even has a good relationship with his ex-wife. He’s very involved with AA, NA and various church groups, telling his story and helping to spread the word. “If I can overcome something like this, anyone can,” says Gregory. “It’s not easy but, if the desire is there, it is definitely possible.” And Gregory should know.

Path To Recovery
The Path To Recovery includes true stories of consumers who overcame many obstacles with the help of Horizon Health Services to turn their lives around. Last names have been omitted for privacy.

If you met Chip, you’d probably see him as a personable, friendly and articulate 33-year-old guy who loves music and writes poetry. You would, according to his mom, Linda, be largely unaware of his hidden disabilities. But Chip has been diagnosed with ADHD and chronic low-grade depression. Chip also has hearing loss in his right ear and has non-verbal learning disabilities, which means he has difficulty reading body language and distinguishing voice inflections. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in English from a local college and has lived on his own since his early twenties.

“Chip is very good at speaking and writing,” says his mom. “He writes music and poetry, he’s up on world affairs and he’s an avid reader. But he doesn’t always come across well, so he does poorly at job interviews. His disabilities cause him to get into difficulties at work; his performance doesn’t always match his intellect. He was having trouble finding good jobs well-suited to his capabilities.”

That is, until Linda and Chip were told about Horizon. According to Linda, Horizon has helped Chip tremendously, and is the reason he’s now employed full-time at a job he loves and is good at.

“We tried several agencies,” said Linda, “but they were placing him in inappropriate jobs that were low-paying, with no opportunity for advancement. One agency placed him as a prep cook at a busy restaurant. It was horrible: too noisy, too confusing, too stressful for someone with Chip’s problems. They failed to recognize that.”

But that all changed when Linda heard about the vocational program at Horizon. Chip was eager to try it and so, last summer, he enrolled in the program. And it’s clearly helping him.

“Chip keeps saying that, out of all the agencies and people he’s worked with, Horizon has helped him the most,” says Linda. “They are professional, encouraging, enthusiastic and supportive.”

“Chip was discouraged and unhappy when he came to our program,” says Rebecca Rechlin, former coordinator of vocational services. “He had the potential but not the tools to fulfill his goals and his dreams. We saw a 180-degree turnaround in Chip’s attitude and behavior as he became more self-assured and got into a job where he felt fulfilled and worthwhile.”

Chip was particularly excited when Horizon made a videotape of a mock job interview with him. He and his counselor sat down to watch the tape, and Chip was able to see what he had done wrong and what he had done right. The counselor, said Chip, “gently pointed out my weaknesses, but also pointed out my strengths, which helped me feel better about myself.”

Chip and Linda say they are impressed with how Horizon recognized that Chip’s various disabilities combined to cause problems, and that they worked to change that. He’s undergone testing he’s never had before, and he’s learning a lot about himself as a result. Because Horizon’s focus is on the positive, Chip’s self esteem and self-confidence have been boosted.

The program is very demanding, which also appeals to Chip. “He had to make a time commitment, go out and buy the newspaper, be actively engaged in finding work and do other tasks such as sending thank you notes after job interviews,” says Linda. “But Horizon kept an eye out for him, helping him whenever he needed it.”

Today, Chip is employed as a rehabilitation specialist at a local human services agency, where he works with brain trauma patients – a job he never would have thought he could handle ten years ago. Chip helps his clients function better in society, whether it’s learning to set a table or how to conduct themselves in a movie theater. He loves his job, and has really come to understand that a person can become disabled at any time.

Linda says she’s thrilled to see how much Chip has matured since joining the Horizon program, and that he has so much more self-confidence and self-esteem. She’s pleased her son is happy, and that he looks forward to each new day at his rewarding job.

Path To Recovery
The Path To Recovery includes true stories of consumers who overcame many obstacles with the help of Horizon Health Services to turn their lives around. Last names have been omitted for privacy.

At 17, Daniel has already seen a lifetime of sadness and hardship.

His father was murdered shortly before Daniel was born. About a year ago, his mother died very suddenly and unexpectedly, leaving Daniel – the youngest of four children – an orphan and pretty much on his own.

Daniel began experimenting with drugs – mostly marijuana – when he was a young teenager. His drug problem led to behavior problems and, after several jail stays, Daniel got involved with the Amherst Town Drug Court. He and his mom also began attending Horizon’s parent/adolescent program and, in fact, had just completed the program when Daniel’s mom died.

