Seven Days

Sarah Tuff

Cynicism notwithstanding, it’s hard to ignore a case such as “Jeff,” a 42-year-old lumberyard worker and father of three from Poultney. He estimates he was drinking 40-50 ounces of liquor a day in the two years surrounding his divorce. Beers after work gave way to drinks in the morning before work, more at his favorite bar at lunch, and ensuing detox and recovery programs as well as several near-death experiences.

At one point, Jeff says he was driving to work, loaded, and decided he needed help. A friend found him near the emergency room of Rutland Regional Medical Center, passed out in his truck. His blood alcohol level was a death-defying .37. Jeff calls chiropractors “garbage” and horoscopes “crazy”, but when his brother mentioned an article he had read about the Lenair Center, Jeff agreed to try it. He doesn’t reveal much about what happened when he first went in late February, and struggles to find words to describe Lenair. “I almost felt like there was something about her – her demeanor, her tone of voice,” says Jeff, who adds that she brought him to a state of “normalcy” – to his pre-drinking days. “It was a weird feeling when I left, like a peace.”