Curtis Bradley

Before I came to Grandview, life was miserable. I was homeless on the streets, lost in addiction to opiates and meth, waking up each day feeling more hopeless than the one before. I had no direction, no purpose, and honestly, no real belief that things could ever be different. My family relationships were destroyed. My mom wouldn’t answer my calls. My brother wanted nothing to do with me, and my dad checked in every couple of weeks just to make sure I was still alive. I didn’t have friends, I didn’t have stability, and most days, I didn’t have hope.

I’ve been to a lot of treatment centers over the years. More than I’d like to admit. But Grandview is the first place where everything finally clicked. This is where I’ve stayed sober the longest, made the most progress, and where, for the first time, I felt like I’d found a home.

I look at my life now, and it’s hard to even recognize it! I mean that in the best way possible.

I work now. I show up sober, consistently. I’m trusted. I’m responsible. I’ve rebuilt relationships that I once believed I had ruined beyond repair. My family celebrates my milestones with me, and my brother, who is now in treatment himself, calls me for recovery advice. I never saw any of this coming, especially not this quickly. It feels like my life did a complete 180 when I wasn’t even sure I deserved one.

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I still remember the moment when Grandview stopped feeling like “another rehab” and started feeling like MY PLACE. It was around the time we went to that Stevie Wonder concert, and then later to see Wicked. Those were the first times I ever experienced real fun while sober, surrounded by people I genuinely liked being around. I had done treatment before, sat through groups, went through the motions, but THIS was the first time I felt joy in sobriety.

It shifted something in me.

A huge part of that came from the Grandview staff. When I walked through the doors, I thought it would be the same as every other place. But Ruby proved me wrong right away. She made me feel seen and valued at a time when I didn’t think I deserved either. After being in programs where counselors couldn’t even remember my name, Grandview felt personal. And it wasn’t just Ruby… it was Blake, Rodney, Paula, Sean, James, and so many others who took REAL time with me. Every genuine conversation, every one-on-one moment added up and made me feel like I mattered.

And then there was the community of peers. In my past treatments, I never made connections that lasted beyond the program. Here, I actually found people that I wanted to keep in touch with. People I would stay friends with after treatment ended! That sense of belonging continued when I moved into Recovery Bridge Housing in Pasadena. It was my first time being in an RBH, and it completely changed the trajectory of my recovery. It gave me space to work, save money, rebuild my life, and transition safely back into the world without being thrown right back into chaos.

It felt like opportunity, stability, and hope all wrapped into one.

Recovery for me became something deeper than just sobriety. Before Grandview, the goal was to get clean and carry on. I never looked within, never worked the steps, never had a sponsor. This time, I joined AA, got a sponsor (thank you, Dr. Jake), and have been working slowly but steadily through the steps. Completing my third step recently was a milestone I never expected to care about, yet it meant everything. I’m finally looking at myself, my self-esteem, my ego, my patterns, and how I want to show up in the world.

One of the most valuable tools I learned here was something simple: “Play the tape.” I had never heard that phrase before coming to Grandview, but as someone who’s always been impulsive, it stuck with me. Now, before I act, I think through what could happen not just with using, but in every decision. It’s made a real impact on how I move through life.

I’ve had a lot to celebrate this year. Hitting a year sober was huge, and my family threw me a little celebration with balloons and everything. But I also celebrate the quieter victories, like getting and keeping a job, showing up for meetings, working with my sponsor, and being consistent for the longest stretch of my life. These are things I never thought I’d be able to do, and now I’m doing them day after day.

I’m having fun again. Recovery didn’t make life dull. It opened it up!

I spend time with my family, watch sports, play PS5 after work, hang out with my dog Jax, go to movies, and soon I’ll be snowboarding again. A passion I haven’t been able to enjoy in years because addiction always got in the way. Now, I get to look forward to things, and even better, I get to include my brother in some of them once he’s out.

When I think about the future, my dreams are simple but meaningful. I want a career and eventually a family of my own. I’ve been moving forward with union construction work and have certifications that make that path real. But I also think a lot about working in treatment someday. I don’t want to look back and regret not trying it when the time is right… when I’m strong enough in my recovery to truly help someone else. Maybe I’ll do both. Maybe I’ll find even more purpose along the way. I’m open to all of it now.

If there’s one message I’d share with others in recovery, it’s this: Don’t underestimate what consistency and time can do. Everyone wants to leave treatment early, but staying 120 days instead of 60 changed everything for me. And if the chances of recovery are already low, why not do everything in your power — meetings, steps, sponsors, RBH, community —to increase your odds? Give yourself time. If you could see what my life looks like today, you might hold on a little longer.

The peace, the relationships, the sense of self… It’s all worth it.

And finally, to Grandview: I am forever grateful. Thank you for taking me in, for treating me like family, for giving me a community that held me up when I couldn’t stand on my own. Thank you for saving my life by keeping the doors open, letting me stay connected, and helping me find sobriety.
I truly feel like I belong here, and I hope to be part of Grandview as an alumnus for the rest of my life in whatever way I can.

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