Zen Detox Premium Wellness Retreat

Zen provides a top class holistic approach to treating alcoholism and drug addiction, The environment is top notch set on a Olive orchard with beautifully maintained gardens, It provided me with the opportunity to slow down and focus on getting well, I was only able to do this because the staff are kind compassionate and well educated in all aspects of this insidious disease.I am now 19 months clean and sober have a amazing relationship with my long suffering parents and are today a truly present committed father to my beautiful 11 year old girl.Don't hesitate to inquire for yourself or a loved one, as in the depths of addiction and we don't always think, there is a way out.... but have faith and courage as there is, im living proof!!!And for me the journey started right here at Zen Detox Premium Wellness Retreat.

My first contact with zen was in October 2017. I was completely lost and desperate , and could not see a way out of my addiction . My life was vacant of any meaning or hope. I reached out to my mother ,looking for a way out , I found Zen's website here on google. I rang up and got an assessment that day with the program manager. I was scared when i turned up full of anxiety. Truthfully I don't remember much about the assessment . Only two staff members faces and names and how a tinge of hope entered my life for the first time in many years. My detox was to be complicated and in conjunction with the Auckland Opiate Treatment Service division of CADS. This was organised by the very passionate and professional clinical staff. They made this complicated bureaucratic process that was not the norm with AOTS very smooth and easy for me as they did all the organising. Which was amazing to be able to make something like that work in such a sort amount of time.Once I was In zen and the detox done I was introduced to the zen family. A mix of all backrounds and stories who all shared a common thing, addiction. Of my 3 month period at zen I engaged in a nothing short of a life changing program structured around a therapeutic community model. Although confronting, challenging and an emotional journey that some days left me exhausted by bed time. It was what in the ended built hope, courage , tools and eventually lead to the daily maintenance of actions that has allowed me to have a new life clean and sober.To sum up zen, the staff are all understanding ,professional and truely care as most of them have all been to the depths of addiction which requires help to recover from. I still Go back to zen for their aftercare program almost 2 years later when i can as my life has become full and i have learnt a new way of life. I think this has been huge for me as even once clean / sober life still is life and i will always continue to learn and grow and in those early days the support and opportunity to be able to go back to zen for the day program and also to give back to a community which gave me so much more than just a life free of drugs. Most of all I learnt who I was. From where I was two years ago before zen to now is sometimes hard to believe . The internal anxiety and depression which plagued me my whole life and I thought was my life sentence has lifted. I did not believe this was a possibility for me as i had tried for so many years to free my self from these internal struggles. I went to zen to get clean and in the ended I found freedom.

I was a resident at Zen when they first opened in March 2017. I had spent the last 12 years of my life using drugs and alcohol to manage my severe anxiety and depression. At 24 years old I decided that I could not continue on this path much longer and finally reached out for help.I am beyond grateful that I found Zen whilst looking up treatment options. Through 5 weeks of therapy, education and most importantly connection, the team at Zen showed me a new way of life. I am now 18 months clean and sober and strongly believe this would not have been possible if it weren’t for the compassion, support and guidance from the wonderful team at Zen.I would highly recommend checking this place out if you or one of your loved ones are suffering from addiction! They will help you build a solid foundation for your recovery journey ahead. I owe Zen my life!

Zen is the most professional and progressive place to do treatment. They treat you with respect, uphold your dignity, get to the underlying core issues that create a need for external coping mechanisms, provide life skills, a more realistic world view, self connection and connection with others. They support you to find your purpose and meaning, give you tools, and the Zen family to call on when you require support. The aftercare is astounding. Thanks for everything Zen. You are life changers!!!

