After many years in the corporate world, Janet Thompson, CEO of The Retreat NZ, a private residential alcohol rehab in Warkworth, found her passion in life – helping alcoholics.
While her background spans general management and strategic planning at a senior level, both in the public and private sectors, Janet believes that it’s her personal experience of having walked in her guests’ shoes that puts her in a unique position to help.
“I’m an alcoholic in recovery and have just celebrated 14 years of continuous sobriety,” she says. “One of the things that sets us apart at The Retreat NZ is that all of our staff are in recovery – we understand what it’s like to struggle with alcohol and we also know how hard it can be to get sober and stay sober without support.”
Nestled amongst 12 hectares of native bush at the end of an unsealed road in Warkworth, The Retreat NZ is a registered charity and doesn’t receive government funding. It offers a range of programmes exclusively for people struggling with alcohol – from interventions and social detox to a 30-day residential programme and sober living houses. Guests from all professions and backgrounds travel from all over the country to participate in their programmes.
A trained interventionist, Janet is passionate about working with families and employers to help their loved one and/or their workers find recovery. She is on a crusade to remove the stigma of alcoholism and says it’s important that people recognise that it’s not a moral failing or a sign of weakness but a health condition that must be managed to avoid long-term negative health and social consequences, or even death.
“We need to change society’s attitudes to alcoholics. Don’t look down on us with disgust and treat us as if we are useless – treat us with the empathy and care that you would someone who was suffering from any other long-term chronic health condition.
“To anyone who is having a problem with alcohol, or who is watching someone they care about struggle, there is a way to get through this. You might feel lonely and isolated and even hopeless, but you don’t have to do this alone. In fact, it’s one thing that you can’t do alone and it’s OK to ask for help,” says Janet.
Find out more at theretreatnz.org.nz or call 0800 276 237 and be sure to visit our resources page for videos and other helpful information or email info@theretreat.org.nz
