Help with the Crippling Struggle of Substance Addiction
For many of us, a new year symbolizes new beginnings, with resolutions in hand, it's a time to turn over a new leaf; get rid of old habits and build new ones. The crippling struggle with substance addiction, on the other hand, is one of the hardest things to break.
Help with the Crippling Struggle of Substance Addiction
For many of us, a new year symbolizes new beginnings, with resolutions in hand, it's a time to turn over a new leaf; get rid of old habits and build new ones.
The crippling struggle with substance addiction, on the other hand, is one of the hardest things to break.
For one local man, a national rehabilitation program took him from an addict to a Salvation Army leader, where he helps to give back and honor the chance that was given to him.
Rick Monroe graduated from the Adult Rehabilitation Center, a residential treatment program supported by the Salvation Army, in 2004. Thereafter, he began working his way up the ranks at the Salvation Army in Dayton.
"I was hired on as maintenance when I completed the program," Monroe said. "Shortly after that I was moved to warehouse supervisor, and two years ago I was made General Supervisor."
The six-month program gave a sense of normalcy and a means to get back off your feet, he said.
"What we do is we get people back on track, whether they were involved in drugs or alcohol we get them started in the right direction," he said. "Most people who are in addiction don't have good work ethics, if they even have a job."
The program provides a new lifestyle outlook as well as a flurry of activities to help get the men and women of the program out of their rut, ranging from coulseling, chemical dependency education, 12-step meetings, and programs to help them re-enter society. Today, it's a process that takes six to nine months, he said.
"We have what we call work therapy where they put in an honest day's work, 40 hours a week, and they have classes in the evening and Bible studies in the evenings." He said."Everything is provided for them, food, clothing and everything."
What's better, supporting the program simply involved donating to or purchasing from the Salvation Army stores. Notes Monroe, the need for such a program is as great as ever.
"I say there is a very great need. The majority of people in your homeless shelters is due to substance or alcohol abuse, and that problem grows. I believe the more places we have like this, we help those people come back and make sure they're headed in the right direction."
For more information about the Adult Rehabilitation Center, and to read true stories of recovery, visit their website below.
