In the latest episode of our podcast, we delve into the inspiring journey of Randee Garcia, a remarkable individual who turned her life around from the depths of addiction to becoming a beacon of hope for others.
Randee, a California native with a heart that beats for Texas, shares her transformative experience that led her to Ripple Ranch, an inpatient recovery program that changed her life.

Randee’s story is one of courage and resilience. She opens up about her struggles with addictive behaviors and how she reached a point where life became unmanageable.
It was at this crucial juncture that she made the brave decision to seek help at Ripple Ranch. Her journey was not without its challenges, but Randee’s determination to change her life for the better shines through as she recounts her experiences.
As the Director of Admissions at Ripple Ranch, Randee now dedicates her life to helping others find their path to recovery.
She shares invaluable insights on navigating relationships with addicts, emphasizing the importance of offering support while setting healthy boundaries. Her story is a testament to the power of recovery and the impact of a supportive community.

Throughout the episode, Randee discusses the pivotal moments that led to her breakthrough, the importance of addressing mental health in recovery, and the role of community in maintaining sobriety.
She candidly talks about her struggles with alcohol and how she overcame them by embracing a new way of life, guided by the support and understanding of those around her.
Randee’s journey is a powerful reminder that recovery is possible and that it’s never too late to seek help.
Her story will leave you feeling empowered and hopeful, offering a fresh perspective on the challenges and triumphs of overcoming addiction.
Tune in to hear Randee Garcia’s incredible story and discover how she continues to inspire others on their path to recovery.
Whether you’re personally affected by addiction or seeking to support a loved one, this episode offers valuable insights and encouragement for anyone navigating the complexities of recovery.
Listen now and be inspired by Randee’s journey of transformation and hope.
It’s a conversation that promises to touch your heart and remind you of the resilience of the human spirit.
👉 Connect with Randee at Ripple Ranch!
Watch it on YouTube!
READ FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE
Wendy Valentine: Hey, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of the Midlife Makeover show. Today we have an incredible guest who embodies the power of transformation and the strength of the human spirit. Love it. Meet Randy Garcia, a California native who always knew she had a Texas heart. After facing her own struggles with addictive behaviors and reaching a point where life became unmanageable, Randy made the brave decision to enter Ripple Ranch’s inpatient program. A decision that completely turned her life around. Now Randy is not only thriving, but also dedicated to helping others find their own path to recovery. As a director of admissions at ah, Ripple Ranch, she’s a beacon of hope, showing that recovery is always hopeful, possible. It is, it is, it is. Today, she’s here to share her insights on navigating relationships with addicts, including how to offer support while setting healthy boundaries. Get ready for an inspiring conversation that will leave you feeling empowered and hopeful. Let’s give a warm welcome to Randy.
Randee Garcia: Well, hello. Thank you very much. I want to, like, take you around with me and just like, as, ah, I’m walking in, like, introduce me like that. Be like, yes, I’m here. I have arrived.
Wendy Valentine: One of our previous guests had said. She’s like, you know, if I could just record that and like, that’ll be my alarm clock. I just listened to that, like every morning. Like, that’s a great idea.
Randee Garcia: Yes. Start your day like that. Yeah. Yes, that’s me.
Wendy Valentine: So, what an amazing transformation. I admire you. It takes a lot to go through that. And I, for whoever’s listening right now, I’m sure if you’ve been listening to me for a while, you know that I had a brother that died of addiction a few years ago. And it’s tough. It is something. I mean, I have so much compassion for him, for what he went through, and even since he was a teenager and then up until he took his last breath, and then also for the people around him, myself included. And it, it, just now occurred to me, like, even I think about like, the name ripple ranch and how there is like that ripple effect, whether good or bad, happy, sad, positive or negative, and how it literally can create a ripple throughout so many lives. But I love that you had, you took, and, we’ll dive more into this.
You went from alcoholism to recovery and now you’re helping others
But you’re from your breakdown to breakthrough, and now you’re helping others that have had this breakdown to have a breakthrough and to live a thriving life. So my first question to you is, what was that turning point for you? That was like, you know what? I’m going to go into ripple ranch and recover.
