Probably one of the worst experiences in my life. I was told ahead of time that the length of stay was max 6 months. Once I arrived, residents told me, "Oh, this is my 14th month." "My 15th month.", etc. I panicked because I felt as though I was sold a bill of goods, and I was. Yes, it is a serious recovery program which I'm told is respected throughout the community. I learned it has the moniker, "Last Chance Ranch" because it is so severe and geared more for those who have relapsed multiple times. Many women in my community did have serious issues. For example, one woman had myelopathy due to her history with alcohol, so she could barely walk. Another woman believed her soul mate, a male, lived inside her body. Another woman had a psychotic break during my time there. And then there were the personality disorders. All this under the roof of an administration that seemed to care more about 'heads on beds' than the individual. I know I was not near on the spectrum as some of the women in the community, especially since I was new to rehabs. And wow! I wound up locked up for 17 months! It was a traumatizing experience. One that I still have nightmares about today. One example of a nightmare is me doing everything right, following all the rules in life, and somehow I wind up back in Alina Lodge and lose agency over my life and am locked up all over again. Because that's how it felt, follow the rules, live a very austere life, day in day out, never knowing when you'll leave. At least in prison you know when you will be released! Long story short, I'm doing well now, and so glad this is back in my rear view mirror. It was a real learning lesson of the business side of the recovery industry! No soul. No joy. read more

I have paid for my grand daughter 3 separate times to attend Alina Lodge, every-time she reported a negative experience, with regards to promises made to her and myself to get her in the door. I realize now she was just a paycheck and few staff members actually cared. The individual counseling was not 2 hours a week, it was lucky if it was one. Her counselor didn't even reach out to me for the first 3 weeks, and I am the one calling and paying for it. read more

Alina Lodge is the reason my husband is alive today and the reason our home has been built around solid sobriety. The staff is amazingly dedicated and the continued care is so important to effective treatment. Simply being on the grounds of this place is a spiritual experience. read more

Everything. Most important is confidentiality. And lying to patients and family to accuse clients.

If you want a non-permissive, punitive program, seek Alina Lodge! If zero positive reinforcement is what you or your loved ones feel that they need, Alina's your place! PS: Expect a full year+ without psychological treatment/care. read more

I was escorted to Alina in 2016 after a relapse. I was taken in to detox and rapidly titrated of benzodiazepines over the course of 48 hrs or less. I was left practically unattended during this detox until I attempted suicide due to such extreme lack of care and support through what should have been a highly superviser and careful process. I was transferred to a local psychiatric hospital and returned to Alina Lodge after one week. I was then informed that I would not have the opportunity of contact with my then barely 2 year old daughter other than a few hours visitation every six months over the course of 24 months, or possibly more. Even in my emotional and unstable state. I knew this was not in the best interest of my child nor myself. Within the following week, I signed myself out AMA and was escorted to a train station with my belongings. After I managed to return back to my home in California, I found safe refuge in the care of people who's goal was to help me sustain sobriety AND reunite me with my daughter. Within 3 months I had regular visitation multiple times a week, and full custody within 6 months. I truly believe if I had not trusted my own intuition and followed the recommendations of this program, I would have a broken or non-existent relationship with my now almost 10 year old child. I can't claim to know the practices Alina uses today, but I sincerely hope the policies have changed to support recovering mothers. I have wanted to share my story many times over the past years, and with my daughters 10th birthday approaching, I felt it was time. Alina lodge failed me twice. First, with an immensely irresponsible lack of safe detox, and second, recommended a severance of the bond between mother and child. The best decision I ever made was to leave Alina lodge. I truly hope changes have been made to no longer put lives at risk and the potential of lifeshattering consequences to recovering mothers. On a somewhat less important note, my dietary needs as a strict vegan were met with insult, humiliation and led to an extremely unhealthy lack of nutritional support. With all my hope for this facility, Alexandra. Edited, after noticing a huge influx of 5 star reviews all around 3 years ago. Seems like a scam. Even the language is shady, all saying close variations on this place "saved my life." Read the real reviews. At least there's consistency there that doesn't seem scripted and shady. read more

This was my second rehab and I do not recommend for any first-timer. It was very restrictive and oppressive. I did not realize how prison-like it is until I had a few days at home after leaving. No books, music, digital technology, markers or adult coloring books and tv only during certain hours. Rules are beyond ridiculous (men and women cannot even LOOK at each other, let alone have group together). No use of phones or email and no family contact by phone ever; visiting restricted to once every 28 days (AFTER the minimum of 28 days). No snacks or food in dorms and gym on premises is tiny and has no weights. Track is circle around a building. Gym is restricted to a few times per week. Facility is tired, needs major renovation. Few of the counselors/facilitators for women are in recovery and there is no compassion. No joy in recovery, no spirit, no fun. Focus is on extending one's stay no matter how long you are signed up and scaring the families to death with "relapse." I do not recommend. The program is good enough, but there are places that are more attuned to 2022 and include better all around needs for the value. read more

