Home Setting Addiction Recovery
Steve MacNaull,
Daily Courier
Kelowna, British Columbia
January 21, 2009
John Derry of Kelowna had his last drink 11 years ago, his wife, Jane, 12 years ago.
But they still consider themselves "alcoholics in recovery" because a relapse can happen any time, especially if they aren't diligent about remaining dry.
It's with such success -- and the warning -- that the couple run A Home Away Retreat, a home-setting, 42-day addiction recovery program.
"We provide an entire experience of recovery," said John, who is a pharmacist by profession and a certified addictions counsellor.
"Of course, our clients have to have a willingness to get better and if they do, they can almost be assured success."
A Home Away, which is really two adjacent, beautiful homes in Lakeview Heights on the Westside, is not a medical detoxification centre.
If a client needs withdrawal from drugs or alcohol, it's recommended they spend a week in the hospital or at Crossroads treatment centre in Kelowna being weaned off the substance and receiving medical treatment.
At that point, a residential program like A Home Away's is ideal because it provides the follow-up counselling and coaching needed to sustain staying off booze, drugs or gambling.
"Everything here is based on trust," said John.
"We don't search bags or have blood tests. Clients are also free to go for a walk and we'll even all go up to Big White for a day of skiing. We trust that people are here to get better and take part in the daily counselling and coaching."
Beyond the counselling and coaching, there are three gourmet meals a day, beautiful grounds and a yoga instructor, massage therapist, art teacher and holistic therapist to help pave the way to recovery.
"We're striving for a recovery of body, mind and spirit," said John.
This intense healing doesn't come cheap. "Yes, it's a lot of money, but it's what it takes to have all the people and resources to save people's lives," John said.
"We don't receive any government funding. In some cases, clients can have some of the cost covered if they have good medical plan coverage."
John's road to opening an addiction recovery retreat in Kelowna started when he worked as a pharmacist in Vancouver, then as a researcher at a pharmaceutical company in Toronto.
"I was a highly functioning alcoholic. I never missed a day of work," he said.
"That's actually not uncommon with alcoholics, because the disease can take many forms."
He did a 12-step recovery program through Alcoholics Anonymous that worked for his drinking.
John decided to go back to graduate school at the Hazelden Institute in Minnesota to become an addictions counselor in order to help other addicts.
He opened a counseling practice in Toronto, where he had a patient named Philip.
Philip was a university student and drug addict who tried to commit suicide by overdosing on drugs.
John saw how Philip was treated at hospital, then released a few hours later because treatment centres had waiting lists that spanned weeks and months.
"It clicked for me then that what Philip, and most addicts, need is supervised, professional help in a home setting where they can get the treatment they need to successfully stop using for good," John said.
He started to search for a great place to open a recovery retreat and decided on a bed and breakfast for sale in Kelowna, even though he'd never been here before and didn't know anyone here.
In the course of building his business, he met Jane, his future wife. A fellow alcoholic in recovery, he met her "the old fashioned way, on the Internet," he said with a laugh.
Jane is spiritual counsellor at A Home Away.
The couple has since bought the house beside the original location, making room for eight recovering addicts.
A Home Away Retreat can be reached at 250-769-2080 or check out www.ahomeaway.org.
