My journey with Oregon Trail Recovery got off to a bumpy start. Needless to say, I wasn't very receptive to what they were trying to teach me. I was a completely different person when I first arrived here, a fact that still so often amazes me. I wasn't really responsible or mature, I thought I knew everything and put the blame on others. It sounds like a harsh way to view oneself but is in fact true.A couple of months into it I started to realize that the problem was me, that my life wasn't working on my own terms. So I began to really listen and apply what OTR was teaching me, doing everything. I acquired a sponsor, a job, worked my steps, participated in groups, and was surprised when I was really having fun not just in our adventures but in general. Although going white water rafting, taking a trip up to the snow and equine therapy were some of the most exciting times in my recovery. Slowly but surely and while I hadn't even been noticing, I was changing. More responsible, mature, humble, and happier I was and still am. They were giving me tools, building blocks to build a better happier me.
I had the opportunity to go to California and visit my family for Christmas. Moreover, I was able to see that my relationship with them was changing because I was changing in a positive way. I wasn't the same person. A month after I took this trip home I graduated the program and was hired on as a house manager to work with women in recovery.Coming to Oregon Trail Recovery has recreated my life and who I am. I never thought I would be well enough or able to work with women who struggle with addiction. Through working with these women I am still learning and growing. I look forward to every day and see it as a new experience with a new pair of eyes. Does life get challenging sometimes? Yes. But it doesn't seem like the end of the world. I don't have to let it bring me down.My experiences here with OTR helped me to have a new perspective on life. It has opened up doors for me that I would never have imagined. My life has purpose and I set goals for myself that I wouldn't have dreamed of before. I've changed so much in eight months. I do not believe that this could have been possible with any other program. Oregon Trail Recovery outshines any other outpatient treatment center because of its unique transitional method and its length of time, allowing clients to receive the best possible chance of long-term recovery. This program gave me the best guidance and opportunity to recover and find the willingness and strength within myself to do so.– Jessica L. DuranLearn more about Oregon Trail Recovery's addiction recovery programs and intensive outpatient program.