Testimonials

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 Lisa’s 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 MARC Alumnus

My son was admitted to Maryland Addiction Recovery Center in May 2017. He was suffering from drug addiction as well as an underlying psychiatric disorder. My first experience was with Caroline in admissions, who was kind, patient, answered all of my questions and provided great guidance. She arranged the admission quickly and checked on us during our travels to MARC (we travelled a long distance to get there) and was a great source of support. It was too late when we arrived to go to the treatment center, so I dropped my son off at the residences. He was treated with respect and kindness by Jason and the other TA’s. I left there feeling a sense of relief that I have not known in years.

My son was evaluated by a psychiatrist, who started him on medications immediately. He began an intensive program of individual counseling, group sessions, yoga classes, and had access to a gym. When my husband and I saw him again in two months, he looked better than he had in many years. He was alert, kept good eye contact, had gained weight, and overall looked healthy and was very clearheaded. We began biweekly family counseling sessions with his therapist Tyler, who has been absolutely amazing. He has been such a good fit for my son, and for our family, and the sessions are always enlightening and productive. Tyler is extremely insightful and compassionate and an excellent therapist.

Everyone that I have worked with at MARC has been dedicated, compassionate, intelligent and caring. Sarah is always so welcoming when we arrive. Sam Bierman has been extremely helpful and kind during our son’s stay at MARC. The program is phenomenal in its approach to addiction. MARC’s program is a long term program that treats the addiction and underlying psychiatric and emotional issues, but also supports the patient in vocational and life skills training. Each patient participates in group sessions, individual counseling, and attends meetings in the community. My son found a sponsor and sober support persons who have helped him tremendously. In the past, he was in drug treatment programs on four separate occasions. He was only there for a week each time, and resumed drug use almost immediately upon discharge.

My family and I highly recommend MARC and its recovery program. Each patient is treated with respect, dignity, and kindness. We had prepared ourselves for the worst when our loved one continued to suffer with the disease of addiction. We believe that MARC saved his life, and feel so blessed that he was able to enter this program. He is now seven months sober.
Parents of Patient

At the end of last month, our daughter celebrated her 1-year-sober date. We could not let this event pass without expressing our deep appreciation to each of you personally, and to MARC collectively, for the critical role you’ve played in her reaching this milestone. From the early advice about 28-day programs and half-way homes, to assistance in navigating financial payments and claims, to counseling that put her firmly on the road to healing, you have been an indispensable part of our daughter’s recovery. Even more, your program helped transform Baltimore from a place of unpleasant memories to be avoided, into a locus for growth and a true community of friends and partners.
Parents of Patient

More than three years ago, our son came to us with a devastating problem and asked for our help. As parents we felt a myriad of emotions: shock, terror, sadness, anger, confusion. We knew nothing about addiction and even less about treatment options. After countless phone calls to other treatment facilities, we finally reached Sam Bierman at MARC. That was the phone call that set our son’s recovery in motion. Sam was receptive, friendly, genuine and empathetic. He immediately put our worries at ease and answered all our questions in an unhurried manner, as if he valued our son and our unique situation. From that phone call on, everything fell into place.

Our son worked extremely hard with the counselors and staff at MARC. They gave him the individual attention that was paramount to his recovery. Through treatment, he became a much more confident, strong and caring man. It was amazing to see his transformation. We fully understand and appreciate how lucky we were that he not only received the best of care, but that he was willing to make the difficult changes in his life that lead to his recovery. Our son has a very bright future ahead of him largely due to the support and attention he received during his treatment. We will forever be grateful to MARC.
Suzanne Long
Mother of MARC Alumnus and Current MARC Employee

After realizing our daughter had a problem with addiction, she came to us for help. She went to detox, then a 28 day treatment facility. We thought she would be cured. So many questions we all still had. What do you mean addition is a daily struggle? What do you mean addiction is a disease? How can this be? We raised her with values. She is smart, educated. She had everything life could offer our young beautiful girl. We made sure of that. We can fix her. We will take care of her. We won’t let her fail.

After sending our beautiful girl to Maryland Addiction Recovery Center for extended care, we realized this was a very necessary part of the recovery process. This was the beginning of our recovery journey. Yes, this is a family disease. When addiction affects a person in the family, everyone is in need of help.

The help our daughter got at MARC made us realize this was the best treatment facility we could have asked for. They treated her for her addiction and helped her deal with newly diagnosed co-occurring mental health issues. She was very fortunate to have a wonderfully talented team of psychiatrists, psychologists and counselors and staff. In patient living facility and groups helped keep her from isolating. She learned to be social, think independently and become her own person.

