Road to recovery
Pasadena rehab centers get addiction sufferers back on track
By Sara Cardine 01/05/2012
Maybe it’s the city’s proximity to Hollywood and other entertainment centers throughout Greater Los Angeles — where high populations and the availability of narcotics could potentially encourage alcoholism and drug use — that accounts for all the addiction treatment options in Pasadena.
Maybe it’s that people looking to start their lives over inherently need to get away from it all and find respite here that can’t be found anyplace else.
Whatever the reason, there are so many treatment options and philosophies being employed in Pasadena that anyone struggling in isolation with addiction can find his or her way home again.
The journey to recovery is long and can only begin when a person is honestly ready to change his or her life, says Mark Paquet, admissions director for Pasadena’s Impact Drug & Alcohol Treatment.
It’s something he knows from personal experience. Paquet was 24 the first time he entered rehab for cocaine addiction at the behest of his then-employer. Afraid of losing his job, he went through the motions of checking into a treatment center and completing a stint but failed to participate in the recommended follow-up regimen.
Six years later, Paquet’s bad habits had progressed from cocaine to crack. He lost his job; that’s when life as he knew it began to devolve.
“I got to the point where I was unemployed, and I was living with my parents again,” he recalls. “When you can’t hold a job, and you can’t afford to pay your rent and you’re just addicted, you can’t do anything else.”
After being arrested for stealing from his own neighbors, Paquet came to Pasadena’s Impact House, which had an in-custody program that allowed him to finally get the help he needed.
Impact uses a multilevel approach that includes acute and sub-acute detox programs as well as in-patient treatment and its connection to Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous groups operating locally. Impact helps reintegrate clients back into society through its outpatient programs.
Today, Paquet is 16 years drug free and helps others taking the first tentative steps toward sobriety. As an admissions director and a recovering addict, Paquet knows when a person is truly ready.
“It’s like diabetes, not everybody gets it, but for the people who do get it, there are effective ways to treat it so they can lead normal lives,” he adds.
Impact House, located at 1680 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, ((323) 681-2575/impacthouse.com) is one of several local facilities with outpatient and residential treatment options in addition to group, individual and follow-up counseling. Here are other local centers:
Pasadena Recovery Center — Despite its reputation for being a place for recalcitrant celebs down on their luck and its being featured prominently onVH1’s “Celebrity Rehab” with Dr. Drew Pinsky, this recovery center has helped thousands of people since the late psychiatrist Dr. Lee Bloom founded it in the 1970s. Today, the facility continues Bloom’s tradition of holistic healing with 12-step programs, counseling, residential services and mind-body activities. Located at 1811 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. Call (866) 663-3030 or visit pasadenarecoverycenter.com.
Eaton Canyon Treatment Center — An accredited treatment estate, 3323 Fairpoint St. in Pasadena, this center focuses on creating individualized treatment plans for men and women. The belief is that addiction is a treatable condition, so clients receive a personal consultation upon admission to determine individual needs and goals. Call (888) 798-0150 or visit eatoncanyon.org.
Walter Hoving Home (for women) — A nonprofit residential facility for women 18 and over incorporates a spiritual approach to sober living in a 12-month program. Women attend regular individual and group counseling sessions, day classes, a daily work program and extracurricular activities. Located at 127 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 405-0950 or visit walterhovinghome.com.
The Gooden Center (for men) — This accredited drug and alcohol treatment center guides adult men and their families through the painful process of detoxification and long-term sobriety. A 12-step recovery process addresses the psychological, spiritual and emotional underpinnings of addiction. Men attend residential or day treatment programs before transitioning to an intensive outpatient rehabilitation center or sober living home. Located at 191 N. El Molino Ave. Pasadena. Call (626) 356-0078 or visit goodencenter.org.
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