Daniel tried living with his oldest sister and her family after his mom died, but that meant leaving his Sweet Home School District and transferring to another suburban school district, which Daniel didn’t like as much. When that living arrangement didn’t work out, Daniel went to live with his brother, but that situation proved not to be ideal either. Soon, the courts intervened.

Daniel was placed at the Franciscan Center in South Buffalo. The Sweet Home School District agreed to allow Daniel to start back at his old high school, and even arranged for a bus to take Daniel back and forth between the Center and the school each day. The District also referred Daniel to Horizon Health Services. His grades began to improve and he settled back into a routine he was comfortable with. It was the kindness of so many people who believed in this young boy that has helped Daniel get his life back on track after so many setbacks.

Daniel credits his individual and group sessions at Horizon and his counselor, Marcia Valente, with being a very positive influence in his life. “She listens to me, and she gets me to talk about things I would never talk about to other people,” says Daniel. “She’s been a great help to me whenever I get depressed.” Daniel says he’s also seen firsthand how many of his friends have benefited from attending the Horizon program.

Marcia says she has been amazed at Daniel’s resiliency and how he has endeared himself to school personnel, court liaisons and the Horizon staff. She’s very happy about the way Daniel has persevered and continued to focus on the future and not the past.

“Daniel’s story is very much a testament to the strength of the human spirit,” says Marcia.

Completely drug free for six months now, Daniel is looking forward to graduating from the drug court program in a few weeks, and to his senior year in high school. An accomplished cook, he attends the culinary program at BOCES and hopes to go on to a nearby college to learn more about cooking and baking (his true passion). Daniel’s goal in five years is to have graduated from college and be running his own restaurant somewhere in Western New York. With his continued focus and desire to stay on track, there’s little doubt Daniel will accomplish whatever he sets out to do.

Path To Recovery
The Path To Recovery includes true stories of consumers who overcame many obstacles with the help of Horizon Health Services to turn their lives around. Last names have been omitted for privacy.

It started with a simple task: moving furniture at her house. Terry, a suburban thirty-something mother of two and warehouse worker, hurt her back badly enough that her doctor prescribed pain pills and patches. The trouble was that, by the time the pain was gone, Terry was addicted. “Even when the pain stopped, I kept using the pills and the patches,” she said. “But then, one day, I just decided I was done, and I stopped.”

Terry was clean for several months before she started using again and was arrested on an unrelated charge. She was offered treatment as an alternative to jail and, realizing how badly she wanted to recover and that she’d need help, Terry asked for a more long-term treatment program. She was sent to Horizon Village.

“Terry welcomed the opportunity to come into the Horizon Village program,” says Pat Pasculle, an addictions counselor at the Village. “The arrest was her wake-up call, and she was completely motivated to do whatever it took to change her life around. She arrived in early April and has really been applying herself since.”

“I thank God every day that I was allowed to come to Horizon Village,” says Terry. “The staff members are wonderful; they put 110 percent into each of us. I am getting so much out of the groups I attend, and working hard every day toward my goals.”

The treatment program involves the consumers telling their story, facing their situation and recognizing how drugs have influenced their lives so they can begin to mend relationships, learn to like themselves again and build toward recovery. Families often participate, as is the case with Terry’s situation.

“I understand Horizon is here to give me the tools I need, but that I need to do the work,” says Terry. “I am taking each day one at a time because I want to get clean and stay clean. I want to be a better mother and I want to get back to work. I want my life back.”

Terry says the acupuncture treatments she receives at the Village have been a big help in her recovery. They help relieve her cravings and lower her stress level, and that helps her focus on her task at hand. She says she’s learning to forgive herself, to accept that she cannot change the past, to deal with the hurt this situation has brought her family and, most of all, to realize that she can live without drugs.

“Every day I wake up with no drugs in my system whatsoever is a great day for me,” says Terry. “Horizon has helped me and my family overcome this situation, and work on the things I need to – and will – change. I just know someday soon I will be coming back to Horizon Village to talk to other consumers and let them know they can change their lives for the better and that they are in a great place in which to learn how to do just that.”

Path To Recovery
The Path To Recovery includes true stories of consumers who overcame many obstacles with the help of Horizon Health Services to turn their lives around. Last names have been omitted for privacy.

