A Rockstar Recovery

From a young age, Dylan Lambert felt different. He was originally from Montreal, Canada and grew up in a small town in rural Georgia. His opportunities seemed few and far between, and the future looked bleak. With little to do, he began to drink.

At first, he drank to ease his anxiety and help him sleep. After a while, though, Dylan decided that it was more fun to drink than to go to school. It got to the point that he found himself drinking during every part of his day.

“I was just so profoundly sad all the time. I felt like I had the life falling out of me slowly since the day I was born,” Dylan said. “There was no potential for love left in me, and I was doomed pretty much from the start.”

As his drinking continued, Dylan found himself slowly becoming a worse friend to the people he cared about most. Things became all about him, and he lost regard for anyone or anything else. He realized he had hit his breaking point when he got involved with his best friend’s girlfriend. He checked himself in for treatment a week later.

When Dylan first arrived at UF Health Florida Recovery Center, he was scared. He didn’t know what to expect and felt that he had lost most control over his life. He became confrontational, and it took a lot of adjustment. Upon leaving, he relapsed and was found with alcohol poisoning by a savior he refers to as K. This led to his second attempt at recovery at FRC.

“By the time I made it back, I didn’t care what happened to me,” Dylan said. “I didn’t care if I lived or died or ended up in jail or homeless.”

The start of Dylan’s second stay at FRC wasn’t easy, but he eventually gave into the routine that was presented to him and found a reason to live again. He was given a guitar, and the instrument helped shape much of his recovery process. He found comfort in the values of the treatment, which promoted vigorous honesty and gratitude. He felt he was receiving overwhelming love and support.

“I’m very cynical, but I think the recovery community goes beyond cynicism. Everyone wants you to get well and is willing to open their arms to you,” Dylan said. “I don’t think I’d be alive right now without FRC.”

Upon completing treatment, Dylan, now 24, started living his best life. He moved to Nashville, where he interns at Blackbird Studios, a recording company that has worked with performers including Carrie Underwood, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Queen. He has a girlfriend, and, inspired by his favorite bands – LCD Soundsystem and Sonic Youth – he plays rock ‘n’ roll regularly.