New Bedford Council on Addiction – Harmony House
Jason’s Story

For the first time in years, Jason will spend both Thanksgiving and Christmas with his eight-year-old son – and he’ll be sober.

Jason, 32, currently lives at Harmony House, a residential substance abuse treatment facility in New Bedford, where he is trying to recover from his addiction to heroin and cocaine.

“I’d had enough of being homeless, strung out, and all of the other problems that come with addiction,” he said.

Individual and group therapy sessions are part of his daily routine to address issues such as relationships, legal problems, and depression and anxiety. “I had never dealt with mental issues before, and it always kept me from staying abstinent. This is my first time dealing with it head on,” he said.

After more than 3 months of treatment, Jason is beginning to get pieces of his life back. He looks forward to spending Christmas with his mother and his son, which he hopes will be another step in their family’s reunification and healing process. After the next 2 and ½ months at Harmony House are completed, he’ll either be ready to leave on his own or move to graduate housing.

Jason also communicates with his brother, who is currently serving in Iraq, almost every day via e-mail. “It’s really something, to have my younger brother say he’s proud of me, when he is over in Iraq fighting for his life,” he said. “In a way, we’re both fighting for our lives.”