Randee Garcia: So, you know, everybody talks about rock bottom, right? And, ah, everybody’s rock bottom looks different. ripple ranch wasn’t the first, center I went into. The first center I went into was in, Houston. And, I was able to put together nine months. But I still had those thoughts in my head. I never really, dove into my mental health. and what I dealt with that, and it was more of, oh, I’m fine. That doesn’t bother me anymore. And. But in reality, it really was. And, I kept having those thoughts, you know, like, am I really an alcoholic? You know, oh, I can control this. I’m good now. I have nine months. You know, I work through it. I can have a drink. Well, I let those thoughts take over, and I started drinking again. And it was slow at first, and then, it started picking up. But, see, like, with me, I was able to drink. A and still I was leaving. I was living two separate lives. Like, I could literally go to work, and I was drinking all day long. I started my day drinking. I ended my day drinking. And, I was actually living in sober living at the time. And, that’s how selfish I was. I was bringing alcohol in the. In my sober living. Know, they didn’t know, obviously, but, and I was. And I was thriving at my job. I was working in the restaurant industry. Ah, I had gotten promoted to assistant manager of the restaurant. You know, I. On the outside, it looked like I was doing good. On the inside, I was broken in pieces. And, all those. What we call in recovery is those yets, right? We’ll go into meetings and we’ll be like, well, I haven’t done that yet. I’m not that bad, you know? Cause I haven’t ran down the street naked yet, you know? And I was doing the same thing, right? Well, I hadn’t gotten any dwis. I hadn’t been in trouble with the law when it came to my alcoholism until it happened. and I got my first one. And I was. My, I hid it from my sober living. I just kept it on the down low. And then a month later, I got my second one. And then two weeks later, I got my third one. Yeah. So I got three dwis in three months. And the third one was the worst one. So basically, I showed up at my job drunk. They, you know, they. They smelt it on me. They saw my. How I was acting, and they sent me home. And my alcohol, alcoholic brain. I was like, the solution to this is to get more alcohol, right? And so I went and I got more alcohol. And I was drinking and driving, and I got in an accident. I, I hit. I ran into a fence. Thank God it was a fence. And I was so drunk that I didn’t even know I was in an accident. Like, the cop had to tell me, wow. And I go to jail for the third time in three months. And they had to take me up to the cell because. Because, you know, I couldn’t get bailed out fast, enough. So they put me up in a cell, and here I am in a, in a cell, in a jail cell, and I’m crying my eyes out. And there’s a girl, in the bottom bunk that is trying to kick heroin. And the thought crossed my mind that a drink would be nice right now. And that was the moment where I was like, this is not normal. Like, I need, like, I cannot control this. I’m. I, know that I can. I can get sobriety. I know that I could do. Do better. So I got out on. On Monday, and that Friday I was in ripple ranch. And I didn’t look back. Like I. That that moment was, was the pivotal moment of, like, the, the switch, coming on, you know, like, I need help. And I went into ripple. And it’s funny because I say it now to clients, right, like, they’re like, how long is the treatment? And I’m like, 30 to 45 days. And, And when they told me that, I was like, I’m gonna be here for 45 days. And they’re like, well, it’s up to your insurance. I said, I don’t know.
I changed everything about my life because I deserved better, you know
I don’t think you understand. I don’t care what you have to say, what you have to make me look like on paper, but I’m going to be here for 45 days because I’m going to. I need this. I want this. I want better for myself, you know? And I was there for 44 and then got, out. And I followed everything that they told me, you know, they told me to get into tense of outpatient afterwards. So I did. They told me to switch my sober living. So I did, you know, like, I. I changed everything about my life because I deserved better. And I knew that I could be better, you know, and so, so I didn’t care what they told me, honestly. They could have told me that I needed to go at 06:00 in the morning on the roof of my house and shout the ABCs, and that’s over. And by God, I would have done.
Wendy Valentine: It in pink pajamas. And whatever you say, whatever you say.
Randee Garcia: I will do it.
Do you feel that your addiction started as pain or pleasure
Wendy Valentine: Going back, do you feel that your addiction started as pain or pleasure? In other words, like, you’re like, whoo. Just going out and having fun with your friends. You start drinking, and then you realize you’re drinking more and more? Or was it you were going through something rough and then you start drinking? Or was it a little bit of both?
Randee Garcia: So my drinking career is interesting, right? Cause I did have a stent with meth for about a year. I did have a stent with, pain pills when I was dealing with my back for. I mean, and that was. That was for quite a bit, for a few years, those two were easy to take it off you. know, it was basically, I just. I’m tired of this. I don’t want to. I don’t want to do this anymore. And I was able to quit now with alcohol. When I look back to the very first time I had alcohol, I was 15 years old. I decided that my, parents were out of town, so I decided to have a party, right? And I got plastered. And so when I look back, I’m like, oh, yeah, I didn’t have control. Like, I couldn’t. I couldn’t stop myself when I started drinking. Now, fast forward a few years. I didn’t really like drinking. Like, I didn’t like the way it made me feel. I didn’t, like, you know, the. After. The day after, you know, like, I just. It wasn’t my thing, so, like, I wouldn’t drink. And then I went through a divorce, and I started drinking to cover up my pain. And that’s, when. When it, like, it switched to my brain. Like, I. It was. It put its claws in me, and I could not stop. I could not as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t go. I could not. Like, I. There was days that I would sit there and be like, okay, I’m not going to drink today. You know? And by noon, I was drinking, or I’d go get a bot. Two bottles of, liquidity, and I’d be like, okay, this one’s for today, and this one. So I’m good for tomorrow and I don’t have to worry about. And by the evening, both of them are gone, you know, or I get the big bottle. So I. So it would last me all day, and they’d be gone. It’d be gone in a few hours, you know, so, yeah, so, therefore, a little. I didn’t like drinking, but it was more when the, when the switch flipped for me was when I started drinking to cover up my pain and not.
