Our Doors Are Open…
The Dilworth Center building is a hidden gem. It is a beautiful old house with an expansive front porch that takes many people by surprise the first time that they see it. Walking through the front door of Dilworth Center has been for many, a symbol of entering into a new stage of their life. This new stage, called early recovery from substance abuse, is filled with many “A” words. Anxiety, Anger, and Acceptance to name a few. These “A” words apply just as much to family members as to the patients. As family members walk through the door, they are wanting change for their loved one. They are worn out, confused and will receive just as much support as the patient. Along with the front door of Dilworth, the front porch has held a lot of symbolism for patients and family members. It is a place of building relationships with fellow group members, letting out frustrations, and laughing at nothing in particular. Arriving at Dilworth Center can feel like arriving home, to something that you had never imagined would be such an important part of your life.
And then COVID 19 happened. Dilworth took a huge leap of faith and without any pause in treatment, transitioned from an in person to a virtual environment. Dilworth’s number one priority is the care of the patients and the care of the family members. The Dilworth Center staff walked through the doors of online treatment with Anxiety of whether or not we could make virtual addiction treatment work, Anger that this huge change was disrupting a very successful in-person program, and Acceptance that the health of the patient and family were worth it. Our virtual treatment approach worked better than anybody expected. Patients and family members continued to unlock their personal doors to recovery without entering the building. We are glad to be back to treatment in our building. As with any challenge, we realized some important growth.
What we have learned is that while the physical building of Dilworth Center is an icon of hope, the true key to unlocking recovery lies in each of the Dilworth employees that care and advocate for the patients and their families. If you or a loved one is suffering with addiction, reach out. We will give you the key to open the door of a life of peace and contentment that you had never imagined.
