Shawn’s life quickly went off the rails after his father was sentenced to death for murder. Shawn was just 11 years old. Eleven years later he was called in to witness his father’s execution. The pain and anger were uncontrollable, recounts Shawn, which “began a mountain of pain in my life. …Over the course of 26 years I battled drugs and alcohol to try and numb the pain.”
Eventually, after years in and out of jail, Shawn found himself facing a long sentence for a petty crime. The courts were done with Shawn; his family was done with him; finally he cried out to God for help and was handed an application to the Heartland Recovery Program. At Heartland, he began to finally work through his pain, forgiving those he once hated; miraculously, even the man who executed his father.
Through Scripture, counseling, and support from the Heartland Community, Shawn found peace, forgiveness, and a renewed sense of purpose. Shawn shared this for others fighting the battle of addiction, “There’s hope and there’s freedom and peace.”
Brokenness leads many people into addiction as they try to cope or hide from their problems. Heartland Recovery is here to help you not just get sober, but to point you to the One who can truly heal. If you or someone you know is looking for hope, freedom, or peace reach out to us today!
Walking Through Recovery | Eric’s Story
Eric’s struggles began in his early teens when he started using alcohol and marijuana. He realized that his addiction had taken over when he was staring at his drugs anxiously planning on “trying to get more” because it was never enough. As his addiction escalated, he found himself in a cycle of legal trouble and homelessness.
Sitting in prison, Eric heard about Heartland Recovery and decided to apply. During his time in the Men’s Recovery Program, the most significant change he experienced was building a relationship with God. “I needed to trust in Him and turn my whole life and everything over to Him,” Eric reflected. Today he has hope, faith, and a support system that will continue to guide him as he reintegrates into society. Eric encourages anyone who is struggling and doesn’t know where to turn to consider Heartland.
Walking Through Recovery | Tye’s Story
Tye grew up with an absent father and a mother struggling with addiction, which led to his experimenting with drugs from a young age. After losing a father figure at 13, Tye went deeper into drug use seeking comfort. Full blown addiction followed, causing him to lose jobs, relationships, and even custody of his daughter.
Despite cycles of getting clean and relapsing, addiction and anger issues persisted. After years of ups and downs his marriage deteriorated to the point of a restraining order and jail time. Feeling hopeless, Tye considered suicide, but knew it wasn’t the answer. A friend encouraged him to seek help at Heartland Recovery’s 12 month program, where Tye quickly learned he needed to fully submit to God. Through faith he found purpose, peace, and the strength to forgive his parents and improve relationships. His marriage is now thriving, and he lives to show Christ’s love through his actions.
Walking Through Recovery | James’ Story
James grew up in a family struggling with addiction. During high school, James began experimenting with substances himself, leading to a lifestyle of drinking, smoking, and partying. His addiction escalated to the point where he prioritized alcohol and drugs over his family. “I was choosing going out with friends rather than taking care of my son,” he recalls, “and to me that just didn’t sit right.”
The turning point came after his marriage failed. James realized he wanted to provide his son with the stable home he never had growing up. He enrolled in Heartland Recovery, the same program his biological father came to which helped turn his life around.
Change came slowly as James found God, but the biggest change was witnessing his father’s Christ-like behavior and for that relationship to begin to heal. Over the next 12 months James mended relationships with his family, gained their respect, and most importantly is now able to be there for his son. “I’ll tell you from experience, 12 months means nothing to the rest of your life, so take the time put in the work to know God and become a new creation.”
Walking Through Recovery | Scott’s Story
A year ago, Scott visited his family at Christmas for what he thought would be the last time, feeling hopeless and planning to immediately leave to get more drugs. Scott had been caught in a vicious cycle of addiction, prison, treatment, and relapse. Before he could leave that Christmas his family staged an intervention. This was a turning point for him, and by the grace of God, he decided to change.
He committed to coming to Heartland Recovery, a long term program where a relationship with Jesus is the cornerstone to recovery. Though reading the Bible, praying, and building a relationship with Jesus Christ. Scott was transformed and he found hope. “Don’t give up, there is hope.” Scott says. “I’m a proven fact that Jesus is the answer.”
Many like Scott are caught in cycles of hopelessness, Heartland is here to help. We’ve removed one of the biggest roadblocks to taking that next step toward freedom—the cost of treatment—thanks to the generosity of donors who fully fund Heartland Recovery programs for men and women wanting to change. Call today.
“The addicted mind thinks differently…”
Spencer Wood believes that his struggle began long before he ever used drugs, noting, “The addicted mind thinks differently.” Throughout his youth, Spencer felt overwhelming shame, fear, and anxiety, which led him to use drugs as an escape. His escape slowly turned into an addiction that spiraled out of control. He felt immense guilt for hurting people, but felt powerless to stop. After a brief stint out of prison, he broke promises to his family and quickly ended up back in jail. In his desperation, Spencer prayed for help and an opportunity to go to Heartland.
Having been through about 15 different rehabs over 16 years, Spencer found Heartland to be unique. His first night at a chapel service, he recalls arriving and seeing a room full of people just like him, “smiling, some of them crying, singing at the top of their lungs,” and feeling certain that he was in the right place. Unlike other treatment centers that focused solely on his drug problem, Heartland helped him understand that “using the drugs was really not the problem.” He discovered that he had a deeper issue “a sin problem.”
Spencer’s life has taken a positive turn. He has rebuilt trust with his family and formed a close relationship with his son. He no longer sees himself destined to die as a drug addict, saying, “I’ve realized it doesn’t have to be that way.” His message to others struggling with addiction is one of hope: “Don’t ever give up hope… God wants to help you, you just have to let him.”