Wendy Valentine: Yeah. So, it was a good coping mechanism.
Randee Garcia: Yeah, that was my best friend. That’s what I call alcohol. It was my best friend at the time, you know, so, like, when I went through, ripple, it was. I was mourning, you know, my relationship with my best friend. Cause that’s literally happy, sad, you know, whatever I’m going through, that’s what I ran to. And so I had to break that, like, basically break up with my best friend.
Wendy Valentine: Yeah. Did it change even? I would think so.
What was the most challenging part of the recovery process for you
But your lifestyle, your friends that you were, you know, like, who you would maybe go and drink with or, you know, like, once did you worry about that, of how your life would change going sober?
Randee Garcia: When I went sober, well, I, was more worried that I would. That my personality was going to change because in my brain, I felt like alcohol made me more outgoing, you know, made me funnier, you know, stuff like that. But, that was more what I was worried about because really, my, like, I have a really small clique of friends and they all wanted me sober, you know? And, like, my best friend of, 25 plus years, like, she, I mean, she’s one of those that can go to a restaurant, buy, get a drink and drink half of it and be good, like, you know, and not drink the rest. And I’m like, I gotta have more. Like, what are you doing? Who does that?
Wendy Valentine: Well, what do you think? What was the most challenging part of the recovery process and then how did you overcome those, those challenges?
Randee Garcia: The most challenging was feeling emotions again and sitting with those emotions and being okay with those emotions, you know, and, and working through them, you know, like, like, still to this day because we do so much work on coping skills and anger and, you know, all of this. And so, like, when I, I have a human moment with my human emotions, you know, I sit back and I’m like, oh, my gosh, you know, like, am I falling back into old ways? And I’m like, no, Randy, you’re, you’re supposed to. It’s valid how you’re feeling right now. You know, now you going and drinking would be wrong, but, you know, it’s okay to work through these emotions. But, man, when I started feeling them, you know, because I numbed them for so long. So when I started feeling emotions, it was, it was pretty intense, you know?
Wendy Valentine: Yeah, yeah, yeah, it still is.
Randee Garcia: Like, like, I had a very rough year last year. You know, I lost my dad, I lost a grandbaby. You know, my husband went through a medical scare. It was an intense year last year, and I remember this one moment, you know, like, me and my husband, we were kind of. He. It was right after our grandbaby had passed away. And so, emotions raw. Ah. And he was like, you just seem. You seem off right now. And I looked at him, I was like, of course I’m off. There’s so many emotions and so many things going on, but. And I can’t go and release them the way that you can. If you want to go have a drink, you can ease your mind that way. I cannot, you know, I have to just feel them, sit with them. M. Yeah, exactly. And that’s hard sometimes.
Wendy Valentine: It’s very hard. Yeah. I always think of emotions as, like, emotion energy in motion, and then, like, to let those emotions flow through you, because, I mean, I was someone that would, like, cling on to certain things, and then it would just brew within me. I’m like, okay, let’s just let this go. Let this go. But at the same time, you do have to face them and then move them on, through. But that’s tough. There’s a lot of losses. That goes to show, though, your recovery process really did stick with you because you were able to go through some of the most challenging things in your life and still be standing strong.
Randee Garcia: Yes. And I love those moments where I’m going through something tough. And three and a half years ago, I would have ran to the bottle. And now. And even two years ago, I never thought that I would go, through stuff like that and not have the thought of drinking. And so when I go through things and I don’t even think about it, it’s not even something that crosses my mind. It’s not even an option anymore, you know, like, it’s not even there. And, I’m just like, that’s when I give myself kudos. I’m like, rock on.
Wendy Valentine: Yeah. You have to become, like, your greatest cheerleader, right?
Randee Garcia: Yeah.
Wendy Valentine: Some of the things in your. In your toolbox, if you will, of your go tos, of, like, okay, I’m about to lose my s***. I really want to drink, but I’m going to do this, and I’m going to, whatever, go for a walk or call a friend. What are. What are some of the things that you do?
