A Personal Journey to Recovery

For more than 40 years Credo Community Center for the Treatment of Addictions has assisted individuals whose lives have been negatively impacted by substance use. Through an individualized treatment structure, Credo offers a variety of chemical use and dependence services. The organization also provides outpatient and inpatient substance use support, mental health services, individual and group counseling and residential programs.

With more than 100 professionals contributing to their transformative programs, Credo is the leading substance use provider in Northern New York. Their success is attributed to their ability to adapt to the community’s needs and adjust their programs accordingly. Yet nothing expresses the gravity of the organization’s impact quite like a patient’s testimonial. Continue reading to learn how Credo influenced one woman’s journey to recovery:

Interview with Client A (female, 39)

I would describe myself as a late bloomer. I never drank or did any type of drug in high school. Shortly after getting married and being stationed in Germany, my substance use problems began. I started having chronic kidney stone issues and was prescribed pain killers. While still a functioning adult at the time, I became dependent on them.

After my divorce, I returned to upstate New York where I was born and brought up. I hooked up with an old classmate and they told me instead of shopping doctors to get pain meds they had something else that wouldn’t cost me as much. This was my initiation to using heroin. In my thirties, my two daughters were 15 and 7, and I no longer had access to them due to my drug use and arrest which lead to incarceration. I believe that if I would have had access to a program like Credo Community Center at the time I would have never been arrested.

As it was, I was sent to Willard boot camp, which is truly a boot camp. My head was shaved, I was stripped of all privileges and it was like basic training for the military. Once I was close to my release date Willard set up appointments for me to receive help. I was put on a waiting list at a facility in Syracuse, NY, which is a two-hour drive each way to receive treatment. I was a huge advocate of a Credo Opioid treatment facility being opened in our area in Jefferson county.

I knew I had to take control of my life. I was responsible for all that had happened in it and would be for what was to come, there was no one else to blame! When Credo’s outpatient therapy program (OTP) was offered right here in my home town, I knew it was my opportunity to stay clean and get well.

I like to call coming to Credo my trifactor – they have an amazing doctor on staff, the OTP nurses are phenomenal and my counselor is so passionate about what she does and she truly cares. This makes it very easy to come through the doors each day to receive treatment. Now I have five take home doses of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) and only come to the facility for my individual sessions and two doses a week. I am successful not only for wanting to be healthier but having a team of people that care enough to encourage me and keep me moving forward. I now have full access to my daughters and I live my life as an open book. I want people to not only know about my story and success but learn about Credo Community Center. They truly care and want to help people just like me be successful and be a healthy “recovered” addict.