Ogden gym creates unique recovery program for recovering addicts

A recovery program in Ogden is attempting to redefine the way communities look at addiction recovery.

Frank Jameson, a Life Coach for School of Addiction Recovery (SOAR), joined the Project Recovery podcast to explain the steps the non-profit organization is taking to change addiction recovery.

From addict to Life Coach

Frank’s day starts completely different than it did just a few years ago. He wakes up and plans for a day of helping others to overcome their challenges with substance abuse. But not long ago, he was in his own throes of addiction.

“From the moment, I first got intoxicated, even with [marijuana] and alcohol, I knew [it] was something that I want and need in my life,” Frank recalled. “Towards the end of my addiction, in my mid-twenties, it was heroin that definitely took me to my [rock] bottom.”

Frank’s rock bottom was so bad that he dropped out of the University of Southern California and began to get arrested for minor charges. He tried to get sober many times but the temptations of addiction kept coming back.

“I remember I was in the middle of Orange County, 2 am in the pouring rain, sharing needles with someone, shooting heroin behind a dumpster behind a 711 with someone I had just met,” he recalled.

Frank then moved to Utah after such a horrifying experience to try and get sober. While his sobriety didn’t come immediately after, he was ultimately able to come clean from his substance abuse.

Now he works with SOAR and his goal is to give back to the community that helped him get sober.

Using SOAR’s recovery program to give back

Now that Frank is sober, one of his biggest passions is giving back.

“I got sober and got into active recovery. Part of that [recovery process] for me is helping other people find that same light,” Frank described.

Frank and the other Life Coaches in the program help both adults and teens overcome their own struggles with substance abuse.

The program runs four days per week, two hours a day. Those who attend the program spend an hour in the classroom covering the SOAR Lifestyle curriculum. As well as, an hour in the gym honing their skills in physical exercise.

Included in the program are one-on-one therapy sessions with a contracted therapist. These one-on-one sessions are also a major component of the program’s success.

“It’s all about fitness but it’s not just physical fitness. It’s nutrition … your spiritual fitness … and your mental fitness,” Frank explained.

How SOAR’s recovery program can help anyone

According to Frank, SOAR is one of the first programs of its kind that can truly make a difference in Utah. due to it’s “camaraderie and the culture” behind the program.

In addition to the indoor activities, program participants share experiences out in nature, capturing new rewards through hiking, and going on jogs. Frank also believes that these group activities are essential to the overall success of the program.

And while it might all sound like a vacation from any problems you may have, the constant goal is to change.

“It’s about changing. Once you remove the drugs, you still have a lot of problems,” Frank described. “I think our program really shows you and walks you hand-in-hand how to rebuild your lifestyle on a different foundation.”

To learn more about SOAR, you can visit their website here: https://schoolofaddiction.org/

Listen to the podcast to learn more about SOAR

For more information on addiction or if you or someone you know is struggling, you can find more information on Facebook, KSL TV, Use Only as Directed, or USARA. To hear more from Casey Scott and Dr. Matt Woolley, you can listen below or subscribe to the ‘Project Recovery’ podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get major podcasts.