Randee Garcia: So, like, what I’ll do is, Is I’ll get in the car and I’ll. And I’ll drive and I’ll listen to music, and I’ll just rock out the music, and sometimes I’ll even listen to sad music, you know? Like, if it’s something sad that’s going on in my life and I just want to cry it out, you know, I’ll put on some sad music and I’ll just sit there and just cry it out, you know, and get all of it out. Because before, I would just shove it down or numb it, you know? And it was told to me a long time ago that God gave us our emotions and we’re supposed to feel them, right? And so that’s what I do. I allow myself to. If I need to go in the car and scream, or if I need to go in the car and listen to music and cry, then I do that. And then, you know, I also. I’ll go to a meeting. I still go to meetings. You know, that is. That’s my medicine. You know, that’s what I call it. It’s my recovery medicine. I’ll go over there and get my little daily dose of, recovery. Or, I’ll go help somebody else.
Wendy Valentine: Yeah.
Randee Garcia: that gets me out of my head.
Wendy Valentine: You know, it’s interesting because I’m sure that for. For everyone, they all have, like, their toolbox, if you will, is filled with different things. And I think as you go through that recovery process, I would guess, is that you find what works for you. May. Maybe not everyone gets in the car and plays music, you know what I mean? Or maybe some people, like, whatever, go for a hike or. And I think that’s the key, right? I guess it’s finding. Finding what works for each person and seeing that.
Randee Garcia: I agree with that completely. See, everybody thinks that it’s just like this cookie cut recovery is just this cookie cutter, you know? Like, this is what it’s supposed to look like, and it’s nothing. It’s nice.
Is the treatment process different depending on the level of addiction
It’s different for each individual. You know, like, some people, meetings aren’t for them. Some people, you know, they don’t need a sponsor. They just have a, mentor. Some people, you know, they’ll go out and they’ll just be by themselves. Some people need a lot of people. So some people journal, you know, like, it’s. It’s really. The key to it is. Is to be open to suggestions. See if those suggestions work for you and keep the ones that work and let go of the things that don’t and be okay with letting those things go. Okay. I tried it. It doesn’t work. Move on to the next one.
Wendy Valentine: Yeah. And I would think too. I mean, recovery is different for everyone as far as, I mean, if someone’s addicted to heroin or alcohol or is it different? Is the treatment process different depending on the level of addiction? If you,
Randee Garcia: I really don’t feel like the, the treatment process. Maybe the detox, definitely.
Wendy Valentine: Okay.
Randee Garcia: You know, they are definitely different levels of detox. you know, someone who has been using heroin for 15 years, every single day and shooting it up is going to have an intense, you know, a withdrawal, you know, or someone like, like me. I never really had, hangovers, or anything after, you know, the next day. I really didn’t give myself time to have a hangover, but I. Besides the point. But. So my withdrawal wasn’t very, it wasn’t intense. Right. So it’s very individualized on how that, how that person’s body is reacting to taking, taking the substance out of their system. Mm.
Wendy Valentine: You know, I wish everyone could, not every, everyone that needs it, could do inpatient. I, you know, I’d mentioned about my brother before, he never did. I, wish he had.
So, speaking of friends and family with addiction, how do you handle that
So, speaking of friends and family with addiction, how, how do you handle that? How do you, like, if, let’s say whoever’s listening right now, if they have a friend or family member that is suffering with addiction, how do you approach it? How do you provide that support?
Randee Garcia: Well, the key to it, the most important thing is don’t be angry with the person. It’s not them. You know, it is, I don’t know why that one makes.
Wendy Valentine: Me emotional because I was just gonna cry myself. I know.
Randee Garcia: Yeah. It’s emotional because we act so different when we’re in the middle of our addiction. Right? Like, I was told all the time, Randy, you are a beautiful person. I hate you when you’re drinking, you know, because I was so mean. And so that is the, and I know it’s difficult for families to separate that because it’s their loved one. Right. So you have to approach it as you’re attacking the disease, not the person. And at the same time, so you bring, you approach them with, withdeze treatment options. Right. And. But at the end of the day, they have to be willing to go.
Wendy Valentine: Yeah.
Randee Garcia: You know, and that’s the hard, the hard part of it is if they’re not willing to go, there is absolutely nothing you can say. Nothing you can say to make them become sober and want it.
Wendy Valentine: Yeah.
Randee Garcia: My, I had my kids begging me. I had my mom begging me, you know, and I just, it’s not that I didn’t hear them, and it’s not that I didn’t love them. Right. And it’s not that I loved alcohol more than I loved my family. It was my brain. In my brain, all it was on a. On a constant loop was alcohol. Yeah, alcohol, alcohol, alcohol. And, like, I would be having a conversation, like I am right now with you, and all I’d be thinking about was, how can I end this conversation so I can go get my next drink? You know?
Wendy Valentine: Like, I was never really like, wendy, you’re boring me. I need a drink. Yeah.
Randee Garcia: Like, I’m done with this. Like, is it good? Like, you got what you need.
