By the time an addicted loved one enters a treatment program, the whole family has been through its own kind of darkness, dealing with the hurt and anger that can accompany the disease.
The Center for Dependency, Addiction and Rehabilitation at the Anschutz Medical Campus brings addicts and their families into the light of recovery with its focus on the psychological and spiritual components of addiction and its often co-occurring disorders.
The new Marian Pfister Anschutz Spiritual and Family Center “closes the circle of the three-fold disease of addiction — emotional, physical and spiritual,” said CeDAR executive director Frank Lisnow at the building’s dedication Thursday.
The Anschutz Foundation donated $2 million to build the center, which has a meeting room and chapel-like space — with stained glass windows by Lakewood artist Linda Leniton — for family gatherings.
Marian Anschutz guided her prominent oil and ranching family through its own “difficult times,” said grandson Christian Anschutz. “Like many families, ours has had to deal with addiction. It’s a disease that’s had a lot of stigma.”
The foundation chose to support CeDAR in the face of “the overwhelming need in Denver and the entire Rocky Mountain area,” Anschutz said.
By speaking about his own family’s struggles, Anschutz said he hopes to send the message that “you can get help and you can recover, whether it’s a mother, father, son or daughter.”
The foundation will grant partial scholarships to those who can’t afford CeDAR’s $22,500 fee for 30-day residential treatment. “We don’t want people to feel they can’t get help,” Anschutz said.
A family member of a CeDAR client said the program has brought dignity to her family and changed her approach to life. “I am a better person because of my loved one coming here,” said the woman, who asked to remain anonymous.
Kristen Browning-Blas: 303-954-1440 or kbrowning@denverpost.com
