One of the best things about Gatehouse Academy is the opportunity to work with the horses. The horse ranch is about a mile away from main campus, which is about a twenty minute walk. Every morning the people who are lucky enough to be on such a privileged crew must wake up early to make it to the front office by 5:40 so that they can make it to the horses by 6:00.

Horse crew is a highly sought after position and it may be something that you have heard about from your contact with staff or from reading the web-site. A slightly less well-known crew is Trail Crew. Trail crew is in charge of maintaining the trails that pass through the wilderness just beyond the horse ranch. We also have to wake up early and walk down with the people on Horse crew, but once we get there, we get to keep on hiking.

After a quick stop a the tool shed to pick up hedge clippers, saws, rakes, shovels, or whatever else we may need, we trek into the mesquite forest to trim the branches that are hanging over the trail and may get in the way of the horses or their riders. We also pick up rocks that may be in the path. Generally, we just do what is needed to keep the trails clear.

This year, we were granted the opportunity to try our hand at trailblazing. It was hard work, but very rewarding. After about a week of clearing away the plants that were in the way, we had to spend several more raking and shoveling rocks, sometimes even moving them by hand. In the end, we had made a brand new trail that passed up a big hill.

Being back in the forest alone with a small crew is a very spiritual experience. Every day, we spend several hours in the woods, interacting with wildlife, and communing with nature. Summer is over, and Trail crew will be shut down for winter, which makes me sad. But it is fall now, and for the last few weeks, we have been making it to the trails before sunrise. Standing on top of the hill at the end of a trail that we completed ourselves and watching the sun come up has certainly left an impression on me that will stick with me with the rest of my stay here at Gatehouse.

Related Resources

Arizona Drug Rehab

Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers

Drug & Alcohol Rehab for Teens

Cocaine Drug Treatment Center

Post from: Drug Rehab Blog from Gatehouse Academy

Trekking with Trail Crew

That was the sentiment expressed by David Sheff, a father whose son suffered from the self-destructive effects of substance abuse. David Sheff came to Arizona last week with his son, Nic as part of their book tour for Beautiful Boy and Tweak, written by father and son, respectively. Hearing a first-hand account of their experiences – their journey through addiction and into recovery – was both cathartic and eye-opening.

Perhaps one of the most interesting topics that David Sheff brought up was how parents can be in denial of their child’s drug addiction. It was stirring to hear the description of Nic in his teenage years – he was doing well in school, had friends, participated in sports, and was recognized as a young talent in journalism. His son certainly did not look like a drug addict, but sadly, he was.

It’s unfortunate that in our society, have a stereotypical image of what addicts are like. We don’t realize, or maybe we are just wary to accept the fact, that the teens getting high are the sons and daughters of people from all walks of life. Addiction is a disease that can harm anyone, it doesn’t discriminate.

It was easy to see just how true that is after being introduced to Nic Sheff. He candidly expressed how he started smoking pot to numb his sensitivity and emotions. As he further explained, his tolerance for pot became very high and he sought out stronger drugs. When he goes on to describe the raw severity of the self-destruction that came as a consequence of his addiction, it becomes easy to see how lucky he was to survive. Through it all he describes the loneliness, confusion, and fear he experienced. In these moments, Nic shares with us how “normal” you can be and still suffer from addiction.

Despite all the difficulties that both the son and father have faced, and the challenges that are still ahead, it was heartwarming to see how far they have come to share their story with us.

Post from: Drug Rehab Blog from Gatehouse Academy

Drug Addicts Don’t Look Like My Child