My name is Dorothy Matteson Pierce and I am silver chip number 84! I came to The Healing Place, now Healing Transitions, at the age of 25 and was completely broken emotionally. I grew up in Raleigh and had a wonderful life up through high school. Because I played select soccer for CASL and for my varsity team at St. Mary’s School I did not have time to drink or really partake in any illicit activities. It was when I went to college that I began drinking.
It only took a couple years for my drinking to become a life altering problem and thanks to my parents I was taken to The Healing Place. My time there was, at first, a struggle. I was sent back in the program twice because I refused to stop drinking.
After the second time I was sent back, I finally began to understand what Healing Transitions was trying to teach me! I had a new resolve and to my surprise things began to get better! I made it to Phase II and did my commitment in the Planning Room. I loved those three months and learned more about myself and more about life skills than I have or ever will learn in my life! I also met my now husband who was a former client of Healing Transitions. He actually proposed to me at Dr. Bob’s grave site!
After I silver chipped I truly understood what a special place this was. It gave me a life I never thought I deserved and taught me how to live my life without drinking! Today I am married and just had a baby in December of 2015! I also have a 10-year-old stepson who I have since adopted and was able to do so directly because of Healing Transitions!
There will never be enough words to express how grateful I am for Healing Transitions and everything the staff did for me. Being able to call myself a “silver chipper” is something I will always cherish and never take for granted! Even though I kicked and screamed for most of my time there, I didn’t give up and was one of the lucky ones that stayed long enough for the miracle to happen!