‘I live every day in gratitude’: A recovering alcoholic shares her story of finding joy again at Hope Rising

CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — Although it seems all hope may be lost, it’s not too late to come out of the darkness of addiction and into the light of recovery.

Jill Orton shared her journey of overcoming alcoholism and rediscovering joy with the support of the caring staff at Hope Rising Detox & Rehabilitation, a residential detox facility located in Hurricane.

Hear Jill tell the story of her recovery journey at Hope Rising in the video in the media player above.

After losing her sweetheart of 43 years, Orton was drowning in grief. She became severely depressed and started abusing alcohol. In her words, there was no hope for a future of happiness. 

“I didn’t care about anything,” she said. “I didn’t care whether I was alive or not.”   

Orton was drinking so heavily that she could barely function. She recalled driving to an appointment one day, getting out of her car and falling flat on her face in the parking lot. 

“I hit a new low,” she said. 

At that point, one of her friends called Hope Rising. Orton had gone to another detox center previously, which she said felt more like a cold, sterile medical clinic. As a patient, she received virtually no individual attention from the staff. 

Stock image | Photo by
ksenija18kz/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

But Hope Rising was different, Orton said. The surroundings felt like home. The atmosphere was comfortable and welcoming, and the counselors were like-minded, approachable people with whom she could have conversations. 

“They’d all been through similar experiences,” she said. “They were friends and people that I could talk to and relate to.”  

Hope Rising employs highly trained staff who focus on each individual patient to encourage, support and assist them through their unique detox experience, providing a safe, judgment-free haven to begin their journey of recovery.

The counselors at Hope Rising allowed Orton to find her own path to sobriety and supported her along the way. Their approach of empowering addicts to discover ways to help themselves is the key to success in recovery, she said. 

Orton is about to celebrate one year of sobriety and said her life has changed dramatically. More than anything, she’s happy. 

“I think the biggest thing for me is that my kids and my grandkids are in my life daily,” she said. “When I was drinking, I didn’t have that.” 

Hope Rising was a starting point for Orton. Looking back, she views it as not only the beginning of her road to recovery but also her journey of finding happiness and purpose in life once more. 

“I’m very grateful,” she said. “I live in gratitude every day.”

•  S P O N S O R E D    C O N T E N T  • 

Resources

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!