Becoming Reliable in Recovery
“Cedar House has a special place in my heart,” Mike fondly recalled his experience in the Cedar House residential program more than ten years ago when he learned to be reliable in recovery. He said, “They gave me the ability to show up, be responsible and be consistent.”
Although he had a stable upbringing, Mike remembered summers spent at his uncle’s house witnessing the drinking, smoking and gambling lifestyle that seemed so appealing to him at the time. When his dad decided to quit drinking, Mike took up the habit around the age of twelve. Gift baskets with alcohol that his father had received over time had collected in the cabinet, and Mike took the opportunity to start bringing the bottles with him when he left for school in the morning. He would buy a coke to mix with whiskey or sprite to mix with vodka, and managed to get away with this behavior for some time. Next, he began smoking weed with friends. He said, “If you had it and you were offering it, I was trying it. I started buying more often and in greater quantities.”
When he tried crack cocaine, he was hooked. He said, “Once that got thrown into the mix, that’s when the story really shifted.” He was able to keep a job for a few years despite his addiction. He became a father and decided that he needed to “tone it down, taper it down, get it under control and be a father.” But it wasn’t that simple. He said, “I just didn’t know what I was up against.” Finally, he got to a point that he stopped showing up for work and lost his job.
Thankfully, Mike had started looking for a solution. He went to a few meetings and even tried entering a treatment center for thirty days. But once he completed treatment, he didn’t make much of an effort to maintain his recovery. Instead, he ended up “back at the dope house five months later.”
In May 2013, he entered treatment at Cedar House. He said, “My life was at zero. I was broken, lost, confused.” During his ninety days at Cedar House, Mike was re-introduced to the 12 Steps and met a group of people that became lifelong friends. They attended church together and found a solid connection during their treatment process that propelled them to change their lives.
He attended panels and listened to speakers who stressed the importance of building a support network. The people he met kept him accountable to attend meetings and work on his personal recovery. He said, “I was able to see the results of people not taking it seriously and how they would fade off. I know a couple of people who are no longer with us because of addiction.”
One experience that truly resonated with Mike was when he snuck a phone into the facility, knowing that this was against Cedar House rules. He let his roommate use the phone one night and immediately regretted it when the roommate began packing his bags as he hung up the phone. The family member he called had convinced him to leave on that phone call, which meant Mike’s rule breaking contributed to his roommate walking away from the treatment he needed. He said, “I understood clearly then that my problem wasn’t only drinking and drugs. My problem was behavior and not accepting simple directions.” His case manager had him write an essay about the experience, and Mike began to learn a crucial life lesson in following directions.
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas that year, Mike relapsed on meth, which had never before been his drug of choice. He realized that while he had been blaming cocaine, the city, and everything else in his life, the reality was that he needed to change himself. A friend from Cedar House told him that they couldn’t hang out anymore if he didn’t sober up. He said, “My whole circle of friends from Cedar House was sober, and they were being productive.” At Christmas, when he visited his children with no gifts to offer them, he made a decision to commit to his recovery. On New Years Day, he went to a meeting at noon and hasn’t stopped going to meetings since then.
“At Cedar House, a lot of seeds were planted for me,” Mike said. Participating in groups and the experiences he had during treatment all contributed to his ten years of recovery, but he attributes his success to the group of people he met there.
Now, Mike is a supervisor for a distribution company in the City of Industry. In a recent review, his boss told him that he’s “the most reliable person” he knew. Mike said, “That’s because of the principles Cedar House introduced me to.”
Mike also shows up reliably for the people who count on him. He reunited with his sons and built a solid relationship with them and their mother. He also has a good relationship with his parents and sisters. He said, “They were skeptical at first because they didn’t know the extent of what was going on with me. But now we’ve found peace.”
Through his involvement with Cocaine Anonymous, Mike has been part of convention committees, served as a sponsor, participated in groups, and even ran a regular panel at Cedar House on Friday nights. Reflecting on his experience in treatment, he said, “The panels that came in and shared their experience, strength and hope gave me glimpses of hope and something to strive for. Then I build networks off of that. To be on the opposite end of that panel – that’s a privilege.”