He’s in his sixties, but one of Doug’s goals is to go back to school. “I know I still have something to offer,” he says, “and I believe God wants me to help others avoid the path I’ve taken.”

Doug started abusing alcohol in his late teens. He moved on to marijuana, sleeping pills, hard liquor and “pretty much anything that was available.” Over the years, his addictions took their toll. His health began to decline; he’s diabetic, has high blood pressure and other ailments. He’s been in and out of various treatment programs over the years, and has spent time in jail for different offenses.

“I was in the methadone program for 10 years and managed to stay pretty clean during that time,” says Doug. “But the treatments made me sick, and I couldn’t see myself sticking with it for the rest of my life. I was very worried about the long-term effects. It scared me.”

He had heard good things about suboxone (an opioid medication approved for the treatment of opioid dependence in an office-based setting) and was curious about it. At the time, one of the conditions of his release from prison was that he attend a rehab program, and Doug jumped at the chance to join Horizon’s suboxone program.

“When he came to this program, he was – as they say – ‘tore up from the floor up’” says Ramona Lee, his counselor. “Today, you wouldn’t recognize him as the same man. Doug has learned from his mistakes and is motivated and determined to stay clean.”

“I was so tired of being on the streets, of always searching for drugs, of not feeling well,” says Doug. “I was determined to find a way to eliminate drugs permanently from my life. And I had heard that, with suboxone, there’s no pain during withdrawal.”

In the program since March, Doug has, indeed, made great strides. He’s been clean since entering the program, and has seen a significant improvement in his overall health which, in turn, has had a positive effect on his attitude as well.”

“Doug knew what he had to do,” says Ramona. “He’s made some very significant changes in his life. He has made such a positive impact on so many people here – he regularly attends meetings, he listens, he gives good feedback and he’s always positive and upbeat for others who are struggling.”

“Horizon has helped me in so many ways,” says Doug. “I never knew so many people could care so much about me. Everyone here has made me feel comfortable and worthy. They truly are concerned about me and they keep on top of me to be sure I don’t slip up. It’s been really great and I am very encouraged!”

Path To Recovery
The Path To Recovery includes true stories of consumers who overcame many obstacles with the help of Horizon Health Services to turn their lives around. Last names have been omitted for privacy.

It is very common for teenagers to turn to drugs and/or alcohol after a tragic, life-changing event, and that’s just what happened to Dave. Now in his early twenties, Dave started drinking and smoking marijuana after his dad passed away when Dave was 16. He moved back in with his mother and, as he puts it, “fell into the wrong crowd and began using even more.”

“When I used, I didn’t have to think or feel,” says Dave. “I just had fun and forgot about the pain. I didn’t think I had a problem.” His mother tried to help, but Dave wouldn’t listen to her and she had little control over his time and activities.

As Dave’s habit increased, so did his problems. He was kicked off the wrestling team and eventually suspended from high school. Feeling pressure from his peers, Dave began robbing stores to get the money to feed his habit. And, as is also very common for teen users, Dave eventually got caught.

He was placed on probation, which he soon violated. He was sent to rehabilitation, but had no interest in participating and soon began telling lies to “get through it quickly.” Eventually he landed in drug court and ended up in jail. And that’s when Dave began to realize just how serious his situation was.

“I graduated from drug court, but was still subject to regular urine tests and probation,” says Dave. “I had to restart drug court and still thought I could beat the system. I was wrong, and that mistake landed me in an inpatient facility.”

When he completed that program, he was sent to Horizon Village and, says Dave, he was not happy to have to undergo more therapy and more “group b.s.” but it beat going to jail.

The first few weeks at the Village, Dave was not a willing participant. But he soon started paying attention and participated by telling the truth. “One of the counselors made a comment about ‘if you bring the body, the mind will soon follow,’” says Dave. “That made me realize that addiction is a disease and that Horizon was the best thing to happen to me.”

“Dave had a revelation while at the Village,” says Paige Prentice, director. “And once he realized he was dealing with an illness, he really turned a corner.”

“It helped to be around others in similar situations on a daily basis,” says Dave. “I learned from the experiences of older people and I saw that they’re not just talking the talk…they are actually walking the walk and working to fix their lives. It helped me to see what I want and what I don’t want.”

