Abby's Testimonial

"Today begins my fifth day of transformation bootcamp. Thus far I have only had the urge to smoke one time, a very mild urge that quickly passed when Kelly intervened wih a brief meditation. I had no idea that quitting the habit that had made me it's slave could be so painless! I have to believe that the lifestyle I'm living here, via Kelly's gentle guidance, is making all the difference. I have been sleeping an average of nine hours a night, down from the twelve hours I logged on my exhausted first day here. My energy feels like it's gaining momentum everytime I wake up. One surprising phenomenon I am experiencing is intense night sweats. Even when I napped the second day, I woke up drenched! I remember hearing at another eating disorder treatment that this is a sign of a metabolism that is reving into high gear, as a result of the body's response to finally being nourished. I never experienced this "reving" of which they spoke at the time, but here at Indigo Light Recovery it's a different story.

I was also surprised to find that I was able to immediately stop taking my very high doses of perscription sleep aid and mood stabilizer with absolutely no adverse effects or increase in symptoms. In fact, I haven't had any symptoms at all. This is very surprising indeed. I've been diagnosed with PTDS and Generalized Anxiety Disorder to the degree that I would have expected to need medication for the rest of my life. At the same time, I am in the process of coming off of Effexor. This is a very difficult drug to withdrawl from. I was terrified to even try it, but I've only been taking half my regular dose since I arrived and thus far the transition has proved seamless.

When I first arrived here, I was full of fear. When I came to California, I was injecting heroin and methamphetine in gargantuan amounts. I was literally dying, having had my first seizure and near fatal overdose in the third week of December. I began treatment at another rehabilitation center up north on December 23rd. Soon after my successful detox, the sensitive staff there recognized that my bulimia necessitated a level of care that exceeds their expertise. When I arrived at Indigo Light Recovery in Oceanside, I was understandably exhausted. This would mark my seventh treatment center in the last two years! Had Kelly's approach towards recovery resembled any of those former treatment models, I believe my growing cynism would have prevented my surrender to her methods. Giving up my coping mechanisms (bulimia and smoking), my medications, relocating to a strange city, and eating in a way that felt counterintuitive (ADDING fat to meals?) all required me to put a great deal of faith in this process. I remember Kelly asking me that first day, "Can you trust me?" I decided that I could. So far she has yet to steer me wrong. I could go into many more details, but who wants to hear about my formerly impacted bowels?" - Abby