Resident Testimonials

"I am a resident at Anderson House and I have resided in Hunterdon County all my life.”

Let me tell you a little bit about myself and my addiction. I grew up on a farm, with a loving and hard working family having everything a child could want, horses, plenty of land to run and play, and most important a loving family. So maybe you’re thinking. How could the devastation of drug addiction find its way to the small farm in the middle of the country life? Well, the cold reality is that drugs are everywhere! My drug of choice was heroin, I gave up my family, my home, my job and mostly myself. My addiction took me many places, from living in my car, sleeping in the Port Authority and mainly staying as long as I could in shooting galleries. My addiction took me nowhere fast.

Anderson House has given me many gifts. The staff is so supportive, programs are real, there is so much love and support for the women here it’s beautiful. I can only pray that the women out there suffering from this disease are fortunate enough to find a place like Anderson House."  Pat C.

 "I was born the first of three children, two brothers followed to this moderate income family. We lived in a small town with all types of people, very rich, moderate income and poor. It was a happy childhood with many friends and we made our own fun. Dolls were the thing when I was very young, then came the bikes, skates, Girl Scouts, Girls Friendly and church activities. Throughout my High School years there was always plenty to keep me busy, schoolwork, school activities and dances. I never wanted for pleasure.

Two years after graduation I married my high school sweetheart. Our life was complete. We had two daughters and twin sons. The perfect double family. The children gave us very little trouble growing up and we had 32 years of happy family life. My husband passed away suddenly at the age of 53. (All the children were married and not living at home.) During these years we would have a social drink but that was it.

After the death of my husband I was lonely and began to drink more and more until drinking became an obsession until I became a pint a day drinker. The bottle was taking over my life. My family talked me into/insisted I get help. I went into Detox/rehab and thought I was cured, only to relapse a few months latter. The behavior was repeated several times with a DWI thrown in. This did not make for a happy family situation. I would isolate completely from family and friends. Nothing mattered but the bottle. I was in and out of DETOX, AA and short term rehab until I came to the point where I had to do something for myself. I took the bull by the horn and called to set up DETOX for myself. When I went in I told them that this time I would do anything they suggested to get well. Long term rehab is what it must be. Anderson House was their suggestion.

Six months seemed like a very long time. The beginning was very difficult, 12 girls of different ages and backgrounds all much younger then I. I had to learn that my way was not always the right way and that I had to be very tolerant. My spirituality was really given a good test. But with the help of my higher power and Anderson House I have become able to be content with myself and others around me. This is a big step toward my goal of becoming the person I once was. Thank you Anderson House."

Rachel B.

 "I grew up in Hunterdon County for most of my life. My family has always had money and therefore, bought me anything I wanted. My parents provided me with material support, but not emotional support. I always kept my emotions and feelings inside through my childhood and teenage years.

When I was around 12 or 13, I picked up my first drink. I loved drinking for several reasons. Drinking made me social, it allowed me to be someone else for a few hours. I remember telling myself that I would only drink and maybe smoke pot, but I would never do anything else. Of course, by the time I graduated high school, I was doing much more than that. I also developed an eating disorder when I was 15 or 16. By the time I graduated from high school I weighed 90 lbs. and hadn’t spent a day clean in at least 2 years. I never even thought I was an addict, I thought I was only having fun.

I headed off to college in North Jersey, where I picked up prescription pills, then heroin. After 2 months of using, I noticed when I didn’t use, I was sick. So, I kept using for the next 2 years.

I went to detox in November 1997, without anyone knowing, except for my boyfriend who had gotten on methadone. About a week after detox, I ended up in an Eating Disorders Unit weighing 87 lbs. at 20 years old. When I got out, I relapsed. I knew I couldn’t stay clean on my own and I couldn’t get better living with my parents.

I came for an interview at Anderson House and got accepted into the program. When I got to Anderson House, I didn’t know what to expect. The only things I knew were that being here would help me stay clean and in the process teach me about who I was and what I wanted out of life. Anderson House provided me with the tools I needed to live life clean and to enjoy life, to have fun without drugs – something I never thought was possible. The Anderson House staff taught me how to live for myself, not depend on my parents to make my decisions for me. They told me to follow my dreams because I can achieve them as long as I stay clean."