Wendy Valentine: Yeah, I know what you mean, though. Yeah. It was constantly on your mind, and I mean, and a little bit of what you were saying, it was in your brain. It was chemically going through your system, which I, love what you say, because it’s not the person. It is the addiction that is running through that body that they. It’s sometimes cannot be controlled. And you’re so right. Until that person says, yes, I’m ready to change.
Randee Garcia: Exactly. And the thing is, is that, like, families. I talk to families all the time, and they’re like, we beg him, m. Or, you know, this is the fourth time that we’re going to get them into treatment. And, you know, what do I do? And sometimes I tell them, you have to set that boundary. Like, you have to let them know, I love you. I will help you get sober. I will help you get recovery, but I cannot help you in your addiction. And sometimes that’s hard for families. Like, I had to. Like, when I hit my rock, my rock bottom, I didn’t have anybody to turn to that I didn’t have my family. My mom I knew loved me, but she was like, I can’t help you. You got to get yourself out of this one. You have to, you know, so letting. Letting the addict know, like, hey, I love you, and I’ll help you, you know, you know, go towards recovery, but I won’t help you in your addiction. And setting those boundaries, that. That. That helps tremendously.
Wendy Valentine: Yeah, I. Looking back over the years, with my brother, you know, I did come to that point where, because I. I literally spent majority of my life trying to help him, but I realized it was actually hurting me. Like, I made it, like, it was like, my mission. I was like, I’m going to get him clean and sober. And. And then it was just like talking to a wall, you know, like, he just. It just. Nothing ever, you know, so then it just got to be kind, of an abusive, relationship because he was with the addiction, was so angry. And, and finally one day I was like, I can’t do this anymore. I was like, I love you, but. And then he didn’t speak to me for five years. And that was tough. He would not speak to me because I was like, oh, sorry, I’m not going to put up with that. And sometimes that happens, you know, but it was my own happiness that I had to, to, you know, to think about.
Randee Garcia: And you have to, like, that’s important, you know, and it, it breaks my heart sometimes when I m, have families calling me like multiple times and, you know, they’re like, begging me and I’m like, I can’t force him to go, you know, like, I can lead him to, you know, the screening and get him, get him in, but if he doesn’t want to go, ultimately, like, there’s nothing that I can do, you know, Orlando or like, the families that’ll call me and they’re, they’re like, well, you know, he’s locked down, right? Like, he’s, he’s not going to be able to leave. And I’m like, well, no, we’re not locked down. You know, of course we’re going to try to advocate to get him to stay as much as we can, but if at the end of the day he’s like, no, I don’t want this. I want to leave. We have to let him go.
Wendy Valentine: Yeah, it’s like, what’s the saying? You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. Right?
Randee Garcia: Exactly.
Wendy Valentine: You can do all the right things, but, but it has to come deep within you. I mean, it’s amazing, though. Like, you had that moment with yourself really in a cell going, okay, we’re done here. Yeah, right.
Randee Garcia: And that’s really how, how I am with a lot of things, you know, like, I’ll take it for so long and then, like, okay, like, I’m over this.
If I would have gotten out and not gone to treatment, I would not
But, but I knew with alcohol I needed help, right? Because I couldn’t do it on my own. Like, I know that even though I had that thought, like, oh, I I can’t do this anymore. If I would have gotten out and not gone to treatment, I would not. I, wouldn’t. I wouldn’t be talking to you right now, you know, like, I’d still be drinking. And I also say, too, like, you know, like, my best friend, she’s like, Randy, did it really have to take three you know, Dwis. And I’m like, yes, I did. Like, she’s like, the first one didn’t wake you up? I’m like, no, it didn’t. You know, like, I told. I tell her, if I would have gotten that, just that one, I’d probably still be drinking today.
Wendy Valentine: Yeah, you’re so right. I mean, it’s, it’s. Sometimes it doesn’t, it doesn’t matter. Like, in every addict is different. Of course. I mean, again, my brother, he went through two comas. And you would think that even waking up from the comas would have literally woken him up. but no. So, yeah. And I tell you what, though, I’ve shared this before. I’ll never, this momentous changed my life in so many great ways. And, I mean, I can remember the first time when he went into a coma. I had walked over that threshold into the ICU, and I saw him lying there with all the machines were going and try not to cry. It was the first time that, that I no longer saw him as an addict. Like, I took all the labels off and I just saw him as a soul with a body, not a body with the soul, if that makes sense. And I had so much compassion for him. I was like, s***. Like, this poor guy, you know, he has suffered since a teenager. And, I just saw him in a completely different light. It was like someone put new glasses on me, and I saw everyone else in a completely different light. Like, oh, I get it. Like, you know, I think we were. I don’t know, we might have been talking about this earlier, but it’s kind of like when you start to notice things and you like, oh, that makes sense now. Okay. That’s why she does that. And that’s okay. Like, I get it.
