Отзывы
07/04/15
Слов не хватит, чтобы выразить мою безмерную благодарность этому центру. Прошло почти пять месяцев с тех пор, как мой брат покинул лечебный центр, и мы каждый день с признательностью вспоминаем вас.
Хотя опасения по поводу того, что когда-нибудь брат может снова начать пить, пока не покидают меня, я с уверенностью могу сказать, что за эти пять месяцев произошло чудо.
Вам всего за восемь месяцев удалось сделать то, чего не удавалось добиться ни нам, членам семьи, ни многим врачам и клиникам на протяжении 25 лет. День за днем мы все больше верим в его силы, доверяем ему; мы всегда пытались помочь ему расстаться с этой пагубной привычкой, и, судя по результатам, не зря ждали возможности помочь ему целых 25 лет. Теперь я знаю: если бы не вы, он бы так и продолжал пить, окружающие бы по-прежнему винили его во всех грехах, а он бы впадал в отчаяние при мысли, что мы могли бы сделать больше, чтобы помочь ему.
И еще я знаю: наши покойные родители, даже будучи в мире ином, наверняка благодарны AVIS не меньше, чем я и члены моей семьи.
Вы сделали то, что казалось нам невозможным.
13/03/15
Until the age of 28, I lived worry with the superficial, with the appearance, worried with my will, only with my desires. I was stuck, closed and obsessed for substances, I did not like myself and I was not interested in my family, life goals or anything else that meant an engagement.
But today I write this small text with a smile on my face, with a tear that expresses gratitude, with my heart full of love, with a clear thought and a perspective of a accomplished future.
But how? How did this change happen?
With pledge, trust, effort and desire to live. It was like a painful and very grateful birth. In the last years, I learned how to be myself, how to respect myself, how to value myself, how to breathe in a healthy way... I learned how to feel, how to cry and smile, to fight and live with love for me, for my family, for my goals, that today makes of me, no more an errant woman, but a pretty, happy, loved and respected one.
In this path, there has been many lessons that makes me stop to think about the meaning of life, about what is best for me and for those who I love and protect.
Since I am in recovery, I travel, I work, I study hard and I learn. I am happy, I learned how to love and respect, I live by truth , without fear and with my head raised, I smile and I have known different cultures and traditions, I dream and accomplish....I have friends and I am a friend!
Life changes and I accompany the change, without fear!
Today I am a brave woman, today I believe in kindness and in a pleasant life, I believe in adventure and challenge....I can, with any kind of doubt, write:
I LOVE TO LIVE! THANKS TO ALL THAT HAVE BEEN TEACHING ME, BECAUSE I WANT TO LEARN.
I AM HAPPY!
04/03/15
After spending half of my life using and consuming drugs and alcohol I decided to ask for help... A call to «Ze», through an intermediary, 10 minutes on the phone, and 16 hours later there I was in AVIS.
They went to pick me up at the North, and what is funny is that the first thing that I knew was that there was no pool.... and that I suffered from an incurable disease, that only led to three ends: jail, hospital or death. Of course that before I entered, I was already thinking in leaving.
After all, I wanted to “heal myself”! It is not pleasant to be in treatment, but the task of every patients, monitors, therapists is to transform a moment in a lifetime experience.
It does not have to be pleasant. It is not a holiday camp. For the first time in many years, we have behaviour rules, an acceptable conduct, hygiene...
Outside we were rebels, with no law and even out of it, arrogant and proud, outlaw and with no scruples...At the AVIS, I learned the real meaning of words such as patience and tolerance, humility and gratitude.... but first I had to learn the meaning of arrogance and pride, selfishness... to all of those who were in contact with me inside the AVIS, even that it was just for a moment, my humble thank you.
Without you R., without you J. and M., I would never be able to understand the meaning of loving someone for all its virtues, but above all, for the character defects that each one has. Honestly, the 8 months that I was here, at the end of my life will be part, with any doubt, of the happiest moments of my life.
Today, 3 years later, I live in a country on the other side of the Atlantic. I am married and I have a wife who I love; I have a good job, some material goods, a wonderful family, but my eternal gratitude is eternally bounded to Alcobaça and to this centre. This program made me a very proud person! I know what it is to be clean and sober, but I also know the opposite, and that makes of me what every “normal” person would like to be and can not be.
I am Tony and I am an addict.
P.S. - you were right. Only later, I will be able to understand why I passed all of that or what you made me pass in these 8 months in the centre. «I am more than what I seem to be. I have all the strength and power of the world”.
11/02/15
In this treatment centre my daughter's life changed drastically, but in a extremely positive way. After seven years of drug addiction, a non planned pregnancy lead her to think what she wanted to do with her life. Drugs lead her to run away from home. She slept in the streets, she sold her body in exchange of few Euros that allowed her to buy the next dose.
The inevitable happened and she got pregnant. Without knowing who was the child's father, she never thought about making an abortion , and so she came to me and I could not turn my back on her. A mother has to be able to forgive and to help in every moments. I brought her to my place and took her to this treatment centre in Alcobaça, Portugal.
She started the treatment, and when there was moments of discouragement, she just looked ate her belly to gain courage. In less than seven months she stayed clean and with life's goals. My little girl was reborn and when she finished the treatment, she gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby. Thanks to this treatment I recovered my daughter and gained a new love: my little grandson. Thank you for everything, you were tireless...
11/12/14
Cocaine, hashish, heroin are drugs that have marked most of my life in a so negative way, that sometimes prefer to forget.
An addict girlfriend took me into this world, from which I was able to get out, thanks to the help of good friends who never gave up on me. I was only 17 when I tried it for the first time, but I quickly became addicted. Junkie, I forget everything and everyone, it was as if I owned the world, but in fact I was nobody special, I was just a silly teenager.
I gave up on school and some dreams also. The lack of money led me to make assaults on small shops. Soon I was wandering down the street with my girlfriend, as if I were a fugitive. My parents were so absorbed in their lives, that they did not give a damn. The unexpected pregnancy of my girlfriend was a shock, but actually it turned out to be a positive shock.
We were determined to raise our child. We seek support and we entered in this treatment centre. We wanted to put the drugs out of our lives. It was very complicated, mainly due to the hangover, but also because we were set apart. We were only allowed to be together once a month, but we noticed the developments and that gave us more strength and united us even more.
Bruno was born healthy and the drugs were a part of the past. We are already in recovery for two years and each day is a victory, but with the power of love of our son anything is possible.
In addition, we know that we are not alone, we still have the support of the whole therapeutics’ team. Without them we would not have made it. We are eternally grateful.