I came to Zen in January 2018, I was stuck using a variety of drugs but the most debilitating was a government funded opioid substitution treatment which I had been on since 2015 for a heroin addiction.No other detox would take me due to dual diagnosis and the severity of my history and significant chance of relapse, I felt like I would never be able to get off. I was suicidal, lost and had no hope of ever living clean.I had my assessment with Lance at the end of 2017 and we discussed some treatment options, it was decided that I would stay for three months and then look into moving on into a recovery house.I was scared, detox is an incredibly challenging part of the process for everyone involved.I remember my first day at Zen, the nurse at the time was just gorgeous and supported me massively, bringing me medication and helping me to be as comfortable as possible in A BEAUTIFUL removed location in West Auckland. The peer support staff were patient and kind (and I was pretty hard work over the first month of my stay) and they kept encouraging me to keep going aswell as delivering me their message of recovery and hope. I was taken out to do things to keep my mind busy, a special thanks to Chris who was always full of ideas to keep me occupied.(The massage therapist Jodi is just beautiful)Post detox I stayed for another two months where I learnt to eat, exercise and function again as a human being, and I started to get involved in 12 step fellowships which have been a huge support to my recovery to this day.I cannot begin to express my gratitude for everything Lance and the team at Zen have helped me gain back, and the patience and understanding I received as an addict in early recovery.I love you all so so so so so so much and without the support of this place my recovery would be without a home. I plan to keep going back to Zen regularly to stay in contact and I've made life long friends.Could not recommend enough! And I'm so excited for what the future has to hold for this revolutionary approach on detox and wellness.I'm an incredibly grateful addict today because without my disease I wouldn't know what real freedom and happiness looks like. Give it a go, you might just find a life worth living.

I have worked as a peer support specialist at Zen for 16 months now, having had my own lived experience of alcohol/substance dependence and anxiety for many years and finding freedom has left me very passionate and motivated about recovery and supporting others to find new and meaningful solutions, I value our team at Zen for the unity, compassion and integrity that ultimately drives what we do and believe we put in endless effort behind the scenes to achieve our goal of being the best. For anybody considering private treatment options I would strongly recommend phoning to talk and if possible a visit to our lovely home away from home to see/hear/feel what we offer. You will not be disappointed

Zen is a truly special place. The opposite of addiction is connection, I have been to a few rehabs and from my experience there is nowhere quite like Zen where you will find that true connection. Addiction is not a quick fix it is lifelong disease and Zen is like a family where you are always welcomed back and they do follow up and check on how you are after leaving treatment. I feel truly blessed to have found Zen after I relapsed I wanted to just disappear but the love felt and shown at Zen really did prevent me from continuing down the dark path of addiction and isolation. If you want the best treatment that actually deliver on what they say, one on one peer support, group therapy, medical assisted detoxication which is professionally run than I highly recommend Zen. If you have a loved one that needs help then take them to Zen. Join the family xx

I was welcomed with open arms into zen. At the time I was fragile, had no sense of belonging and was at the end of the road with no where left to go. Mentally I couldn’t piece anything together, I just knew I needed help and these people at zen knew what to do with me and how to get me well. Spending just over a month at zen was the best thing I have ever done for myself and my well being. I have managed to put the drugs and alcohol down and progressed from being someone afraid of the world, to a confident women who knows what she wants in life. I still have ups and downs but they are nothing like the highs and lows of my old life. Zen has given me continued support and I always know I can go back if I need to or they are just a phone call away. I love the facilities, staff and programme zen offers. For me this was a receipe for success that I so badly needed. Thank you to the team at zen for saving my life. Forever grateful.

Zen saved my life, after a 20 year addiction, finding a way out of that was impossible for me to do alone. The staff at Zen carried hope for me till they taught me how to carry hope for myself. Today I’ve living proof that no matter the depths substance abuse takes you there’s a better life. Zen fostered a holistic approach to my recovery, they help me face my core issues and loved me back to health and emotional stability. I don’t know where I would be today if not for my Zen family. Forever grateful for this truly life changing experience that Zen gave me.

Zen detox is a truly amazing and remarkable place. It was a truly life changing experience, literally... My stay here saved my life. The love and support I received whilst at zen will never be forgotten.