New Direction's Journey
New housing for those trying to maintain sobriety to be built in McHenry County
McHenry County saw increase in suspected overdose deaths, leading to warnings about fentanyl
Pretty Large Community of Addiction
Less than a half hour after the conclusion of the Jan. 7 ribbon cutting ceremony to
formally open the New Directions Retreat in Woodstock, director of operations Chris
Larsen picked up the phone in his office.
After listening to the caller, Larsen delivered the bad news: “Iʼm sorry. I donʼt have a
bed for you right now.”...read more
New Directions Retreat Opens With New Approach To Recovery
New Directions to open sober living retreat in Woodstock, waiting list already more than 70 long
A new 35-bed, long term recovery retreat opening early next year in Woodstock
A 35-bed sober living retreat is coming to Woodstock early next year, yet another McHenry County location where those in recovery can get the help they need to live life sober.
The New Directions Retreat is a project spearheaded by Chris Reed, 29, who since 2013 has founded several Crystal Lake projects supporting sober, healthy lifestyles. He opened The Other Side, a sober bar, and...read more
Crystal Lake sober bar, support system key around New Year's for those recovering during holidays
New Year's, and the weekend after, can be seen for many people as a time to celebrate by drinking. While this can be hard for people recovering from addiction, there are ways to combat this.
Chris Reed, president of New Directions Addiction Recovery Services and The Other Side Sober Bar, said they do tend to see more people during and after the holidays...read more
New Directions Addiction Recovery Services looks to open 2nd sober-living home
New Directions Addiction Recovery Services is working to create more sober-living beds – something president Chris Reed said McHenry County greatly lacks.
A five-person women’s recovery home is opening Dec. 15 at 171 Lincoln Parkway, Crystal Lake, and the organization recently was given a grant to help fund another sober-living home...read more
Sober Bar In Illinois Provides a Sanctuary for Recovering Addicts
The Other Side provides a safe space for sober people to socialize over non-alcohol beverages and activities like darts, pool, and ping pong.
One of the challenges of sobriety can be figuring out what to do for fun. Bars, where booze is flowing and drunk people have rambling stories to share...read more
From sober bars to clean spring breaks, helping young adults move beyond addiction
You get invited to grab drinks on a first date. Your friend's birthday party is at a bar. Booze is flowing at places like ballparks and summer festivals where you like to hang out with your friends.
Alcohol can be a big part of the social life of a 20-something in Chicago. But what if you're in recovery?...read more