Randee Garcia: it’s like the puzzle pieces are being put together. Yeah. Oh, here’s the big picture, you know? But that right there is exactly what I was talking about. Like, yeah, we get. So when you’re. When you’re dealing with somebody with addiction, right? We get. We tend to get so mad with that person and, you know, we tend to sit there and be like, why can’t you just stop? You know? Like, why are you making this choices? You’re doing this, you know? But somebody who truly. Who truly suffers from addiction, m they cannot stop. Like. Like I said, it is a. I’m so, so grateful that I don’t have that obsession anymore.
Wendy Valentine: Yeah.
Randee Garcia: It was literally wake up, first thought, and it was just constantly just going in my brain. You know, so the fact that you walked in there and you, like, saw him as a person who is struggling, right? Like, that’s where I think that. That a lot of people would have a different view on addiction if they. If they looked at it that way. It is a person, a human being that is, you know, it’s not someone who is, like, I think today I’m gonna be a heroin addict and I’m gonna ruin my life. And I think that that’s a good life choice. I want everybody taken out of my life. I want to lose all my money. I want to end up in the hospital. Like, this is what I choose for my life, you know, because it’s not like that. It really. It really isn’t. like I said, like, I. My daughter. My daughter, she has been through my whole. All of my addictions with me. And, you know, she would beg me, mom, just stop. Like, just stop drinking. Why don’t you love me enough to stop? And when I think about it, like, it breaks my heart that she had to deal with that, but, at the time, it wasn’t. I think that I’m going to love alcohol more than my daughter. You know, it is. I don’t want to do this, but I can’t stop myself. Like, there was times where I would be driving, and I would tell myself, I’m not going to stop and get any alcohol. I don’t want to drink. I don’t want to do this. Like, I’m not going to. And then I’d stop at the stop sign, and in tears, I would pull into the gas station. M then I’d go into the gas station and be like, okay, I’m only going to buy two just to kind of, like, ease the thoughts, you know?
With addiction, your brain is affected. Your whole body is affected
I’m just going to buy two. And then I’d go and I’d buy five. You know? Like, it’s just. It’s crazy when. When I think about my addiction and how I had no control over what I did. Like, you know, like, now, anytime that I. That the thought ever crosses my mind, I’m like, yeah, that’s not gonna happen. You know? Like, I start playing my. My tape all the way through because, oh, I’m gonna have a, drink, and then I blow my life up, you know, and I’ve worked way too hard to get to where I’m at.
Wendy Valentine: Yeah, it’s almost like, you were saying earlier about the. Was it the. The yets? Like, well, I haven’t done that yet. You know, it’s almost like you rationalize it. Like, your brain goes into this. Like, hey, you can just get one or two. I mean, we’ll be fine. You know, like, you have this whole conversation in your head. Like, it’ll be okay. It’s not that big. You’re not that bad.
Randee Garcia: Exactly. Nobody will know, you know, or, ortain. I, you know, like, oh, they’re drinking a handle a day. I’m not like that yet.
Wendy Valentine: Yeah, right. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. You start to rationalize it, like, okay, I can do this. It’s not that big of a deal. Yeah, yeah. It’s like your mind. Well, yeah. I mean, obviously, with addiction, your brain is affected. Your every. Your whole body is affected. So it’s. You’re listening to this voice, to this addictive voice, I would think.
Randee Garcia: Yeah. And it’s. It’s like, you know, the good angel, bad angel, and you’re like, they’re battling, you know, and it’s. I’m telling you, it’s. It’s. It’s like not having control over your actions or your thoughts, you know, even. Even if you’re able to white knuckle it. Ah. And stop for. For a week or so, you’re literally just white knuckling it. I’m not gonna drink. I can do this, you know? And then eventually it ends up happening. You give in.
Community is very, very important in recovery, right
Wendy Valentine: How important was having that community, within ripple ranch? Like, having others, they’re going through the same process with you.
Randee Garcia: Community is 100%, very, very important in recovery. You have to have your sober tribe. You have to. Because in our brains when, well, at least for me, right. Like, I. I was. I was a closet drinker. I would drink alone. I was always by myself. I didn’t feel like I could talk to anybody. I didn’t feel anybody could relate. And then when I get to ripple and I’m around people that are like, yeah, I’ve felt that before. Yeah, I’ve gone through that with my family. Yeah. I, you know, doesn’t. They don’t blink an eye at three dwis in three months. Other people are like, what? You know, and. But somebody who has maybe not walked the exact same, you, know, path as I have, but they have their own demons that they’ve dealt with or they’ve done in their addiction. They don’t even blink an eye at it. You know, they’re like, yeah, that had to suck going through, right?
Wendy Valentine: Yeah. You know, a good way to connect. Connect through pain and through pleasure.
