Testimonials

As of December 18th, 2014 I have been clean of all alcohol and drugs. My journey into sobriety started in proctor II, at Mclean hospital. During my stay there, one of the staff members helped me look through several different options for an aftercare plan. One in particular caught my eye, it was Riverbank House in Laconia New Hampshire. Riverbank stuck out to me because of its vast array of activities and amenities. These included yoga, a full gym, musical instruments, skiing and massages. Even though the program was chalked full of luxury the price tag was significantly cheaper than any other program I had perused. On top of the already discounted price, I also received a grant from the owner Randy. Prior to getting into detox at Mclean, I had made calls to several rehab programs. The disposition of each conversation seemed more like a business call, than a talk about the road to recovery. Randy however spoke to me with compassion, and seemed genuinely interested in my sobriety.

Having made the decision to become a resident of Riverbank has been one of the greatest decisions I have ever made. The amenities I listed above, were the reason I came to Riverbank, but are not the reason I stay today. When I first arrived, my plan was to stay for two months, sit through horribly boring AA meetings and then leave. Over the course of my stay, I have changed quite a bit, and have learned a substantial amount about myself and what it takes to stay sober. No longer do I dread going to AA meetings, I actually look forward to attending them. One of my favorite attributes of the program is that it doesn’t feel like a hospital; Riverbank allows me to feel like I’m still out in the real world. Each day I grow more and more towards a life of self-reliance and well-being.

Everyday we have groups and learn about what character defects lead us to use and isolate. Randy attends most of these meetings and challenges us to question our broken belief systems and not be afraid to share how we are feeling. I now understand the importance of dealing with life on life’s terms and would recommend the Riverbank House to anyone who is willing to try a new way of life, a life I’m experiencing today filled with happiness, joy and freedom.

I was recently referred to the Riverbank House from Mclean Hospital and originally committed to the 28 day program but the community and staff helped me quickly realize the severity of my disease. Since arriving I have committed to five months of the full program and then the transitional facility to assist me integrating back into the real world. Randy and his staff are very knowledgeable and push me to really change myself in order to build a solid foundation for the remainder of my life. They helped me understand 28 days is just not enough time and I’ve come to realize addiction is out to get me in many different ways and I need to be prepared and the Riverbank House has provided me with the resources and tools necessary. The Riverbank facility itself and accomodations are incredible, we pride ourselves on maintaining a clean house which helped teach me accountability and how to be mindful of the way I show up in a community and all other aspects of my life. All of us in the community help each other out to better ourselves and in the process have established a brotherhood of sorts as we learn to deal with any situation that may arise. The groups and curriculum are very well structured and cover a variety of topics that are insightful to my recovery. While we focus a lot on the 12-step recovery of Alcoholic’s Annoymous we are exposed to a variety of other ideals and work to find out which one we can relate to the best. We attend AA meetings on a daily basis and are encouraged to become a part of the community rather than a part from. I’ve found AA will be the foundation that I need to maintain my sobriety but also I understand there is much more work required outside of meetings and the Riverbank House has helped me identify this. We are also blessed with the ability to experience life through so many incredible recreational activities, some I could never have imagined. Our brotherhood is built during these days, which occur every Thursday and Saturday.

I have been here for five months and I would highly recommend the Riverbank House to anyone who is serious about their recovery. I would not be where I am today mentally, physically and spiritually if it was not for Randy and his staff. It has truly been a blessing to come here and I hope someone else can experience the life I am living today!