Katie began experimenting with alcohol and drugs as a teenager. After a 45-day stay in a rehabilitation program, she had battled her addictions and was ready to start a new alcohol- and drug-free life. Unfortunately, a jaw injury led Ann to the fight of her life.

Katie’s jaw was dislocated, creating tremendous pain through her head, face and neck. She was diagnosed with severe TMJ and underwent two surgeries. To manage the pain, physicians prescribed Katie with Lorcet and Vicodin. “The pills were great because they took the pain away, gave me energy, and made me feel better about my troubled marriage,” says Katie.

Doctors told Katie that managing the pain with opiates was the only option for her condition. “The painkillers got stronger and stronger,” she recalls. “But at some point, I stopped taking the medicine for the pain and started taking it for the high.”

Katie’s doctor expressed concerns early on that she may have an addiction, but Katie didn’t want to hear it. Instead of seeking treatment, she just went to another clinic. With her marriage falling apart, she took more and more pills to dull her emotional pain. “One month prescriptions were gone in a few days,” Katie says. “I was seeing two different doctors for prescriptions and always had an excuse as to why I was filling them early.”

When the pills ran out, Katie went into withdrawal. Desperate to feed her addiction, she stole pills from family and friends and faked ailments to get drugs from emergency rooms. Then she began forging prescriptions. “It started with just changing the date on a prescription so that I could fill it sooner, but before long, I had created my own prescription form and was able to write out my own prescriptions,” Katie says. “I went from one pharmacy to another filling prescription after prescription. I was close to overdosing just about every day. My whole life revolved around my addiction.”

Her world came crashing down when a pharmacy caught on to her forged prescriptions. Kaite met with her physician and denied the forgery, but her doctor told her the police had been notified and that until she was cleared of any charges he could no longer provide her with prescriptions. With that, he gave her the number for ARTS. “At that point, I knew it was over. I was possibly facing felony charges and could lose my kids,” Katie says. She called ARTS and was admitted into the outpatient program a couple of days later.

Today, Katie is thriving. She has been in the ARTS outpatient program for more than four years and has been sober the entire time. Kaite credits methadone with stabilizing her life and helping her move forward. She works with people affected by developmental and physical disabilities, and recently received a promotion. In addition, she is a Den Leader for her son’s Cub Scouts troop and volunteers at her children’s’ schools.

“I am truly living my life thanks to the help and support I found when I came to ARTS,” Ann says. “They have given me the tools to take back my life.”

Andrea was taking up to 30 pain pills each day, going to different physicians in order to maintain her addiction. At that time, she was married with two young children. She felt fortunate to be able to stay home with her children, but her marriage was in trouble. “…even though my mind was clouded with drugs, I always had a dream…to become a teacher.”

Andrea stated that she would never forget the day she informed her husband that she wanted to go back to school: “He said that I was too stupid to go to school.” After that, she just continued to take pain pills. This time in her life Andrea was a period of profound loneliness, and she felt physically and emotionally drained.

Eventually Andrea’s therapist suggested that she needed to enter a drug treatment program, and that she should consider a Methadone Maintenance regimen. He called the ARTS Adult Outpatient program and set up an appointment for her. “ I knew this was my last chance. I was running out of options. I needed to get my life in order, and most importantly, I wanted to be a good mother to my children.”

As a client in the Adult Outpatient program, Andrea wanted her husband to be with her, to be supportive of her during this difficult period, but he was not. Instead her counselor provided her the support she needed, which was critical to her early recovery. She had been dependent on drugs for many years, which meant that treatment was a challenge that required dedication and effort. “I worked extensively with my counselor for months. I had to work through my pain, my tears, my depression, and my feelings. I had to learn how to live life all over again, and to change my thinking pattern.”

Andrea’s commitment to her recovery was strengthening each week as she actively participated in treatment. She was more social and began to make new friends. She also was becoming more assertive and independent. Her husband, unfortunately, continued to criticize her, and their deteriorating relationship eventually led to a divorce. “Once again I was feeling lonely and depressed. I knew that I didn’t have the drugs to turn to; I had something better because I had my family, friends and counselor…I was overwhelmed with all of the support I had.”

Working with her counselor and friends, Andrea decided to go to school. She met with a college advisor, applied and passed the entrance examination; she remembers this as one of the happiest days of her life. She was enrolled in Special Education at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC). In addition, she started dating and later married a man she met in school; he was very supportive of her and encouraged her to continue with her education. Andrea graduated and subsequently received her teaching license, and after working in an elementary school, she returned to UNC for a Master’s degree.

“I learned that with a lot of work and effort, anything is possible…I also know I will always be a drug addict: a recovering drug addict. …The counselors at the ARTS (outpatient) clinic are very caring. They all want to see us grow and succeed in our recovery. They do not get us clean and sober; they provide us with the tools we need to obtain a healthy and happy lifestyle…As far as I am concerned, the ARTS clinic saved my life. As time goes on, it gets easier, but I know it will always be an ongoing process in my life. To everyone that works at ARTS, thank you!”