Mara Lord

Review of Sunrise RTC

My parents sent me to Sunrise a couple of years ag...

My parents sent me to Sunrise a couple of years ago and I am very grateful. Without them, I would have never been able to become the person I am today. I was able to get my diploma at Sunrise Academy with the help of their awesome principal, and now I have a good job as well as a great relationship with my dad. Sunrise taught me the importance of having healthy, interdependent relationships with friends and family. If it weren't for my fantastic therapist, my trauma would have continued inhibiting my social and emotional development, and ultimately running my life. The whole treatment team at Sunrise is amazing for being able to assess what I needed to be able to progress and establish boundaries accordingly. I was a very stubborn, close minded girl, and it took a long time for me to accept their help. They invested copious amounts of time and patience in order to help me see a new perspective, which I needed desperately. The staff that were there had always been so invested in helping me get better, and the teachers were very understanding about my learning needs. They provided endless encouragement and pushed me to do my very best. I'm not sure if I would've graduated at all had they not been so determined and given me support when I needed it the most. Everyone at Sunrise pushed me to do better, despite how defiant I had been for most of the time I was there. No matter how many mistakes I made, no matter how much trouble I managed to get myself into, they never gave up on me. I hadn't ever been able to understand the value of integrity until Sunrise showed me how much it affects my life and the lives of those around me. I had not known how to manage my emotions at all before going to Sunrise. The only way I knew how to cope was to repress my thoughts, lash out at others, or turn to drugs for an escape. But the therapists and staff did not allow me to avoid my issues anymore. With their help I learned to accept that my problems do exist, find the courage to address them, and discover skills to overcome them. Had they not been there for me so consistently, I might not have made it through, and I would probably still be that suicidal girl drowning in anxiety and shame. Sunrise assisted me tremendously in doing what I needed most-- loving myself. Letting go of my not-so-great past, controlling my overwhelming feelings about the future, and doing what I can in the present. I learned balance. I finally understood the concept of mindfulness and began to apply it in my life, which changed everything. Sunrise taught me how to succeed, how to have goals and actually reach them. I made personal achievements that I never thought I was capable of. They did everything they possibly could to get me to do that for myself, and I am forever grateful for it.