My time at Seven Ponds started 4 months ago. To be honest, my wife called their 800 line the day after my sons first birthday. I was using meth and alcohol and had been fired from my job of 12 years. Her deal was pretty clear, either I find a place to take me with no insurance and very little money or she was going to leave, for good. I drove down to Seven Ponds from Kansas, they invited me to stay for a couple of days and I stayed for seven, no charge. When we finally sat down to talk about how I could come into their program, I knew I had no chance because I had very little money. But their operations director Chris told me that they had grants available for folks like me, and that I could move in with a $2000 entrance fee. The other monthly fee would be paid for by their grant provider over the next 60 days. They also placed me in a medical detox at no cost and scheduled both doctor and dental appointments at no cost. I called my wife on my tenth day here and we both starting crying. This was a miracle, we had tried to get into 13 programs, but never had the money.
Today I started with kayaking in the big pond, had meditation and free thought exercises, great community meeting, went over to feed and pet the horses, and now going for an excellent mountain bike ride. We have a great dinner planned with horseshoe tournament afterwards. My family is going to skype in this evening. This place is so clean and organized I look forward to every day.
It is weird to think I could end up in such a great program. The Doctor says it was meant to be, part of my journey and my path. I will always remember this place and these people.
My brother in law spent four months at Seven Ponds. And how he got there is amazing. We have been doing cocaine and whiskey together for 15 years. We are very tight and have both been in and out of treatment places throughout Florida for at least 10 years. This last year he was on a very nasty run and started in with heroin, something we both agreed would never happen to either of us. But it did. I was in Tampa with him on Valentines day helping him buy a car for his wife. The car salesman was a very cool guy and he could see my brother in law was loaded.
He suggested that we go inside and chat. In 20minutes he was driving us to a medical detox center where my brother in law stayed for about a week. When he was about to be discharged, our car salesman friend showed up and wanted to buy lunch and talk. It was not about buying cars it was about getting into a treatment program. As it turned out he was a recovering heroin addict who found a special program on-line that changed his life. He offered to pay for the flight out there and to accompany my brother in law.
Twenty-four hours later they were landing in Dallas with a Seven Ponds shuttle waiting for them. We all expected my brother in law to turn it around and run. Amazingly he took the 90minute ride up north into Oklahoma and onto Seven Ponds ranch. According to him he had no idea why he agreed to travel 1300 miles to a ranch in Oklahoma to get help for his addictions. Some way he knew he was supposed go there.
We did not hear from my brother in law for two weeks. The car salesman stayed with him for three days, and it turned out that he knew everyone there because he had spent 6 months at Seven Ponds getting off heroin almost 3 years ago. His passion was not selling cars, but loving his wife and their 3year old daughter, and helping addicts move into Seven Ponds.
My brother in law still is blown away by his Seven Ponds experience. He talks all the time about the peace and stillness, the beauty, the therapy dogs, the daily activities, the wilderness treks, and he loved the huge library and meditation center. Our whole family is planning on driving to Oklahoma next year after my brother in law and me both have one year clean.
— Charles M., March 2020