It was October 1981 and I arrived in West Palm Beach looking for a safe refuge from myself, and what I had created over the last 12 years of my life. I was addicted to heroin, and alcohol. I had a history of seizures, I was running from the law, and I was scared. On some level I knew I was an addict but I had never heard of recovery, or treatment other than therapeutic communities from the 60’s and I knew they weren’t for me. I came to Florida with a little plastic baggy filled with pills to help bring me down, and I thought the mixture of alcohol, pills, and the sun was all I needed. Within 2 weeks of arriving in Florida, I woke myself up from a seizure in some cheap hotel next to a stranger whose name I did not remember, waiting for someone, anyone to help.
Help came in the form of a man who visited me in detox. He talked to me about treatment, and the world of recovery. He spoke about a place where addicts and alcoholics went to find the things that they were looking for all their lives but could. He said words like, you never have to be alone again, and if you let us, we will love you until you learn to love yourself. He continued to talk and as I felt a tear run down my cheek I realized that he had touched a place in my heart that I thought no longer existed. I was afraid to feel this sadness and acknowledge what was happening, and yet the tears were real.
Recovery was not a simple road for me. I was a high school drop-out. I had no work skills. I didn’t’ know how to talk to people. I had never signed a lease, never owned a car, never learned to cook, and the last bank account I had was when I was 12 years old and my mother had put my birthday money in it for me. I completed treatment and through the 12 steps of recovery I was given the first taste of succeeding at something in my life. I soon came to the realization I still had no living skills to face the world outside treatment or the rooms of recovery. I experienced many painful lessons along this road, and learned mostly through my mistakes how to do what others in the world seemed to do so easily.
It is nearly twenty-six years later and I am still drug and alcohol free, and am privileged to be a Licensed Psychotherapist in private practice in Delray Beach. I finally have an opportunity to come full circle. In January I was riding my Harley and decided to visit some friends at this sober coffeehouse that everyone was talking about. While I was there I was re-introduced to Harold Jonas, also a Licensed Mental Health therapist, and a Ph.D. Our mutual interests led to an interesting discussion and within hours and a few cups of coffee later, I found myself excited about his vision for helping addicts and alcoholics. He talked about bringing addicts and alcoholics back to the field of human services in a capacity that they had been at when I first entered treatment. He talked about bringing others in recovery from any chronic illness into this emerging vision of recovery management. His vision and the philosophy and mission of www.sober.com was consistent with all the spiritual, and professional values that I had developed through the teachings of my heroes over the last 25 years.
I was recruited to implement a new project that is two-fold, one is to assist new professionals in the field through training and supervision, the other is to assist recovering people to a new level of care called Recovery Coaching. Recovery Coaches are the new breed of front line professionals that carry the message of hope and help others remove barriers to sustain ongoing recovery, and achieve their dreams. I am excited to participate in the changing back of the paradigm of services available to recovering people. The training program we designed stated on April 16th. We started our second class May 19th, and have already begun enrollment for a class in June because of the demand for services. Our gratitude speaks as recovering addicts when we are given an opportunity to help others in their recovery, as Recovery Coaches we have the opportunity to connect the recovering person back to the community.
Our first group of Coaches started this work, providing crucial support and professional guidance to clients. I am confident they will pave the way back to the grassroots of what treatment used to be like, using peer based support services. The industry has come full circle recognizing that recovery from any chronic illness requires long-term management and assistance. Our goal at Sober.com Recovery Coaching is to teach our coaches how to focus on a client’s strengths and accomplishments. We recognize that absence of pain or symptoms does not equal happiness or sustained recovery. Recovery Coaches learn to treat the whole person and not the disease. Sober.com and its SoberNetwork of Recovery Coaches are available on a fee for service basis that is affordable and accessible through face to face meetings, telephone, and our web site.
If you would like to offer any comments or get more information about getting or becoming a Recovery Coach, please email me Jeannie@sober.com or Dr. Harold Jonas Jonas@sober.com or visit and enroll online at sober.com.