A Story of Hope: Meet Sherry

April 01, 2021

“HopeWay saved my life, literally saved me from myself.”

I was at the lowest point in my life. Things had gotten so bad that I was having suicidal thoughts, which landed me in the hospital. And my personal experience at the hospital wasn’t a good one. After I was discharged from that facility, I came back home but still couldn’t get out of bed and was completely lost. This led my husband to find an outpatient therapist for me. After two sessions, she recommended HopeWay. I was reluctant to go, especially after my first experience seeking help, but I said I’d give it a try. It was hard to imagine how anything or anyone would help me, but I was desperate to get my life back on track.

A couple of days later I found myself in the lobby with my husband to admit to HopeWay’s Residential Program. This was not an easy thing for me to do. I was checking myself in for a month, knowing I was not allowed to have visitors for that entire time because of COVID. Thankfully, I was able to communicate with them via email and phone, which made it a little easier. Giving up seeing my family for the next thirty days was extremely hard. But I stayed.

I was amazed how different HopeWay was from my previous experience. It felt like I was staying at a nice hotel. The staff were all very welcoming and ready to help in any way they could. My days were filled with different therapy groups and activities. Some were light and fun, and others were a bit heavier. HopeWay did an amazing job balancing the classes so I never found myself too overwhelmed. We had CBT, DBT, Self-Awareness, Processing and Relapse Prevention groups while also engaging in integrative therapies. I practiced yoga, learned the importance of nutrition, and planted and harvested vegetables and flowers. We played games and cooked a lot of great dishes (which I now make at home). We even had Music Therapy, which included drumming, something I never knew would help as much as it did.

Upon entering the program, I was given a binder full of coping techniques that we used during our “traditional therapy” groups. I learned so much about core beliefs: how they affect me and where they stem from. I began to realize that the beliefs I thought were true and reliable all of these years actually were destructive. I learned how to identify my personal triggers and how to handle those triggers in a healthy way. I learned how to set boundaries and communicate more effectively to maintain those boundaries. Most importantly, I put together a relapse prevention plan if I need it.

Don’t get me wrong, there were lots of tears and panic attacks; it was hard work. However, I always found support from my group members and the staff. It was a relief to know I was not alone in the way I felt. HopeWay was a safe place for me to open up and learn about myself. 

I’m still a work in progress, and I still take out my binder to practice what I learned, but I’m in a much better place than I have been in years. HopeWay saved my life and there’s no way to fully express my gratitude for that!