Robert Lowry stand tall, head held high, because he has gained his life back. He endured a disastrous 10-year struggle with sobriety and responsibility. In and out of 13 hospitals and rehabs, each stay brought only short-term results. He felt doomed to a life of chaos. Today, Robert has found his way to sobriety. He is working as a one-on-one educator, has a renewed relationship with his children, and has strong self-esteem.

A recent graduate of Penn Foundation's ACT (Assertive Community Treatment) program, Robert, once a vice principal in a local school district, had lost it all. His drinking began at age 18 and became an intense habit when he went on the road as a musician. Even when he began teaching and eventually became a vice principal, his habit did not go away. In fact, he lost his jo when he had a seizure at school and fell off the stage onto the floor below. Attempting to self-detox from a problem that was destroying his life, Robert's efforts to stop his addiction only confirmed what those around him already knew - he was out of control and on a downward spiral.

The missing link in his addiction recovery was the diagnosis revealing that he also had Bipolar Disorder. Although diagnosed around 1995, it wasn't until he joined the ACT program that his addiction came under control. The strong team staffing and the intense one-on-one programming gave him the guidance, support, and ultimately the skills to manage the challenge of a co-occurring disorder - a mental illness and an addiction. Like so many other people who struggle to find a lasting recovery from substance abuse, Robert learned that his addiction was rooted in his mistaken use of alcohol to self-medicate.

The ACT team helped Robert to regain his life. He now beams when he talks about his tutoring job and the happy times he's sharing with his children, renewing their broken relationship.