Tammie’s Story: Recovery is a Family Affair

Everyone’s path to recovery is different. For Tammie, the push to attend treatment came after many attempts at sobriety. A mother of five, Tammie knew her addiction was impacting each of her children differently.

“My drinking began to create relationship challenges within my family. I felt like I was standing at a crossroads and had to choose to go in a different direction from my alcoholism,” explains Tammie.

In the late summer of 2020, Tammie took critical steps toward recovery and sought treatment at Renascent. She attended Renascent’s Graham Munro Treatment Centre for 28 days, while her family also participated in Renascent’s Family Program.

“In treatment, the introduction of the 12 steps, the idea that my life was unmanageable and that I could not control it, and the notion of surrender created a big turning point for me,” says Tammie. “I was thrilled that my family had a similar opportunity at recovery through Renascent’s Essential Family Care Program (Family Program). I liked the idea of having support for the whole family.”

During the days of early recovery, Tammie drew strength and encouragement from knowing that her children and husband were also working toward understanding addiction and self-healing.  Renascent’s Children’s Program – a part of the Family Program – is an important part of the organization’s treatment continuum. Through group and one-on-one sessions, counsellors aim to provide children with the tools and confidence they need to help them navigate addiction.

“As people struggling with addiction, we already feel like we’ve been given up on and that we’ve let everyone down. The fact that my family members were willing to do this was remarkable and the rewards have been amazing. They showed they believed in me by getting help too, and this meant the world to me,” said Tammie.

After undergoing treatment, life is very different today for Tammie and her family.

“My family and I have had the best case scenario for an outcome. They know now that I am present in their lives again and they can count on me – a far cry from before. We talk more than ever now and if we do face a conflict, we’re able to navigate it together,” says Tammie. “It was so incredible to see my children learn from the Family Program. I’ve seen such great changes in them since we began recovery. One of my daughters is now away at university and I am not sure she would have had the courage to go, if I hadn’t gotten better.”

Grateful for the stability that Tammie has found in recovery, she knows that her family has played an integral role in what her life looks like today.

“I personally feel more confident about my own sobriety knowing that my family was on board – that it wasn’t just me getting better, but them also taking the steps to help me get better and get themselves better too,” said Tammie. “Most people want to do something to help their loved ones and participating in the Family Program is something tangible that people can do to support both themselves and those they love who are struggling with addiction.”

Deeply touched by the care she and her family received at Renascent, Tammie recently returned to school. The goal? To become an addictions counsellor so that one day she can support others in their own journey to recovery.

“Finding out that all of Renascent’s Counsellors were in recovery changed my life,” said Tammie. “I am now on a path to helping others and doing meaningful work, by turning what was once a weakness – my experience in addiction – into a strength.”

Renascent’s Family Program is made possible through the generosity of its donors, who over the last year supported the recovery of more than 329 family members. If you think you could benefit from this program, please contact us at: 1-866-232-1212.

About the Authors

Renascent Staff
The staff at Renascent is passionate about helping people with substance addictions so they can reach their full recovery – with compassion, respect, empathy and understanding. Our staff includes our counsellors, all of whom have lived experience of addiction and recovery.