Randee Garcia: Exactly. And you know what I love about the recovery world is that we’re all so different, and we come from so many different walks of life, right? But you put us in a room together, and we’re, like, the best of friends because we all have that same thing in common, you know, so we can relate to that. And all we’re doing is trying to make it 20, another 24 hours sober. You know, being in recovery, it’s not like you just all of a sudden stop that. That fight. It’s. It every single day, like, you know, we have to put it first. Every single day. I literally wake up every morning still to this day, and I tell myself, for this 24 hours, I’m going to stay sober. I don’t know what’s going to happen in a week or a month from now, but at least for today, I’m going to stay sober. And I just keep putting those 24 hours together, you know? but having people that. That can relate to that and understand, when I say about the obsession, and they’re like, yeah, this is what mine look like, you know, and we talk about it, and we can. We can, support each other. Like, amazing. It really is. Like, it’s amazing that it doesn’t matter if they believe in God or they’re atheists or live in the universe. We don’t care. You know, I don’t care who, ah. I don’t care if the. That rock outside is your higher power, and that is what is helping you stay sober. More power to you. Good.
Let’s talk about our recovery and. And, you know, what we’re doing every day
Let’s go. You know, let’s talk about our recovery and. And what we’re. How we got through it. And, you know, what we’re doing every day. Like, I, I now run alumni, and, you know, like, every week we get together and we support each other. We just got done, at a. At a recovery event over the weekend, and we won. We were champions of the so guys. But it was so cool because I was sitting back and it was on the river and everything, and one of the guys that would, like, float, floated by on a, on a kayak, and he was gonna go fishing, and I kind of took it. I was soaking it all in, and I’m just, like, looking at everybody and I’m like, I wonder where he was 90 days ago. I wonder what h*** she was in a year ago. And now look at it. We’re. We’re all together here, showing each other that we can support each other and have fun in sobriety.
Wendy Valentine: Yeah. And non judgment. Right? Like, not there to judge anyone because they’re all in the same boat together, and you’re connecting through stories, which I love. Yeah.
Ripple ranch focuses on the mental health side of recovery
What do you think makes a ripple ranch, so different from the others? What makes, what makes it so special?
Randee Garcia: Very dear to my heart because they saved my life. But what sets us aside is that we focus on the mental health side of recovery. So like I mentioned before, I went to a treatment center in Houston. Night and day, right? Night, and day. They were, they were twelve step, based. And we are not, we’re an alternative to twelve steps. And and don’t get me wrong, I love aa. I still work the steps. I still go to meetings, I have a sponsor. but there was something missing in the twelve steps, right? Because, yes, another addict helping another addict is crucial because we can relate, we’re on the same playing field. Right. but they can’t help you with the mental health, the depression, the deep.
Wendy Valentine: Stuff, like very deep.
Randee Garcia: The trauma, you know, any suicidal ideations that you, that you may have, you know, all of that. And that’s what ripple works on. You know, we detox you, we get that substance out of you and then we start diving into, to what you deal with mentally.
Wendy Valentine: And that can be sometimes the hardest part, I would think. I mean you really gotta like, like you were saying earlier, just sitting with those emotions and going through past events in your mind is, is rough.
Randee Garcia: Yeah, 100% for girl having to face things that you’ve covered up for years. You know, things that I didn’t even. That I thought that I was over, you know, that happened years ago when I was, you know, growing up. I thought that it didn’t bother me anymore until I started talking to my counselor. Okay, well let’s dive into that. And then I was like, oh, come to find out, it does still bother me. You know, this is why I react that way. This is why I react that way, you know, in these situations. And I, and so it was nice to work through it. It was not easy at all. Like I tell potential clients all the time that are like on the fence of going to treatment, it’s not going to be easy. I don’t sugarcoat it. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that you’re going to go to ripple and it’s like this magic place that all of a sudden all your problems are gone and everything’s great. It’s not that, it’s not how it works, but if you go with a little bit of willingness and openness to hear what they have to say and really dive deep into whatever it is that you deal with and you work through it. And there is a light at the end of the tunnel. But you have to, you have to work through it. Like there is no shortcut. There’s no, oh, I’m not going to deal with that. No. You know, like in fact I I just got one of my really good friends into ripple that I’d been working to get her in for a minute. Right. She has a lot of trauma, a lot of things that she’s dealt with. And she just couldn’t stop drinking. And when I dropped her off, I told her, I said, look, I said, you don’t know these people. You’ll never see them again. Because she actually lives in Colorado. So I’m like, you’ll never see them again. I want you to go in there and literally have vomit of the mouth. This is what I deal with. Help me work through it. Let me sort through it. Like don’t, don’t do any of this little, you know, like here’s just the scratching of the surface. No, dive all the way in there. Get it all out that way. You can feel that relief that comes along with working through that stuff. And then you go out into the real world and you’re out of that little safe bubble of ripple. You know. You have a good foundation.
