Elliot's Story

Before I came to Simon House I felt stuck in my misery. I was homeless, none of my friends or family wanted anything to do with me, and when I was sober I hated everything about myself . Drugs and alcohol felt like my only option to even feel moderately ok with me just existing. Substance abuse has been a prominent theme throughout the majority of my teenage/ young adult life. It was my coping strategy and my solution for all of life's problems. Whenever I used mind altering substances it always came with a lot of collateral damage to the people I loved as well as myself. I remember the first day I got dropped off at detox, I felt hopeless and angry, I felt like everything and everyone was against me. I really contemplated giving up. I eventually made the decision to apply to Simon House and after a little bit I got in. That was the start of a complete change in every facet of my life. Just because I got into a treatment center that prioritizes growth and recovery did not mean everything got better for me automatically. The change came after a lot of time , determination, and hard work. Simon House got me the help I needed and they walked with me every step of the way by supporting me with a well rounded selection of programming and other help tailored to my specific needs for my recovery. Recovery isn't a one size fits all, different things work for different people and the team at Simon House recognizes that. At first I was nervous about being 19 years old and in a treatment center predominantly filled with adults of an older age but when the other clients saw I was there for the same reasons they were and I was willing to put in the work it felt like I just had a bunch of older brothers each with something unique to offer, the life experiences of my brothers in Simon House was invaluable and I learnt a little something from all of them despite the age gap. We were all there for the same reason, a better life. Today I am in a sober living house, working, and in school. Life isn't perfect but I wouldn't trade my worst day today for my best day a couple months ago. I am forever grateful for the life I obtained as a result of my hard work as well as the support I received staying in Simon House and I truly don't think it would've been possible for me to get to where I am at today without Simon House and for that I am forever grateful.

Sincerely,
Elliot