If your looking for recovery. Go to Alina lodge. The staff truly cares. If your looking to have your hand held and to be told your free to continue your insane habits! It's not going to happen there! I spent 28 days and my outlook on my future is bright. I learned to deal with myself! Very structured rehab just what I needed. If you really want to get a strong foundation of recovery start at Alina lodge. The rest is up to you. Robert E read more

Decent facility with a get it done attitude and a nice staff. The detox and steps to sober living are followed pretty closely. That was good. The help with depression and the psych eval and any help with meds was pretty sketchy. That said, the overall experience was ok. Nice sense of community and spirit! read more

This place saved my life five years ago- I have five beautiful years of sobriety that I know are directly a result of my time spent at Alina Lodge. I was a student at the Lodge from 2015-2016. I arrived very much a broken person and on death's door and in the depths of my alcoholism when I reached the doors of Alina five years ago. After an intervention from my family I came begrudgingly, but I soon learned a better way to live. I hadn't for a really long time really gotten to the bottom of why I drank and I soon discovered that my drinking was really but a symptom of my problem. I didn't know how to connect with others, I felt that I was unworthy, I suffered from low self-esteem, I had past trauma, I didn't know how to connect with other people in an appropriate manner, and I didn't know how to regulate my emotions. I learned how to address all of these things at the Lodge. I also learned how to laugh again, how to smile again. I for years used alcohol to cope with life because that was the easy solution and the only way I knew how. Alina taught me how to deal with life on life's terms without alcohol which was at times a difficult but necessary process. Another thing I really loved about Alina was the family program. It never was just about the patient, Alina really got the family involved and gave time for my family members to come on campus and actually stay for a length of time and get educated about the disease of addiction and understand family roles, family dynamics and how those dynamics can play into the disease of addiction. I loved the family involvement In this aspect. I remember the first time my sisters visited me after I had been inpatient at the Lodge for six months. When they first saw me walk in the door they took one look at me and both immediately burst into tears. I will never forget that moment. The change they saw in me (though I could not yet see it in myself) to them was so profound and so dramatic after six months that they could do nothing else but cry tears of joy. I always felt that I was treated with warmth and respect at the Lodge, and while at times I may not have a received the answers I may have wanted to hear, looking back I am so grateful for everything the therapists and support staff did for me as it was always in my best interest. An example of this would have been length of stay, or who I might have been assigned to room with, etc. I still go back and stay involved and volunteer at every opportunity and know countless others who are sober today who I also went to the lodge with who also stay involved because they also feel such gratitude for this special place. My family members are also grateful to the Lodge because they got a daughter back, a sister back, a cousin back, an aunt back. My mother used to tell me all of the time before I went into the Lodge that she felt that any day she was afraid she was going to be planning my funeral at any moment. I'm now about to be planning a wedding. Some people do talk about the tincture of time, and the difficulty they have with it. I personally stayed a year and found that the time element was tremendously helpful to me. It gave my brain enough time to unravel years of unhealthy behaviors and patterns of thinking that I know now were going to need time to heal. I am forever grateful to the Lodge and the gifts that I still receive today as a result of my time there. -Percy M read more

Alina Lodge gets three stars because they are helpful. This facility has many downsides. One of which being that they allow residents to be emotionally abusive to one another and bully one another with little direction over how that is harmful to the receiving party. You have to have a thick skin if you're going to stay the typical year long stay. Oh, and they will tell you whatever you want to hear to get you in their very expensive door. Whether they say it's going to be an evaluation or a short stay, once they have your family member it's done. They aren't giving them up until they've wrung every penny out from your pocket. There is also a huge difference between care regarding men and women. The women live in a very stressful and controlled environment while the men enjoy lenient treatment from the staff. The facilitators, or staff, don't follow the rules themselves and have been known to let residents use their personal phone for music. And while it's against the rules the male staff has added students from Alina Lodge on social media profiles and behaved inappropriately toward them. You are not in good hands medically either. But the upside is is that if you have the money and your family member is struggling and needs some tough love then this is the place. The structure is life saving for some but it's a gamble. It won't work for everyone but if your family member is going to die without treatment then why not. Good luck if you're going here. It's not terrible but it's not great either. read more

lets just say i didnt get there from drinking pink tea. my life was a mess because of addiction and my family was hurt and afraid. Alina Lodge saved my life and helped my family learn about the disease and what they needed to do to help me get well and help themselves. it was not easy to understand why they had the rules or why it needed to take so long but today i understand. everything done there was done to help me learn to look at myself, take responsibility for myself and my recovery. it was often painful and i wanted to run. thank god my parents would not give in. time was a great gift and it changed my life. that was over 30 ago but the philosophy and basics of what works is still there. it is the place miracles happens and i am proof. -anonymous and grateful read more

The "Tincture of Time" is how Alina cures addicts. You will find your loved one locked away for months and unable to visit them. Whatever signature is forced upon admittance disallows the patient ample rights to have visitors or much, less to leave. Families are connived to pay the bill while they're relieved to get a break from the crazy addict family member. read more