June is PTSD Awareness Month, an important time to recognize the deep connection between trauma, mental health, and substance use. For many people, addiction does not happen in isolation. It is often tied to painful life experiences, untreated mental health symptoms, grief, violence, loss, instability, or long-term stress. When someone is living with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, substances may become a way to cope with memories, anxiety, fear, sleep problems, emotional pain, or feeling constantly on edge. At Cedar House Life Change Center, we understand that recovery must address the whole person. That means looking beyond substance use alone and recognizing the mental health challenges that often come with addiction. Understanding PTSD and Substance Use PTSD can develop after someone experiences or witnesses a traumatic event. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, panic, avoidance, emotional numbness, irritability, difficulty trusting others, and feeling unsafe even when danger has passed. These symptoms can be overwhelming, especially when a person does not have the support, treatment, or tools to manage them. For some, alcohol or drugs may feel like temporary relief. Over time, however, substance use often makes trauma symptoms worse and creates a cycle that becomes harder to break. This is why treating addiction without addressing co-occurring mental health disorders can leave people without the full support they need to heal. Cedar House Specializes in Co-Occurring Disorders Cedar House specializes in serving individuals with substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and other behavioral health needs. Our clinical team is experienced in working with clients whose recovery is complicated by trauma, emotional distress, and higher levels of acuity. Many treatment programs are not equipped to support clients with more complex mental health presentations. At Cedar House, we have developed the ability to manage and support more acute cases when clinically appropriate. This means we are often able to serve individuals who may need more structure, closer monitoring, stronger clinical coordination, and a more comprehensive approach than a traditional substance use treatment setting can provide. Our goal is not simply to stabilize substance use. Our goal is to help clients build a foundation for long-term recovery by addressing the mental health symptoms, trauma responses, and life circumstances that may be contributing to addiction. A Trauma-Informed Approach to Recovery Trauma-informed care means recognizing that many people entering treatment have experienced significant pain before they ever arrive at our doors. It means creating an environment where clients feel safe, respected, understood, and supported rather than judged. At Cedar House, this approach is reflected in the way we provide care. We focus on compassion, structure, accountability, and individualized support. Clients are treated as people with stories, strengths, and potential, not as diagnoses or behaviors. For individuals with PTSD and addiction, recovery may include learning how to manage triggers, regulate emotions, rebuild trust, develop healthy coping skills, reconnect with family and community, and begin to imagine life beyond survival. Healing takes time, but with the right support, it is possible. Meeting Clients Where They Are Cedar House serves many individuals who come to treatment with complex needs, including co-occurring mental health disorders, homelessness or housing instability, justice involvement, medical concerns, and limited support systems. These challenges can make recovery more difficult, but they do not make recovery impossible. Our programs are designed to meet clients where they are and help them move toward stability, dignity, and wholeness. By offering a continuum of care that includes withdrawal management, residential treatment, outpatient services, perinatal services, recovery support, and alumni engagement, Cedar House helps clients take the next step in their recovery journey. Why PTSD Awareness Matters PTSD Awareness Month reminds us that trauma is not a character flaw, and addiction is not a moral failure. Both are health conditions that deserve compassionate, evidence-based care. When communities understand the connection between trauma and substance use, we reduce stigma and create more pathways to healing. At Cedar House, we believe people can recover when they are given the right care, the right environment, and the right support. For individuals living with PTSD and addiction, that means treatment that sees the full picture and responds with both clinical expertise and compassion. This June, we honor those who are living with trauma, those who are seeking recovery, and those who are learning that healing is possible. Cedar House remains committed to helping individuals affected by addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders find wholeness in recovery.
by Mark D. Gobert
Learn what happens in residential addiction treatment step-by-step, from detox to therapy and recovery planning at Cedar House Life Change Center.
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