As many people know, the addiction treatment field is often difficult to navigate. Besides the general issues of finding appropriate clinical services to meet the needs of individuals and families suffering from addiction and co-occurring disorders, there are also the unethical providers and unscrupulous tactics that often take place in behavioral healthcare. One of the more egregious issues in terms of marketing or promotions of a specific rehab or addiction treatment center are testimonials.
When an individual seeking help or a loved one searching treatment options for a loved one look for a facility, one of the first things they may come across are testimonials on Google, Bing, or Facebook. And unfortunately, what they may find are inaccurate or completely fake. Some of bad actors in addiction treatment utilize patient testimonials or online reviews to clean up their image or present a perception of the facility that is inaccurate. Many do this by purchasing good reviews, paying current patients or enticing current patients to write 5-star reviews, or flooding reviews with glowing sentiments from employees. One of the more humorous things that can often be found is a rehab or treatment organization that is either only recently opened or not even opened yet have dozens upon dozens of positive reviews online and glowing testimonials. However, an individual searching online for treatment would never know, and therefore believe the glowing reviews and testimonials.
The truth is, no treatment center should ever have only glowing reviews. Treatment is difficult, and the patient population receiving care for addiction is often resistant. While, eventually, many former patients may praise a rehab or treatment center for saving their lives (which is also untrue- a treatment center plays a part in a patient taking action to save their own life), rarely if ever would the treatment experience be only a positive experience. Treatment is difficult- the process of identifying, facing, and overcoming the challenges associated with addiction and substance use disorder is not an easy one. Treatment is not meant to be like an experience at a 5-Star resort. It is a hard, difficult, transformational, life-changing process, and things like that don’t always get glowing reviews. They receive honest reviews and feedback. Every rehab or treatment center has patients and family members that are unhappy, at least at some point, during the process. And that’s okay. What is not okay are the drug rehabs and addiction treatment centers that want to make unsuspecting individuals and families believe that their facility is wonderful, and every patient is happy all of the time.
So here are some real testimonials and feedback we have received at Maryland Addiction Recovery Center, from former patient, family members, and referring professionals, of their actual experience with MARC:
“Our daughter has been at MARC for five months and her journey through the recovery process has been a blessing to our family. MARC employees are extremely knowledgeable and very professional. The program supports the many facets associated with addiction moving at a pace set by the individual’s own needs. We couldn’t be more pleased. As always, praying for continued progress.”
Mother of a MARC patient
“I came to MARC directly out of a 28-day inpatient center, into a city that I didn’t know and had never even really been to before. At 22 years old I was honestly terrified of what lay ahead for me in terms of recovery, and I didn’t really have much faith or belief in myself at all. Due to this fear I was initially very defiant and resistant towards the treatment program and staff at MARC. I felt like I was being forced to stay at the facility, since I had no money and no one else who would take me in. It was safe to say I had pretty much burned every bridge by that point. I struggled in my first couple weeks at MARC and this showed in my actions and my defiance towards staff. Despite this by the end of my first month I had begun to notice that maybe, just maybe, these people actually cared about my well-being. Maybe they actually knew what they were doing when it came to guiding my recovery. It was at this point that I began to notice myself become more open and receptive to MARC’S method of treatment and recovery. Once this small change began to happen, everything else in my life began to change in a rapid and significant way. I got involved in an outside 12-step program and really threw myself into the therapy provided by the clinicians in treatment. I developed strong connections with other members of the community at MARC and learned to become vulnerable with these peers in ways I never had been able to with anyone ever before. Today, with almost 3 years sober, I personally believe that MARC’s methods and approaches to recovery changed my life. I am a huge believer in their program and recommend them to anyone who has been unsuccessful at staying sober through other short-term treatment programs.”
Former MARC patient
“MARC is the best option for people seeking treatment in the Greater Baltimore area, hands-down. I wouldn’t trust anyone else to care for my clients or loved ones. Their clinical work is driven by the needs of each individual, and not by the bottom line- a truly rare factor in the field”
Local therapist
“I attended MARC for an extended period of time. Coming in, I had no clue what to expect, and if any treatment center for that matter was going to work on a guy like me. I forgot how to live while being off of drugs and alcohol. Not only does this program and clinical staff (therapist, counselors, and therapist assistants) assist you on digging deep to the root of your own issues, but it teaches you how to become a functioning member of society again. From budgeting one’s money and cooking your own meals again, to attending 12-Step meetings and building a network of sober support in the fellowship, this treatment center and the way they operated helped save my life, along with my own actions of course. This place taught be how to be honest again and reach out for help when I needed it the most. The therapists here were the best that I’ve ever dealt with, and I attended many rehab facilities before this one. I would recommend this place to absolutely anyone seeking help with substance abuse disorder and alcoholism.”
Former MARC patient
“As a trauma and addiction therapist, my experience with Maryland Addiction Recovery Center is great! Their therapists have attended a training I gave, and I know they value education for their staff. I have talked with them at great length about the importance of treating addiction from a trauma-informed lens and from a systems-based model. I would highly recommend their program”
Local trauma therapist
“As a clinician in Maryland, I’ve coordinated and collaborated with MARC on a number of occasions. In my experience, the leadership at MARC uses the most current data to continue to evolve their program in order to meet the changing needs of their patient population. The clinicians are skilled, caring, and focused on individualized treatment.”
Local therapist
“When I came to MARC, I was struggling with my addiction, had recently made a suicide attempt, and was grieving the loss of a close friend who had passed away Today, I’ve been clean since September of 2015, no longer struggle with suicidal thoughts, and have made an incredible amount of progress with my grief, thanks to the wonderful staff and patients at MARC. Because of MARC, I realized the severity of my situation and found the motivation to get and stay clean. While the process was not always easy, I am incredibly grateful to MARC every single day for helping me get out of the dark place I was in and getting me to the happy, healthy place I’m in today.”
