Before arriving at BRC
Before arriving at BRC I was a broken man. Struggling in life, jobless, penniless, drowning in alcohol, drugs, and misery, a shell of my former self. Not knowing where or how I went wrong in life, I was lost. Fortunately my worried, loving, and supporting parents held an intervention on me and by the grace of God, I ended up on BRC’s doorstep. At that point in my life I wanted to change, but I just didn’t know how or even where to start. Through the excellent direction, support, and caring of the staff, I started to gain my life back. BRC excels in solid 12 step recovery. This was my first exposure to any kind of recovery. I had never been to a 12 Step fellowship meeting or any other similar place. In fact I had never even considered living a life without drugs and alcohol in it. The very thought of not having any substances in my life was too hard to imagine. After being down that road for so long, it was scary to think about not being able to alter my mind at will with a drink or drug. BRC showed me a new way to live, one that didn’t have to include substances. When I first arrived, it was extremely hard to see what I really was, rather admit, that I was an alcoholic and a drug addict. However, the staff and residents relayed to me through their own experiences what it is to be an alcoholic/addict and how to find out for myself. Through a lot of honest soul searching and matching up my own life experiences, I saw the truth, and that is where I started my journey through sobriety. BRC is a complete 12 step immersion program. With the addition of an excellent meal plan, workout program run by a highly committed and professional personal trainer, and for me an added therapist element, it was just what I needed to set me up for success in early sobriety. Not only was there dedicated staff involved, but also a peer base aspect that really drove the program to a new level. We as residents were encouraged to help and guide each other through the program and grow as a community and in so doing I made lifelong friends as well. After completing the residential portion I was able to continue on to the BRC sober living to gradually make my way back into society while having a safe and comfortable environment to return to each day. Not only was I still immersed in the BRC atmosphere, I had the opportunity to participate in the Segue program, which not only continued to guide me in the right direction, it helped to mend and foster a new and better relationship with my parents. Now I have the opportunity to work for the company that gave so much to me. I have been employed at BRC for more than 2 years now, and to be able to be a part of helping other men and to see the incredible transformations and success stories that start here is a true honor. From a jobless, lost, and wreck of a man, to getting to help other men recover from alcoholism and addiction has been a true blessing. 
Gerard Berens Segue by BRC Recovery