Substance abuse, addiction, and mental health problems tend to go hand-in-hand. That’s why Nicholas Mathews, co-founder and CEO of Stillwater Behavioral Health, created a facility that tackles both at the same time.
Mathews has dedicated his life to helping people recover from substance abuse issues and regain their mental health. His career as an addiction expert got its start in the least likely place, however — he was an addict, himself.
Mathews’s journey to recovery
“I started using heroin when I was a teenager,” Mathews says. “Over the next decade, I gradually started becoming dependent on other things as well. During these years, I had friends overdose and die. I myself was eventually diagnosed with a serious illness due to my drug use. But I still couldn’t quit.”
His motivation to get clean only came to life when an ex-girlfriend lied to him and told him she was pregnant. “The idea of becoming a father woke me up,” he says. “I didn’t want to turn into my own father. That’s when I knew deep down that I needed to change. In retrospect, I’m actually glad she lied to me. If she hadn’t, who knows what would have happened? I could still be an addict; I could have died of an overdose, too.”
As of December 2024, Mathews has been clean for 11 years. However, he says he will never forget how hard it was to go through withdrawal.
Understanding withdrawal, why people use
“When the cravings came and I couldn’t placate them with a hit, I felt incredible anxiety, and I lost all sense of time,” he remembers. “All I could think about was getting another dose. But I knew I wasn’t going to get one.”
When people go through withdrawal, they commonly experience symptoms including sweats, shakes, and vomiting. While withdrawal can unleash transformation on the psychological and emotional levels, it can also be potentially life-threatening. That’s why it’s essential to undergo this process in the care of medical professionals.
“People usually become dependent on substances to distract themselves from things they don’t want to think about or feel,” Mathews explains. “They use the drugs to flee from deep pain, but the addiction itself starts to make life unbearable. When you go through withdrawal, your previous coping mechanisms are stripped away, and you’re thrown into those dark places that you had wanted to avoid. It’s very scary. But there’s a way out — that’s what my team and I are there for.”
This kind of insight is exactly what makes Mathews so effective in mentoring others through their own recoveries.
True recovery means locating the wound
After getting clean, Mathews spent years as a consultant, helping treatment facilities understand the population they serve and become more effective. Eventually, however, he realized that, to give the highest level of care, he would need to create his own treatment center.
“I was able to see what worked and what didn’t,” Mathews explains. “When only the symptoms of addiction were treated, it wasn’t enough. There were high rates of recidivism. To be effective, you need to get at the underlying problems that motivated the person to turn to substance abuse initially.”
That’s why Stillwater Behavioral Health emphasizes trauma-informed care, in addition to medical support.
“Every addict starts using for their own unique personal reasons,” Mathews explains. “In my experience, figuring out what those reasons are is key to the person’s recovery. Once you understand what that persistent wound is, you can start to help them address it and give them healthy methods of dealing with triggers.”
Mathews also designed Stillwater Behavioral Health to take an authentic, compassionate approach that supports clients with a meaningful, genuine community.
Stillwater Behavioral Health: Effective treatment for substance abuse
According to Mathews, the secret to Stillwater Behavioral Health’s success is compassion.
“Every person who walks through our door is suffering,” he says. “We understand that, and our mission is to ease that suffering. There’s no place for judgement or ulterior motives. We also understand that no two people will be alike — it’s our job to get to know and deeply understand that particular individual.”
Toward that end, Mathews prioritizes forging genuine relationships. “I center my practice on being vulnerable,” he explains. “People can immediately sense if someone is being fake or trying to sell them something. When I meet clients, they can tell that parts of my psyche were forged under great duress, just like them. This quickly establishes a level of trust that helps us build a deep connection.”
Deep connections like these are invaluable when facing withdrawal and recovery. Stillwater Behavioral Health also supports people with a three-to-one expert-to-client ratio and luxurious surroundings at its villa in Montecito, California.
Make your life a miracle
“When I was an addict, if you had told me I would have my own treatment center, I would have laughed at you,” Mathews says. “It would have seemed impossible. But sobriety has transformed my life. It has been a miracle. And now I’m the man I’ve always dreamed of being.”
While withdrawal and recovery are naturally daunting, Mathews wants others to know they can make their own miracles, as well.
“It’s okay to ask for help,” he says. “There are safe people in this world who will never judge you. What you’re going through doesn’t have to define you. It doesn’t have to determine your future. Whatever you’ve been through — there are people who will fight for you. That’s what we do, and we will always be there, whenever you’re ready.”