Former MARC patient
“We cannot say enough about how Maryland Addiction Recovery Center (MARC) has saved our daughter’s life! She experienced treatment in several other programs in Maryland, DC, and Pennsylvania for about two years without success. Only with the expertise of MARC was she able to truly understand her addiction and the work she needed to do towards her recovery. She has now been in recovery for over 2 ½ years. Your program really works, and not just for individuals with active addiction. Our entire family benefitted from the therapy we underwent with her MARC therapist and the guidance we received from other MARC staff on what to do and not to do to help our daughter towards recovery. As you know, it certainly wasn’t always easy! We believe the key to our daughter’s long-lasting success was MARC’s professional understanding of the need to commit the necessary resources (individual, group, and family therapy; sober living residence, attendance at recovery meetings, etc.) over a period of time long enough to have a lasting impact. At MARC, she soon realized that she needed to really commit to recovery with her family’s support, and her needs were not going to be met in only a month or two, that she required long-term care for her disease. With MARC’s guidance, we were able to demonstrate that we were serious about and committed to her recovery. She gradually realized this and began to have more faith in herself and became able to work with MARC staff towards her recovery. She eventually became a sponsor to other young women. Moreover, just last week she spent all day at her former high school telling her personal recovery story to 10th grade health classes, something she has done at other area high schools. Thank you for all the work you did to help our daughter. We will always be grateful to MARC for giving us back our daughter.”
Parents of former MARC Patient
“By far, the best substance use treatment setting and approach I have ever worked with in my 40 years as a clinician. Extremely knowledgeable and caring staff. The people I have referred there have done so well.”
Referring therapist
“I’d like to share that my son went to MARC several years ago. He was not ready to go anywhere, as he has just shared his issues with us. The owners of the facility were wonderful with as, as well as his primary therapist. He did not make it there very long. My point is though…they followed up with me. I called numerous times to ask questions. They gave their time and suggestions and continued to provide guidance and resources as time went on. He is finally at a point where he currently seems to be ready for help. When Maryland Addiction Recovery Center claims they will help find the best fit for you or your loved one, whether it’s at MARC or not, THEY MEAN IT!”
Mother of a former patient
“MARC is a TRUE extended care facility dedicated to changing the lives of those suffering from addiction. The fact that they incorporate the entire family into the recovery process proves to me that they truly understand addiction treatment. Ethical, professional and thorough care.”
Referring professional
“I have been wrestling with alcoholism for 20 years. Over that time I have been through more than a dozen detoxes, rehabs, outpatient programs, psychiatric hospitals & recovery homes only to return to my alcoholic lifestyle within months of successful completion. Along with my family, friends and everyone else who knew me, I had lost hope in my recovery and began to except that there wasn’t anything that was going to save me from this condition. It was just a matter of time before alcoholism would take my life. Then in September 2017 I was lying in a hospital bed barely surviving alcohol withdrawal, wanting nothing besides a bottle of whiskey, when I received a call from the clinical team at Maryland Addiction Recovery Center. They asked me if I would come back. The question running through my mind was “What are they going to do?” but what I said was yes. Why I don’t know. You see, Maryland Addiction Recovery Center was one of the 20 pitstops that I successfully completed and yet here I was in the hospital again, barely alive and dying from alcoholism. The team at MARC made all of the arrangements for me to go from that hospital to a detox facility and then to the MARC facility. I arrived coincidentally on 9/11 beat up, broken, angry, confused, hopeless and afraid. I made it very clear that I wasn’t done drinking and they made it very clear that they weren’t giving up on me. Over the next few months MARC pushed, prodded and challenged me like no person or institution ever has. No matter what my complaint, fear, hurt or delusion of the day was they only offered me the truth and forced me to make a decision based on that truth. The Community Living Treatment program at MARC really served in a powerful way to fully immerse me in a process where recovery is dealt with in every facet of my life. This program fostered an environment which forced me to face and deal with recovery physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Where the willingness came from to face the truth, fear, wreckage of my life and let go I don’t know. What I do know is that once I had it MARC was there to help me walk it out every step of the way like no place I’ve ever been. Everyone from the TA’s to the therapists to the executive team and even alumni became involved in my recovery process. As hard as they were on me they were equally as compassionate, encouraging and supportive as I begin to change how I lived. From there I began to lean that changing how I lived had nothing to do with my circumstances or situations and had everything to do with my choices and decisions. I began to live with authentic freedom even though from the outside my circumstances may have appeared as though I lived in captivity/rehab. It has been a long time since I hobbled into the doors at MARC. At the age of 39 this has been the hardest year of my life without question. I am still sober and I am now starting to experience some joy and peace without whiskey for the first time in 20 years. MARC has helped me make recovery a way of life rather than a part of life. Now I continue to pass on what I’ve been given as an alumnus to the new patients arriving every month in hopes that they will find the freedom that I have found.”
Former MARC patient
If you or someone you know needs help for addiction or co-occurring disorder issues, please give us a call. Maryland Addiction Recovery Center offers the most comprehensive dual diagnosis addiction treatment in the Mid-Atlantic area. If we aren’t the best fit for you or your loved one, we will take the necessary time to work with you to find a treatment center or provider that better fits your needs. Please give us a call at (410) 773-0500 or email our team at info@marylandaddictionrecovery.com. For more information on all of our drug addiction, alcohol addiction and co-occurring disorder services and recovery resources, please visit our web site at www.marylandaddictionrecovery.com.
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