Paddle boarding in the Long Island Sound has been a big hit this year for the Men’s Program clients.

“Watching guys get up on the board, catching a rumble from the water, and still staying on is a powerful metaphor in itself,” reflected Support Staff member, Drew P. “I remember when I was a client experiencing these new things and having fun sober for the first time. If this is how the staff felt watching me at the time I understand why they came to work every day.”


“This was one of the best recreational activities” said Phase 1 client, Greg B. “Having fun sober is extremely important to my recovery and we always manage to do so. Even if I have a horrible fear of trying something new, there are people around me to show me that it’s ok, and I can get through it with a smile on my face.”



At Turnbridge, recreational activities play a critical role in the program. It's crucial for young people in early recovery to learn to have fun without the use of substances. Activities such as the paddle boarding provide clients with a perfect opportunity to forge relationships and bonds through shared experience.

Mike B., a current Phase III client in the Turnbridge Men’s Program, was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Mike had a seemingly idyllic childhood. He attended private school and excelled in academics as well as sports. He had an ability to develop friendships with seeming ease. Despite all of these gifts, Mike was eventually derailed by alcohol and drugs.

“In high school I was always trying to be the cool kid,” said Mike. “I started to throw parties to keep that life going. The relationship with my parents became strained as I was becoming more independent.”
Mike, once the captain of his basketball, soccer and baseball team, was slowly starting to become more preoccupied with partying. In 11th grade, Mike started to experience the consequences of his new lifestyle. “I got asked to leave my high school and went to a smaller high school. Eventually, I graduated and went off to College.”

By the time Mike entered college, partying had taken center-stage in his life. “I lost the enjoyment from sports and I stopped pursing my passions,” said Mike. “I started abusing ADHD medication and started looking into other drugs like LSD and cocaine. I fell in love with the party scene in college. I moved out of my parent’s house, started going to work for 50-60 hours a week, and repeated the cycle of work, party, and repeat for 3 years after that.”

“That brought me to getting a DUI, wrecking my car, and going to jail in one night,” said Mike. “From there, I went to my first rehab, which was state-run. I was on probation and violating religiously. My use continued to accelerate and I went through multiple treatments.”



“While in a treatment program called Turning Point in Utah, I found out about Turnbridge,” said Mike. “I wanted to come to Turnbridge. Something clicked and I just wanted to be sober. I wanted to stop using drugs and alcohol the way I did. I wanted to restart and get away from home.”

Mike enrolled at Turnbridge this past May. “Now, I am going back to school, I have a job working in a kitchen again, and I have made a ton of new friends, while obtaining a huge network of people in recovery to call when I need to,” said Mike. “I plan on staying in New Haven, continuing my education, and continuing to be a part of the recovery community around the area.”

“I am super happy that I am able to take advantage of what’s being offered to me,” said Mike. “When I use the tools I’ve been taught, good things happen. It’s amazing how that works. I can have non-hostile phone calls with my parents and they can visit without me being paranoid or immensely irritable.”

“Getting back into society can be awkward at first,” said Mike. “The first and second phases at Turnbridge help with this. I learned how to slowly put myself into situations and come out through the good or the bad without a drink in my hand. The case managers and other staff are always helpful and are always pushing me in a direction that I really want to go.”

Turnbridge Alumni, Cole D. grew up in Newtown, CT in a large family with three younger brothers.

As a child, he consistently performed well in school and was always surrounded by a host of friends. On all counts, Cole was gifted. In high school, however, Cole had his first experience with alcohol and his life took a dramatic shift.

“The first time I drank I blacked out,” said Cole. “After that, I started drinking all the time. I just loved the way it made me feel.”

As Cole’s drinking escalated, his priorities started to shift. “I quit baseball, which was kind of my thing at the time, and started spending all of my free time drinking, smoking marijuana, and skateboarding.”

Despite Cole’s problematic lifestyle changes, he would go on to finish high school and enroll at the University of Vermont. According to Cole, he chose UVM because of what he heard about the party culture. “At UVM, I started experimenting with drugs like LSD,” said Cole. “I was blacking out from drinking all the time and my grades started to slip. Eventually, I started to lose friends because of my drinking.”


In Cole’s junior year of college, his life really began to unravel. “I studied abroad in Spain during my junior year of college,” said Cole. “I was drinking wine every day, not going to class, and skipped my finals that year. I started to get paranoid, was getting into fights frequently, and I was arrested a few times.”

During Cole’s senior year in college, his hometown of Newtown was shook to its core by the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting. “After that, I went off the rails,” said Cole. “I was heavily taking benzodiazepines and dangerous amounts of cocaine. I eventually got a DUI and I realized that I needed to stop using drugs, but my roommates used just like me so it was difficult.”

“I eventually told my parents that I needed help,” said Cole. “They helped me get into a 30 day treatment program in Canaan, CT. While in treatment, I learned that 30 days of treatment alone doesn’t work for most people. I was referred to Turnbridge for extended care and off I went.”

Slowly, but surely, while in Turnbridge, Cole started putting the pieces back together. “I enrolled in a graduate program at Southern Connecticut State University,” said Cole. “I started doing the steps, righting wrongs that I had committed, and reconnecting with my family. I started working part time. I am happy, I have friends, and I am looking out for the health of myself and those around me.”

Cole graduated from Turnbridge in May of this year and decided to remain living in the New Haven community. Cole is still an active member of the recovery community and serves as an excellent example to other young people entering early recovery.