Sarah P.

 "My addiction took just about everything from me, it took my self respect, self worth and my own honesty (or the ability to be honest with myself) from me.

What it gave me was no respect for myself and others. It made me do things I would have never done sober and it told me it was o.k. It brought me to places I would have never went if I was with a clear mind. It almost made me take the life of the two most precious people in it "my children" on more than one occasion. It made people want to stay away from me because I couldn’t be trusted. It took me to the point where I believed everyone would be better off without me in their lives. It made me believe that I deserved to feel this way about myself and that I wasn’t worth anything.

Today, I don’t have to feel like this ever again as long as I stay sober, with each day I stay sober it enforces in me that as long as I’m open, honest and willing that I never need to feel all these things again. I need to remember that I most likely will not have another recovery in me."

Mary B.

 "I grew up a country girl from Ringoes, New Jersey. I was the middle child of three with an overworked mother and alcoholic father. Growing up I never felt that I was good enough for anything. My brother and sister always got the attention and I was always second. My whole life I have been trying to fill that empty void inside of me. That void that just needed to be filled with love and friendship. But I always looked for it in the wrong places.

I started using drugs when I was fifteen years old. They distorted my sense of reality and I didn’t care about anything. I almost failed out of school, I would go from job to job. I was like a lost puppy struggling to find my way in life.

The end started when I got involved with a younger guy and he introduced me to Heroin. The disillusioning substance that took me to my knees. I thought I had found that one thing that was going to make me whole. So I picked it up and ran with it. I was in jails, institutions, abandoned buildings and came very close to death many times. I didn’t care where I was or who I was with as long as I had what I needed to survive. I was in program after program, trying to find some way to stop but I wasn’t willing to do whatever it took. Until about seven months ago I had a spiritual awakening that allowed me to see that my Higher Power was holding my hand through all of this chaos. I finally felt ready to make that change. It was almost instantaneously that I started bettering myself. I knew that it was no longer my way anymore. I had to listen to everything other recovering people told me to do or I was going to die a horrible, horrible death.

I entered Anderson House after detox and rehab. I got a sponsor and a network of women that I could trust. I learned how to live life and cope with its ups and downs. I learned how to have relationships with friends without always wanting something out of it. And most important I learned to fill that empty void inside of me with not only the love and companionship of other people but with the love of myself which I never thought was possible. I am forever grateful to Anderson House for teaching me to sit back, take a deep breath and just enjoy the beauty of today. Life is too short and trust me I am going to live mine to the fullest!"

Joanne R.

 "I am the youngest of four children my oldest sister being 15 years older than me. I have two sisters and one brother. I’ve always felt different than my two sisters and father. I’ve now realized an alien ship dropped them off before I was born. My mother, brother and I were very alike. When I was in 7th grade my mom found out she had cancer and spent a lot of time at Sloan Kettering in New York City. I had learned how to bottle up my feelings at this age and continued to do so until Anderson House and A.A. helped me to open up. I’m divorced from an alcoholic and was raising our son. I have another son from a broken engagement. I’ve always been searching to fill an empty hole inside me since my mother’s death. She died right after I graduated high school.

I was very captivated with the night life, bar scene, ever since I was old enough to drink. I eventually took a job bartending and continued until rehab. Without realizing I had lost all of my hopes and goals I wanted out of life. I took care of my father from the time my mother died until two years ago. I had gotten a DWI and my father decided to move to my sisters. That same month I found out I had to move from the house I had been renting for 11 years. It was a rapid spiral down for me from then on. I moved into a house I couldn’t afford much less hated. It was the only house I could find at the time. Between the cab fare, baby-sitters it barely made sense to work but I did. I never missed a day.