With the help of everyone at MARC she is on medication for her mental health issues and working a twelve step program that is vital to her recovery. As parents we learned from MARC the need for our daughter to be independent and let go of our co-dependency. We also learned we needed counseling because this didn’t just happen. This addiction was building for years before. Parent groups help us feel we are not alone. We have learned so much about addiction and recovery. It is a long road and without the expert advice and guidance MARC had to offer I am not sure we would be where we are now. Almost Two years in recovery and still learning. MARC is a fully staffed and educated facility that keeps working on ways to reach out and help families suffering from the disease of addiction. Our sincere gratitude to MARC and all the staff who helped us along this journey.
Tony & Kim
Parents of Patient

I wanted to thank all of you for all you have done for our son. His transformation has been nothing short of miraculous, and I know all the staff at MARC played a crucial role in this. Your care—to him, and to us as a family—was so impressive; it is clear that all of you are entirely dedicated to the cause of treating addiction.

Since our son was asked to leave MARC he has done really well. I am not naive about the risks in the future and the lifetime burden addiction/mental illness brings, and I fear and know he will have serious obstacles ahead. But one thing is for sure: you helped him develop crucial skills to handle the issues he faces.

Ironically, his sudden release from MARC, including the dangers it brought for his recovery, made him want to prove himself more than I have ever seen in him. To date, he is respectful to us, does not badger for things, enjoys being around us (and vice versa), and he enjoys his new job. We have frequent contact, and conflict is almost entirely absent. He seems to have matured 3 years in 3 months. On his own, he located a new IOP after exploring several different clinics (his current one is not as good as MARC, he agrees, but still good), and he continues to go to AA meetings. The network he built through AA has been extremely important he tells us.

You laid the foundation for all of this. In a sense it is a bit regretful our son left MARC the way he did, but it is precisely because you held firm on everything that he does well now I think.

I honestly cannot thank you enough for your dedication and quality of care. After having had him in 5(!) different treatment facilities over the past year, I can only conclude you are lightyears beyond the rest in quality and approach.
Mother of Former Patient

Last week our son marked his one-year anniversary of being clean and sober. I am filled with gratitude that my son is not only alive and healthy, but that he is happy and thriving. And that I too have found sanity and serenity. One year ago, two, three, four years ago, I could not have imagined this outcome.

Thank you for what you have created at Maryland Addiction Recovery Center. In addition to having a highly skilled and compassionate staff, MARC is an organization with integrity.

There are several things that I believe have been critical to his success in your program:

• The necessity of long-term treatment: he did not just get sober, he learned how to create a life and to start living it; he learned that he could be both sober and happy. It took a full year for these things to happen.
• The importance of support and continuity during transitions: from residential to halfway house, from FT IOP to step-down, getting a job, completing the recovery program. MARC and his primary therapist were constants throughout this process and that was a key to his success. We were never left on our own.
• Developing a multi-pronged support network: the involvement and growth of our family; the involvement and reliance on AA, a sponsor and program friends.

Keep doing what you’re doing! You are changing lives. Saving lives.
Mother of Patient

The staff at Maryland Addiction Recovery Center offered our family a safe and secure environment during the time that our son was a client there. Dealing with these issues was very trying and was a difficult time for us as parents. The staff at MARC was understanding, compassionate, and never made us feel judged. They took the time to talk with us and even included regular treatment sessions for my husband and me.

They made the process comforting and at a time when we felt lost as parents they were able to bring some clarity and focus. They gave us great tools that we can now use to help support our son in his recovery.
Mother of an Adolescent Client

We are beginning to understand that addiction recovery is a process and we have learned a lot along the way. The first program our loved one completed included the use of Suboxone. We were apprehensive, especially since our loved one has a dual diagnosis, but this was one of the main treatment modalities used there. We were reassured that it was the treatment of choice for opiate abuse and not addictive. In our experience Suboxone was not “as advertised.” There were side effects and it was, in our loved ones words, “a nightmare to get off of.”

Unfortunately, after four years without substance abuse and two years post Suboxone, our loved one relapsed this year. Knowing what we now know, we were relieved to find that the approach at Maryland Addiction Recovery Center is one of abstinence rather than the use of prescribed medication. This approach takes considerable time and commitment. The staff at Maryland Addiction Recovery Center is absolutely behind both the patient and family and in our experience goes the extra mile to provide responsible/personalized treatment that included collaboration with our physician.

We recently found ourselves in a very challenging situation. We are indebted to Karen and Sam for the significant energy they put in to our loved one’s care. Their priorities clearly are about what is best for the patient, not what’s best for the business. Their commitment was exemplary. Without hesitation we would recommend this program to others.
Jane D.
Mother of Patient

The disease of addiction quickly controlled our daughter’s life and took our family to a very tumultuous, dark and scary place. Unfortunately, the lack of cohesive and comprehensive treatment information was overwhelming to my husband and I during this complicated and chaotic time.

Sam Bierman immediately provided us with much needed direction. He explained the disease and provided treatment options with both compassion and patience. The support of Sam and the fabulous staff at MARC provided the framework of individual care my daughter required to deal with her disease.

The staff was always unbelievably supportive and responsive to our needs throughout her time in treatment. The added family care that MARC provided during our daughter’s treatment was invaluable as we began our own healing process. We will be forever grateful to Sam and the staff at MARC.
Jill G.
Mother of Former Patient