After having graduated from hope house laurel, I feel it my responsibility to provide input pertaining to my experience there. First of all this IS a rehab, not a summer resort. By it's very nature, the experience I had was not at all pleasant which is part of the reason it was so effective. The care was adequate, staff friendly, respectful, professional and caring for the most part. More than anything it is my view that any rehabilitation program primarily purpose is to separate those suffering from addiction from the people/environment which had facilitated their addiction so as to allow that individual the opportunity to assess their life and decide if they are willing to change. No program has the ability to change those who are not willing, the very best that they can to is provide a safe place, providing information regarding the nature of the disease and what others have done to overcome it. From that perspective, they are doing a great job, I was given all the tools I needed. The rest is up to that individual, it only works if you work it. That's my experience, every last person I heard complain during my stay either had unrealistic expectations or was doing so to avoid addressing the problem....themselves. I even had some fun, overall great experience, saved my life and was lucky to have been there. No question about it. And I saw a comment about the food being worse than jail?? That person must have been to different jails than I, and I've been to just about all of em. The food was very good and even if it wasn't you are not there to drink fine wine and dine. I guess it's all a matter of perspective, everything is relative after all. But I will say that I would rather have bad food than be dead from a drug overdose......just a thought
