For The Family

Miracles do Happen

First and foremost, thank you for selecting Warriors Heart for your loved one’s care and treatment. You have made the first HUGE step to healing the pains of addiction. By making this decision, you have begun the journey to recovery.

From personal experience, I know exactly what families of addiction go through. As a young woman, I was married to an abusive alcoholic and drug addict for many years. My son followed in his father’s footsteps and became an alcoholic through his teens and into his adulthood. He hit what I thought was “bottom” more than once, but it wasn’t until the family got strong, stopped enabling the sick behavior and took a stand for his life, did things finally begin to change. My son finally sought treatment in a residential drug and alcohol treatment center when faced with the possibility of losing his wife and, ultimately, his own life.

This is one of the reasons why Warriors Heart is here today. My son took on his life, rebuilt his marriage, and learned what it was to live life…one day at a time. After successfully completing treatment in 2001, my son wanted to give back the gift of life and healing he had discovered. He and his wife Lisa (a retired law enforcement officer) opened Journey Healing Centers, an accredited drug and alcohol treatment center. Over the course of 12 years, JHC expanded to six locations in multiple states and successfully treated thousands. Then in late 2013, Elements Behavior Health, a leading nationwide provider, acquired JHC.

However, their mission and passion to help continues on with Warriors Heart. Teaming up with US Army Veteran Tom Spooner, they are focused on serving the men and women who are veterans, military, law enforcement, first responders, and other civilian warriors whom are struggling with addiction and PTSD.

Warriors Heart was born out of my son’s and daughter-in-law’s personal experiences with addiction to recovery. This work is their chosen path in life. We know first-hand the power that addiction can have on the individual and their loved ones. We also know how to overcome it. On behalf of the entire Warriors Heart team, I want to thank you for trusting us to provide innovative treatment programs to bring about deep healing and recovery.

I want you to know that we are here for you, your family, and everyone affected by the disease of addiction. Please feel free to reach out to us. We are always here to share, advise or just listen.

Thank you for putting your trust into our healing centers.

– Susan L. Ponce
Mother of a loving and sober son.

For The Person In Recovery

• You’ve earned distrust, and you must re-earn trust.
• Help your family learn about recovery, what your groups and meetings are like, and what you are trying to accomplish.
• Invite your family, to family sessions, and make opportunities for them to meet your new friends in recovery.
• Be open to “meeting” your loved ones anew. You may see sides of them now that you have never noticed.
• Try to make at least one family member a “partner” in recovery, someone you can be fully open with and on whom you can rely.
• Do as much for yourself as you can without relying on the family. Take on some extra responsibilities to express thanks to those who support your attendance at recovery meetings, but don’t be too proud to ask for help when necessary.

For Both

Honest discussions do not have to turn into arguments about who is right or wrong. Communicate, compromise, and do things together. Be patient. Lasting changes take time, but they are worthwhile.