Anne - Female, 57
Anne - Female, 57
Apr 06, 2021

I’ve never been happy. Even as I child. I just don’t remember ever feeling comfortable in my own skin. I looked happy, some would even say I was blessed by life. But I cried for decades. Years of therapy did help me lay out everything I was sad about on the table, but it never really gave me the tools to stop being sad about it. Then I went to Dunham House.


‘I think I need to go to rehab’ I told the emergency nurse between sobs on July 12, 2020. Saying it was so hard, almost physically difficult to get the words out. But saying it put in motion a team of professionals at the hospital who gently led me into to the caring arms of addiction specialists. Everybody was so kind, so gentle with me. I felt safe, loved. I now realize that I should have asked for this help when I was 13. I’ve needed help for so long. Eight words and a little bit of courage were all I needed to be saved.


The next day, July 13, is my Day 1, but a week or so after arriving at Dunham House is when my recovery really began. For the first time in my life I was happy, truly happy. I looked forward to the future and I was finally ok with leaving my past in the past. I felt strong enough to look right in front of me. I finally believed in the joy of the present and the possibility of the future. I stopped needing to constantly relive the pain from my past. ‘I am light and my future looks bright’ I wrote for a song we built as a group.


I spent two incredible months at Dunham House and it had a profound effect on me, my depression and my will to live. I am a completely different person now. I am happy, content. I am proud of myself, finally, after decades of struggles, shame and so much sadness.


Was it the daily workshops led by incredible and knowledgeable counselors? Was it the love from other residents always ready to listen, hug and encourage me? Me helping others? The one on one therapy? The group sharing? The amazing staff and their incredible belief in your capacity to succeed? The daily walks, the yoga, the art classes, the music or the tons of books made available to everyone? The camaraderie? The great outdoors? There is so much to love about this wonderful place and the people who make it what it is.


If you are hesitating about going, please don’t. Dunham House changed my life and it can change yours too.


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Ana - Female, 37

05 Mar, 2024
I’ve been wanting to take care of my addiction problem for the longest time, and although I have done therapy in the past, it was nothing in comparison to Dunham House  I’m very grateful to be able to benefit from this program. I was provided with a safe place to stay at throughout these past months with help from a great counsellor and different workshops, I was given the opportunity to learn valuable tools and life skills that will help me regain control over my life.
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Dunham House Announces the opening of Dunham House Outpatient Services, January 8, 2024, in Montreal.

By Don Joyce • 21 Dec, 2023
Dunham House is a residential treatment centre that helps individuals suffering from mental health and concurrent disorders, including addiction. Over the years, Dunham House has helped hundreds of people overcome a wide variety of challenges that life has thrown their way. It is Dunham House’s mission to provide the tools and support to help people cope with and recover from their illnesses. Since 2017, Dunham House has operated a 28-bed residential treatment centre located in Dunham, Quebec, 90 kilometers from Montreal in the Eastern Townships. In September 2023, Dunham House celebrated the opening of a new additional building at its Dunham site with 12 additional beds and new counselling and recreational facilities. Dunham House’s residential programs are designed, among other things, to help individuals with a chronic or prolonged history of substance use and concurrent disorders. Residents benefit from a supportive environment and the care needed to implement the changes necessary in their life. Daniel Colson, Dunham House’s President, said; ’With so many of Dunham House’s graduates returning to their lives in the Montreal area, establishing a local support centre in Montreal is a logical next step. Our mission is to help as many people as possible who are suffering. These new programs will reinforce our residential programs and help our former residents stay true to their goals after they have finished their stay at Dunham House. With today’s announcement, Dunham House is extending its continuum of care beyond its Residential and Alumni Programs. Dunham House Outpatient Services will include: · Counselling for friends and family of people suffering from mental distress and addiction. · A one-month Pathway Program for people who know they need support and require grounding and guidance as they begin their recovery journey. · A three-month Outpatient Program designed for former residents of Dunham House’s residential programs. This program is for people who want to build upon their positive accomplishments. Graduates from equivalent programs are welcome. · An Extended Program for people on the road to recovery who want to benefit from the continued support of Dunham House’s counsellors and group sessions. We base the length and composition of the Extended Program on each individual’s needs. · A meeting place for Dunham House alumni to come together in Montreal for regular group sessions. Dunham House Outpatient Services’ office is in the Queen Elizabeth Health Complex (QEHC), 2100 Marlowe Ave., Montreal, QC, H4A 3L5. The QEHC is Montreal’s not-for-profit community-led health complex, providing an extensive array of quality mental health care accessible to all. The QEHC is a short walk from Sherbrooke St. and the Vendome Metro. For information about the Dunham House Residential Programs or the Dunham House Outpatient Services, visit www.dunhamhouse.ca , email contact@dunhamhouse.ca, or call (450) 263-3434 where someone will be available to take your call 24/7.
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