Client Successes

When I first walked through the doors at Brickhouse, I was carrying more than I could admit — fear, shame, confusion, and a belief that I had to face everything alone. I didn’t know what to expect. I only knew that something had to change, even if I wasn’t sure I was ready to change with it.

What I found inside was nothing like the cold, clinical environment I had imagined. Instead, I was met with warmth. Real warmth. A team that didn’t just “work” there — they cared. They listened. They saw me, even when I couldn’t see myself clearly.

For the first time, I felt safe enough to speak honestly about what I was going through. The daily sessions, the conversations, the education — they didn’t just teach me about addiction. They helped me understand my addiction. They helped me understand that what I was fighting wasn’t a moral failure, but a brain disease. That shift alone cracked something open in me.
But the real turning point came from the people sitting beside me. People who had lived through the same storms. People who were still fighting. People who had made it to the other side. Listening to their stories — and eventually sharing my own — made me realize I wasn’t broken beyond repair. I wasn’t alone. Recovery wasn’t just possible; it was happening all around me.

Brickhouse gave me structure, but also freedom. It gave me guidance, but also space to breathe. The outpatient setup let me go home each day, reconnect with my family, and show them — and myself — that I was changing. Slowly at first, then more and more.
I learned how to manage the emotional swings that used to control me. I learned how to pause, reflect, and respond instead of reacting. The one-on-one sessions helped me dig into the parts of myself I had avoided for years. And somewhere along the way, my mindset shifted. Hope didn’t feel like a distant idea anymore — it felt like something I could actually hold.
Brickhouse didn’t just help me recover. It helped me rebuild. It helped me rediscover who I am and who I want to be. Today, I face life with resilience, clarity, and a sense of possibility I never thought I’d feel again.

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing this testimonial to share my wonderful experience at Brick House. No one at Brick House asked me to write it – I’m writing it because they helped me so much that I felt compelled to share my experience. 

For years, prior to going to Brick House, I spent way too much of my life suffering from anxiety, panic attacks, irritability, depression and general malaise. I fell into the habit of relying to my substance of choice to lift my mood and help me get through frustrating and anxiety-inducing experiences. 

After years of using my substance of choice to cope, I had lost interest in the things that formerly brought me joy. I was frustrated with some aspects of my job and my personal life and didn’t really have any means of coping other than using substance. I became increasingly anxious and miserable. I suffered from panic attacks, anxiety attacks, irritability and didn’t have much joy in my life. Even substance use didn’t cheer me up and I was using my substance of choice almost daily. 

Eventually, I sought help but was very reluctant to go to Brick House. I was very speculative about going into a recovery program and was almost certain Brick House wouldn’t be much if any help. I’m very happy to admit I was completely wrong about Brick House! 

The 28 Day Intensive Recovery Program at Brick House was a wonderful, life changing experience for me. I learned a tremendous amount about myself and why I leaned so heavily on my drug of choice while many other people in my life lived substance free. I came to realize that there are a lot of people who suffer from anxiety, irritability, impatience, panic attacks and so on. A lot of us turn to drugs and/or alcohol as a means of coping. Because of the things I learned at Brick House, I have been able to live a much healthier and happier life without relying on any drugs or alcohol. 

The best part of all the great things at Brick House are the people. The Counsellors, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Instructors, Leaders and Program Managers are wonderful people who genuinely care about their clients. They’re also a lot of fun and they’ve designed the facility and the course content to be enjoyable and interesting. It’s amazing, but I actually had a lot of fun in the 28 Day Intensive Recovery Program, while learning!

In short, Brick House made it easy, quick and enjoyable to improve my life immeasurably. 

Best wishes!

Yours,

Brick House 28 Day Intensive Recovery Program Graduate