Thanks to God and Isaiah House Treatment Center we are able to have a normal life and a healthy relationship today.
My name is Alyssa McGuffey and my boyfriend is Robert Fairchild. We met during our time in addiction at the end of 2017 and started dating a short-time after. As you can imagine our relationship was a rocky one considering we both had suffered with addiction for over 20 years each. We both had lengthy criminal records and stayed in and out of the county jails. Robert had served over 14 years in state prison.
As crazy as it sounds, we were comfortable staying in and out of jails, not being in our children’s or our family’s life, and just living for the next high. As you can only imagine our relationship was terrible. We had absolutely no trust in each other, we had no home of our own, no vehicle, and no jobs. We had a very unhealthy relationship because drugs were the most important thing to both of us.
In 2020 we both finally hit our lowest points. I had recently suffered the loss of my grandmother whom Robert and I had cared for since we had been together. He was in jail at the time of her passing. Robert was released from jail in May of that year. Right after getting out of jail he lost his mother unexpectedly. The only way either of us knew how to deal with it was to just get higher. On August 2nd, 2020 our house was surrounded by deputy sheriffs arresting Robert yet again on an indictment for trafficking. His first offer was 18 years and we both figured our relationship was over. But God…..
Robert was released from jail on September 2, 2020 to go to the Isaiah House Treatment Center. I, however, wanted no part of treatment and didn’t expect him to actually stay. When he was allowed phone calls after being there a short-time he was able to talk me into giving it a try. I remember him saying “This is a really good place. Their case management team is going to do everything they can to keep me out of jail.” For the first time since our relationship had began I heard hope in his voice and knew he finally wanted something different out of life. With the help of some employees at the Isaiah House they were able to get me a bed at the Lisa Walker Center on October 2, 2020. Even though I was reluctant to go I knew that it was the only hope that I had and that our relationship had.
We were able to do family therapy sessions with each other through our clinicians where we were in treatment at Isaiah House. That helped me know when I could see him and talk to him and we were able to continue to work on our relationship.
If it hadn’t been for Robert going, calling, and pushing me to go I would most definitely be dead or in jail today. However, Robert just celebrated two years of continuous sobriety on August 2nd and I will celebrate two years on October 2nd.
Thanks to God and Isaiah House Treatment Center we are able to have a normal life and a healthy relationship today. We are both dependable employees of the Isaiah House. We are also dependable, loving, and caring parents to our children. We have a home of our own now and our own vehicles.
For anyone that is struggling with addiction and your relationship is falling apart, there is hope. Even if you don’t go to treatment together or at the same time make the decision to show your partner that there is a better way to live and give them some hope.
