“I didn’t know how to stop. I didn’t really want to stop,” said Callie Jo Van Hoe of Rock Island
She grew up in the Quad Cities.
As a young teenager, she says she grew up around substance abuse.
While taking the journey through adolescence, she fell victim to it as well.
“It was basically whatever I could find,” Callie said. “Uppers, downers, alcohol, marijuana, pills. There were some things that I didn’t do, or haven’t done yet. But yeah, it was basically whatever I could get my hands on.”
Even in her years of recovery, Callie says she still doesn’t know what it was that led her to addiction.
“I’ve spent the past seven years trying to figure that out,” she said. “You’re trying to fit in. It didn’t start out as a problem. I did it for fun, and that’s just what the friends I had at the time did. And, it was fun for a little while. Until it wasn’t fun anymore, and it became more of a necessity.”
Callie’s story is one that is too commonly experienced in the Quad Cities.
Once addiction took over, she didn’t know where to turn to for help.
“Overall, there are more and more individuals that are looking to seek services for substance abuse treatment in the Quad Cities,” says Heather Olson of UnityPoint.
She agrees, this area has seen a rise in substance abuse; following an upward trend seen on a national level.
“We’ve seen a rise with the Opioid Crisis nationally, and it has hit the Quad Cities as well,” said Olson. “So, being able to offer the education, resources, assistance for families and of course those who might be affected by Substance Use Disorder is very important.”
UnityPoint offers numerous resources for people looking for help. Some options, Heather says, that people need to take advantage of, when they feel the time is right.
“It’s an equal-opportunity illness,” says Olson. “And, understanding that it is a disease, it is something that can be progressive. And, it is something that is treatable.”
Callie credits programs like these for saving her life.
After ten years of drug and alcohol abuse, she’s now 7 years clean.
She now hopes to inspire others in similar situations to find the solution for their success in beating addiction.
“There are solutions, there is hope,” Callie said. “So many solutions, not just the one I’m taking, but there’s a variety of rooms of recovery, especially here in the Quad Cities. And, you just have to be willing to look for it. We’re very resourceful. If there’s something we want, we will find it. So, yes. No matter where you’re at in your journey, no matter what you’ve done, there are people who can relate to you, there are people who will love and accept you.”
Here is a list of resources and links available for Substance Abuse treatment in the Quad Cities:
