A Note Before You Read: This post contains personal reflections on mental health, chronic illness, and substance use. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for support. You can call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline anytime by dialing 988, or text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line. Both are available 24/7.
At Lifeskills, we believe that treatment is a beginning — not an end. What follows is an original poem by Nitin M., a Lifeskills alum, shared with his permission. In it, he reflects on continued care, the Alumni Program, and the quiet, daily commitment of choosing connection.
Continued Care
They call it graduation.
Like pain packs its bags
the moment the program ends.
Like life won’t test you
five minutes after you walk out the door.
But the truth is –
the hardest part isn’t learning the skills.
It’s using them
when your chest feels tight
and your thoughts won’t slow down.
Lifeskills taught me how to breathe again.
But continued care
is what reminds me
to keep breathing.
The alumni program –
that’s the place I land
when I’m tired of being strong.
It’s voices that sound like mine,
stories that look like mine,
people who didn’t disappear
after the certificate was handed over.
Because silence is dangerous.
Isolation is loud.
And substances are patient –
they wait for the moment
you think you’re fine on your own.
The alumni program keeps me seen.
When I stop answering texts.
When I start convincing myself
I don’t need help anymore.
Stability isn’t dramatic.
It’s quiet choices.
It’s showing up on days
I’d rather shut down.
Sobriety isn’t about willpower –
it’s about support.
About someone saying,
“Stay. Don’t run. We’ve got you.”
Continued care is the difference
between surviving
and actually living.
My mind still shakes sometimes.
But the alumni program reminds me
I don’t have to hold it together alone.
This isn’t weakness.
This is commitment.
This is me choosing connection
over chaos.
Because healing doesn’t end
when Lifeskills ends.
The alumni program stands there after –
arms open –
making sure I don’t fall
when the world gets heavy.
Dani –
the alumni coordinator –
is one of the reasons the door stays open.
The reason someone notices
when you stop showing up.
The reason “How are you?”
isn’t just a question,
it’s a check-in that actually means something.
Healing didn’t end with Lifeskills.
That was just the door.
The alumni program –
and the people who stand in it –
are the reason I don’t have to face
what’s on the other side alone.
Inspiration behind this piece
This idea about “Continued Care” came to me in prayer, as I prayed for my fellows in the Alumni Program at Lifeskills.
While my problem is not with substances, I have chronic health issues that greatly affect my mental health. Throughout this journey, I’ve endured traumas and experiences which led me to treatment, and since I graduated Lifeskills, I’ve continued my care. Without this continued care, who knows where I’d be now. Instead, I continue to go to therapy and see my therapist twice a week (once for family and once for individual therapy). I still go, even though it is not cheap, because I understand how important it is for me to stay healthy and I believe this is an amount no one can put a price on. My parents continue to make the financial sacrifice for me to stay healthy and grow and grow and grow into a better man, a better son, a better brother… each day.
I thought about how crucial these therapy sessions are for me to stay levelheaded and humble, recognizing I cannot do this alone. I still need to process and talk about my problems (and triumphs!) with my support team. I continue needing these sessions AND the weekly alumni group meeting. As valuable as my morning and night medication is, I believe the therapy and the alumni support group do so much more than medications alone.
I happen to pass by a handful of other alumni at the space where I go for my therapy sessions, and when I see them, I am reminded of the continued care they are also actively participating in. Just last week, someone told me they had relapsed and had made an appointment to meet with their therapist immediately. Even in these low moments, they loved themselves enough, and were vulnerable enough, to make that call for help. That’s what this continued support can do for you — it can be there when you need it most.
Nitin’s words are a reminder that continued care is not a sign of struggle — it is a sign of strength. If you or a loved one is interested in learning more about the Lifeskills Alumni Program or our continuum of mental health treatment, our admissions team is here to help.