I became extremely depressed. I wanted more for my sons and myself out of life. Being so depressed I drank and that made it worse. I thought I had gotten a raw deal from God and blamed him for not only mom’s death but also for my life. DYFS came to my house after someone called them saying I had a drinking problem. They decided I was to go into treatment and I sent my sons to my sisters. Well, while in rehab I got evicted and the landlord stole what she wanted and trashed the rest of my stuff. My family got a few things but not much. So if that wasn’t bad enough my sister gave the boys to their fathers. These are fathers that had no contact with them ever.

I have worked extremely hard on my recovery. I cherish it dearly. I am now the manager of the gift shop I work at. I went on vacation the first time in 5 years. I got my license back and a car. I’m straightening my credit out and am waiting for housing to open up. I then can go for custody of my sons. I faithfully go to church and have a wonderful relationship with God these days. I am at peace for the first time in years. I continue to grow daily. I realize today that some things take time and if you do the right thing anything is possible.

I have goals and dreams again, the only difference is I will see them through this time. I am confident about myself and my life and that is a wonderful feeling. I have my ups and downs, that’s life, the difference is I talk to people about it. I want my sons back more than I can express on paper. I miss them with all my heart. It will be a wonderful day when we are back together. Until then I’ll just continue to do the right thing and pray that that day is soon."

Sylvia N.

 "I will be forever grateful for the love, support and guidance I have received here. I have learned that I have the power to achieve anything I set my heart to, that I can feel free to dream, and through my behavior, earn the respect from others that I genuinely deserve.

I feel that believing in myself is my greatest achievement in the past seven months. I came into Anderson House with absolutely no self-esteem at all. Now I can walk into a job interview for a prominent position and know in my heart that I have the knowledge, skill and assets to enhance any job I choose. I can speak with assurance about myself and my attributes, and express what my weaknesses are without cringing. I could not have that feeling of strength without the tools I have to carry with me now.

I have also begun to work through areas of grief that have stunted spiritual growth over the years. Now I truly believe in my higher powers, yes powers, for I believe there are a variety of spirits that help me through whatever I face during any day. Many of them work through people. Some work through nature, still others through music. I know they will follow me while I walk this next leg of my journey.

While at Anderson House, I learned all of the things I just wrote about. I also developed close friendships with wonderful women for the first time in my life. I found joy, laughter, heartache, pain and love just by listening. When it was time for someone to listen to me I found the most solid support of friendship I had ever known.

Please know that the purpose of any halfway house is a grand one. Without this resource many more talented, loving, intelligent women would be lost to husbands, parents and children. I thank God for this opportunity to change my life around and to have another chance to be a Woman of Substance! Thank you Anderson House."

Heather T.

 "I grew up in a non-alcoholic family with parents who taught me right from wrong. I lived comfortably at home until I was 18. I had my first drink at 14 and immediately fell in love with the escape it provided. From that day on, I strove to feel that way all the time.

I was expelled from college my freshman year for drugs and entered my 1st rehab. I was allowed to return to college upon completion of treatment, provided I lived in the university’s sober housing, which I did. I got involved in AA and stayed sober for 3 ½ years. I excelled in school and obtained my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work. But I didn’t change. I met a man in AA. We moved in together and began a 3 year run with alcohol and drugs, selling all my material possessions to support my heroin and crack habit. We began stealing, and in November 1995, we were arrested on robbery charges and sent to prison. 2 years, 9 months, and 7 days later, I arrived at Anderson House. It provided me with a foundation to change, so that I never have to return to that misery again. I know I could not have stayed clean without it."

Chris K.

"As a little girl, I never said I wanted to be a junkie when I grew up. But life has a strange way of handing you what you least expect….

I lived in a bubble, filled with hopes and dreams that helped me to deal with life – and escape it. It was curiosity that led me to experiment with drugs and alcohol. I thought I had found the end to my problems, when in all actuality, it was only the beginning.

Drugs and alcohol took away everyone and everything that had meaning to me, almost immediately. As my disease began it’s rapid progression, my life began to center around my addiction. There was absolutely nothing that came before my drug use. I became a body with no soul, a vacant lot, using to live and living to use.

