After 42 Previous Attempts at Quitting Drinking, Tampa Man Finds Sobriety at WhiteSands Alcohol and Drug Rehab

Tampa, Florida -

Tampa, FL - The Covid-19 Pandemic has impacted the lives of people around the world in countless ways. For people struggling with substance use and mental health disorders, the additional challenges posed by the pandemic have been especially dire.

A recent White House report revealed rates of overdose-related deaths skyrocketed during the pandemic. Over 81,000 people lost their lives to drug overdoses during the 12 month period leading up to May 2020. It’s the highest number of overdose fatalities ever recorded during a 12 month period representing a 38.4% increase from the previous year.

Experts agree that the increase in overdose deaths reflects the severe disruption the pandemic caused in the lives of people struggling with substance abuse. Grief, fear, financial strain and social isolation all hit people with substance use disorders particularly hard. While synthetic opioids (primarily Fentanyl) are responsible for the vast majority of overdoses, the staggering statistics from the past year shed light on challenges faced by people dealing with all kinds of alcohol and drug addiction.

A Tampa resident by the name of Don struggled with alcohol abuse for years before the pandemic. He had attempted to quit drinking more than forty times without success. Don said the unintended consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic caused his drinking to spiral out of control like never before. “I was in a death spiral of alcoholism,” he said. “When Covid-19 hit the USA, my fears and isolation drove me deeper into drinking.

Eventually Don reached a point when he realized his attempts to quit drinking on his own weren’t working. “When I made my decision that I was willing to do anything to get sober, WhiteSands was there for me,” he said.

Don recounted his experience at WhiteSands in a recent five-star Google review he left for the addiction treatment center. In it, he said, “I had a plan to go on Sunday. I couldn’t wait so I went the Thursday before. I was willing to lose everything.”

Fortunately, the professional help he found at WhiteSands was the effective treatment Don needed. “The sense of relief I found by the awesome staff here gave me hope immediately,” he said. “This was my 42nd treatment. My first in 15 years. I can honestly say this has been the best treatment I have ever been at. I can’t say enough about the staff from medical to CT staff. My caseworker, therapist, psychiatrist, medical doctors are the best!”

The success Don found at WhiteSands was life-changing. Fortunately, stories like his are the norm at the alcohol and drug rehab center. WhiteSands was ranked the number one addiction treatment center in Florida by Newsweek magazine. The center has also received hundreds of 5-star reviews from patients thanking WhiteSands for saving their lives.

WhiteSands’ founders, Garry Jonas and Joseph Ducey, set out to create a center that would set a new standard in the field of addiction treatment. Their goals were to significantly increase the quality of treatment, the comfort of patients, and the rates of long-term sobriety.

WhiteSands staff says patient success stories like Don’s are their greatest reward and let them know they’re fulfilling their mission. By providing more in-depth and individualized treatment, private rooms, luxury amenities, full-time board-certified medical staff, and low patient-to-staff ratios, WhiteSands is able to meet the critical needs of their patients.

“If you make the decision to get sober this place is a great place to start,” Don said. For anyone struggling with addiction, call (877) 640-7820. WhiteSands is available 24/7 to provide answers and support.