Wendy Valentine: Yes.
Randee Garcia: You know.
Can family members come and visit when you’re going through treatment at Ripple ranch
Wendy Valentine: Oh, that’s such a good point though. And I was going to ask you, I mean I would think at Ripple ranch that you can, people can come from anywhere. Yeah.
Randee Garcia: Yeah. I have, like she’s from Colorado. I have one girl that I got in from North Dakota. Like she actually decided to stay and she now lives in Texas. and it’s so funny when she tells her story because she just celebrated a year and when she tells her story, she literally says, oh, Texas, I’m going, it’s hot there in Texas. And now she lives here being, and she lives here because this is where she has her family over there in south Dakota. But she, but she has made her tribe here.
Wendy Valentine: Yeah, well it’s like, and it was her place of rebirth, if you will.
Randee Garcia: Yeah, exactly. And, but it goes back to that community too. You know, like you have that connection. You build your tribe and they become your family.
Wendy Valentine: So can can family members come and visit when you’re going through the treatment?
Randee Garcia: So at some facilities they can, we don’t have visitation, we do allow electronics. once you have hit a level in your, in your recovery, in your treatment there and you’re following rules and you know, doing what you need to do. And there’s phone time so you can facetime your family. We do have a family session on Tuesday nights that’s through Zoom, that family and friends can join and they can, you know, learn about how help, how to help their family member or friend, when they get out and address any issues. but we don’t have visitation and I personally, I kind of like that because I’ve always called inpatient. It’s a gift, right? It’s a gift that we get that we can put a pause on life m and put a pause on everything that’s going on in the real world if that’s going on in the real world and we can really focus on ourselves. Right. If my, like, I think about it now, like if I was in treatment at ripple right now and we had visitations and my sisters to say my daughter brought my grandbaby, that would make it so hard for me. I feel like that would bring me back a level because then I would be heartbroken that she had to leave. You know what I mean?
Wendy Valentine: Yep. Exactly. And then even on the other hand too, if there could be some triggering factors going on with friends and family if they come to visit. So I think that’s smart too, that you have it that way. It sounds like an amazing place.
Randee Garcia: Oh, I absolutely, I love Ripple. We’re out there on 25 acres. I mean it’s so you’re out in the nature and there’s, when I was there, there was deer that would come in the morning and so like I get up early to go feed them in the morning before my day started. it’s just so peaceful out there in such an environment that you can really, if you, if you really take it in and really focus on yourself and getting better. Like it’s such a great, environment to be able to do that. You know, you have the nature and then you have, and then you have this staff that treats you like your family. Like, I, when I drove up to ripple, I was like, first off I looked around and I was like, this is a rehab. My other one was state funded lockdown. Like it was total opposite, you know, like, and then when I met the staff, it was just so welcoming and so loving and no judgment and, you know, I could cry with them, laugh with them, tell them what I’m going through and they would sit there and talk with me and help me through.
Wendy Valentine: It, you know, so amazing. and where, where in Texas is it located?
Randee Garcia: So we’re located in spring Branch.
Wendy Valentine: Okay.
Randee Garcia: That’s about 20 minutes north of San Antonio.
Wendy Valentine: Yep, yep. Yeah. San Antonio. That’s where I went to school, where little Wendy went to school. Well, thank you so much. So. And where. How, how can we find out more about Ripple ranch?
Randee Garcia: So you can go on our website on www. Dot ripple ranch, um.com. and you can go on there, you can see, you know, see what we offer. You can meet the team. There’s some, you know, snippets of our team. and then there’s also, you know, our admissions line that they can call, they can possibly talk to me or. Or talk to one of my fabulous girls that, do. Amazing athlete.
Wendy Valentine: Ah.
Randee Garcia: explaining what we have and what we have to offer. somebody who wants recovery.
Wendy Valentine: And there’s some good blog articles on there, too, I noticed. Really good. Lots of. Lots of information on the website. It’s a good website. Yeah. I’m a little snooty about websites. I’m like, pretty dang good. It’s really good, actually, especially for a treatment center. I’m like, wow, I’m impressed. So thank you so much. I appreciate you sharing your story, and I appreciate you listening to my story. but hopefully our stories will have inspired someone out there. And, yeah, I’m amazed at what you’ve done and what you continue to do.
Randee Garcia: Thank you so much. And I appreciate you having me on here. And, you know, it’s just like you said, you know, hopefully it inspires somebody. I always, When they ask me to do something for when it comes to recovery, I always say yes because I never know who’s going to listen. And sometimes it may just hit one person, but that one person needed to hear it, and that makes everything worth it. It.
Wendy Valentine: Yeah, it’s the ripple effect.
Randee Garcia: Exactly.
Wendy Valentine: All right, thank you so much, everyone. Have a great day.
Randee Garcia: Thank you. Bye.
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