Today, Dave is living in a halfway house, with plans to enroll in school either in criminal justice or the culinary arts. He understands that addiction is a progressive illness and that the bigger the addiction, the worse things that will happen.

“I want people to know that rehab is not a bad place, it is not for ‘quitters,’” says Dave. “You can turn your life around while you’re still young and have it all: a family, a career and a life.”

Path To Recovery
The Path To Recovery includes true stories of consumers who overcame many obstacles with the help of Horizon Health Services to turn their lives around. Last names have been omitted for privacy.

Horizon’s Brief Strategic Therapy (BSFT) program is aimed at improving youth (ages 13-19) behavior by eliminating substance use and its associated behavior problems. A nationally-recognized, evidence-based, short-term and problem-focused family treatment program, BSFT has been endorsed as a model program by several federal health and substance abuse agencies.

One of the first families to participate in the program was Martin’s family.
Martin started abusing marijuana and alcohol when he was barely a teenager. His dad had been killed when Martin was a little boy, and his mom, Lisa, raised Martin, his sister and brother on her own. She, too, is a recovering alcoholic.

Martin went through Horizon’s adolescent treatment program, but was soon back for counseling for other issues. By then, Horizon had implemented the BSFT program, and counselor Marcia Valente thought Martin and his family would be good candidates.

“Lisa is a wonderful mother and this is a great family that has had some difficult times,” says Marcia. “When I suggested the program to Lisa, she agreed to participate.”

Martin, his mother and younger sister and brother soon began the weekly counseling sessions that are part of BSFT. With BSFT, Horizon therapists create therapeutic alliances with each family member, and help them identify interaction patterns that allow or encourage problem behavior. They help the families improve functioning by emphasizing individual and family strengths, encouraging and supporting positive behaviors, enhancing parenting skills, improving communication within the family and learning to resolve conflicts and solve problems.

“The program helped create more awareness for me and my kids,” says Lisa. “It helped us all deal with feelings and issues, and realize we are all human and vulnerable. It helped me learn to set boundaries, and it created more awareness for us.”

“I saw how hard each family member was trying,” says Marcia. “They definitely improved their communication with one another, and I think the younger kids learned some valuable lessons.”

“The people at Horizon are very welcoming, very accommodating,” says Lisa. “Marcia was very compassionate and I have a lot of respect for what she is capable of doing to help people. This is a great program – much better than other programs we’ve tried.”

At the moment, Martin is still in school and looking for a job. He’s still struggling with his addiction, but now knows he has the support of his family and, of course, his counselors at Horizon.

Path To Recovery
The Path To Recovery includes true stories of consumers who overcame many obstacles with the help of Horizon Health Services to turn their lives around. Last names have been omitted for privacy.

Shantelle is a woman in her mid-30s who is recovering from a dependency on alcohol, crack cocaine and marijuana with the help of Horizon Health Services.

She is on her way to overcoming her dependency, and her counselor at Horizon’s Bailey-LaSalle facility, Genesta Wilson, believes she has made many of the necessary changes in her life that validate Shantelle’s stated commitment to changing her life.

Shantelle had been in other treatment programs, which worked on and off for her. But she was fearful of not maintaining her abstinence, believing she could not resist drugs if they were offered to her. Ending a very negative relationship with a man she’d been involved with for nearly five years – who turned her on to cocaine – helped Shantelle overcome that fear. Having her mom and daughter nearby as a support system has also helped Shantelle.

“Shantelle is working very hard to live a recovery-based lifestyle,” says Genesta. She’s realizing she has options, she’s making better choices and she’s getting all she can out of her recovery treatment.”

As she attends her relapse prevention and self-help groups, Shantelle is also looking forward to taking GED prep classes and becoming a receptionist. She has a sponsor, and receives a lot of moral support and assistance from her brother, who is also in recovery. Later this fall, Shantelle will speak at a Narcotics Anonymous conference, using her experiences to help others in recovery.

“Horizon has really helped me look forward, not back,” says Shantelle. “They’ve helped me find the good things in me and bring them out.”

And for Shantelle, that means heading down the right path, the path to recovery.

Path To Recovery
The Path To Recovery includes true stories of consumers who overcame many obstacles with the help of Horizon Health Services to turn their lives around. Last names have been omitted for privacy.