In the end of my addiction I was living a nightmare. I felt so much pain inside that I prayed for death, more afraid of continuing to live as an active addict than death itself. I wandered the streets, alone and afraid, doing whatever it took to support my habit. I was on the run from the police, and when it finally dawned on me that there wasn’t a drug in circulation that would make me feel anything less than miserable, I gave up and turned myself in. After a short stay in the county jail, I was released to the care of Anderson House.

Sometimes you have to lose everything before you can be grateful for what you have. I feel a gratitude today that I cannot begin to express in words. Recovery is a priceless gift. And here at Anderson House I’ve learned how to use this gift. I’m not getting high, but it’s rare that I’m seen without a smile on my face. Today I’m a 20 year-old addict in recovery, and that’s okay with me. My hopes and dreams are still alive inside of me, growing and changing, and becoming more possible with each day that I choose not to use drugs and alcohol."

Rebecca C.

 "I am a forty-one year old woman recovering from alcohol and drug addiction. I was fourteen years old when I used my first substance. It was then that I learned how to suppress and hide everything that hurt me. I had a very loving family but unfortunately a series of tragedies caused our household to be dysfunctional and very sad. My addiction took me to many places. Hospitals, rehabs, detoxes and subsequently – jail. After trying so many ways and numerous institutions to stop this disease from killing me, I realized that I was trying to stop for all the wrong reasons. It was never for me. I found myself in jail for the last time. My father had passed away; my mom who I treasured died and everyone who I once held close to my heart were no longer around. I finally surrendered to this disease. I got honest with myself and so I sat in a lonely jail with no way out for six months, my mind started to change. I knew God’s grace delivered me from the cold, shrewd grips of my addiction.

While in jail, a woman came in and shared her experience; strength and hope with me and spoke of this halfway house called Anderson House. I remembered the name and called for an interview. That was in June of 1998. I was accepted and June 29th I began my journey. I was given an opportunity to learn a new way of life. I was taught the basic tools of the recovery process. One day at a time sometimes one-hour at a time I learned how to live a sober drug free life. I learned at Anderson House that dreams do come true, that goals are reachable and that tears will heal your soul if you allow them to. I spent thirty-four years pushing my feelings down. Anderson House gave me a new beginning. I learned so much at Anderson House and I also learned through one on one counseling and the groups they offered that I could credit myself for the courage and the willingness I had for showing up for my life. I completed the six-month program and continued into their three-quarter house and now I have my own apartment, my own car and I am a proud productive member of society. I can’t say enough about my journey. I do know that I had to surrender and I also believe the Anderson House had the staff, the knowledge and heart-felt love that I needed to become the woman in recovery that I am today. I am proud to be a graduate of Anderson House and today I know that I can keep my parents alive in my heart by being the daughter they raised with dignity, respect and love for other people that are less fortunate than me. Thank you Anderson House."

Linda F.

 "I am 31 years old and I have been in active addiction for 12 years. Prisons and rehabs have been revolving doors for me, always attempting to get sober and never being able to stay clean for very long.

In the end of my addiction, I have been homeless for quite sometime, relying on prostitution to support my habit. I felt completely helpless and hopeless. I was hospitalized countless times for life threatening illness and heart problems caused by my addiction. I know that continuing to use would kill me.

I kept trying to get into treatment, somewhere, anywhere, and I kept getting turned away because either I had no money, no insurance, no address or because of my medical history. I thought no one could help me when I needed it the most. I didn’t know where to turn, and a friend of mine who is in recovery and knew about Anderson House, suggested I give them a call.

I was so happy when they accepted me. Finally, I had hope and could see some light at the end of the tunnel.

Because I can stay at Anderson House for an extended length of time (6 months) which is longer than any rehab, I have time to learn how to live as a productive member of society. I have a full time job and because of the extensive counseling they have there, I’m learning how to live life. How not to run away from the little problems that arise. How to deal with the shame and guilt of my past issues. How to learn to care about myself and respect myself as a woman. How to budget and save money and I’m sure a lot more. These are things I never did before, because I always ran to drugs and alcohol."

Sue N.