Program offers hope for veterans struggling with addiction

MINNEAPOLIS — Alan Vanhoever and Brian Neidt are honored to have served the United States.
Vanhoever was in the Army and Neidt in the Marines.
“We joined to defend something greater than ourselves,” Neidt said.
Vanhoever struggled with alcohol and drugs before joining the military. He hoped the work would set him straight.
For Neidt, the challenges he encountered led to substance abuse.
“It was in the military that I started using. Basically, to deal with the stress and trauma,” said Neidt.
They had traumatic experiences that no one seemed to understand when they returned home.
“I don’t see a bullet wound on you, so you must not be damaged,” Vanhoever said.
Both men struggled for years before giving a specialized long-term program a try.
“I just felt isolated, alone. It was a pretty fearful time for me. I had PTSD. I had anxiety, depression. I didn’t want to show that weakness,” Neidt said.
Vanhoever and Neidt say the program deployed at Minnesota Teen and Adult Challenge is unlike any other treatment program they had experienced.
“The love that I felt here was the closest that I’ve ever felt to a military family since leaving the military,” Vanhoever said.
They are among those in recovery who have found sobriety through the brotherhood of military service and specialized care.
“Because of the specific and unique veterans’ programs, I was able to open up in a way that I hadn’t done before in those previous treatments,” Neidt said.
Vanhoever has been sober for five and a half years. 
“It was about 9 months into the program when it finally clicked. Wow, I can do the rest of my life without having to get high and without having to drink again,” Vanhoever said.
Neidt is celebrating three years of sobriety. 
“There’s hope. For so long I lived afraid to talk about the things that I went through and there’s a safe space to do that,” Neidt said.
After graduating from an intensive program and the Teen Challenge Leadership Institute, Vanhoever and Neidt took on roles with Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge.
If you or a veteran you know is struggling, you can call 612-FREEDOM for help.