- Friends & Family
- Mental Health
Submitted by: Nadine Herring
This is an interview conducted with my friend Keith G. Keith serves as the Social Media Manager for a cutting edge treatment facility located in beautiful FL. that offers highly individualized addiction and co-occurring treatment disorder programs.
I’ve had the pleasure of participating in the many #HopeSharedHere Twitter chats that Keith facilitates every Tuesday and have met some wonderful people and learned so much about the addiction and recovery field. Keith was very welcoming and is very supportive of the family’s role in recovery.
Last fall Keith and I met in person at the first ever Unite to Face Addiction rally in Washington, DC on the National Mall, and we had a wonderful time and have been good friends ever since! Keith is a dedicated professional working in the addiction field, as well as being an amazing person and it is my pleasure to share his story.
How long have you worked in the field of recovery?
Since 2010.
Are you also in recovery?
I’m not, yet. I say this kiddingly, but the truth is, you never know. We’re all human and we have our faults, and it’s not beyond possibility that I someday find myself afflicted with addiction in such a way that I need help. That said, working in this industry has made me more careful about my own behavior and potential for addiction.
What is the biggest positive change you have seen in your life since you chose this career path?
Mindfulness! In my role at the treatment facility where I work, I have the opportunity to work with many enlightened people who regularly practice mindfulness and they’ve inspired me to be more mindful in my own life.
What led to your choice to go into this field?
Opportunity. I was fortunate enough to work with a highly regarded South Florida treatment center in 2010 – and the experience opened me up to seeing that I’m a natural fit for this field. I’ve always been interested in psychology and behavioral health, and I feel very connected to people who struggle in life, because I believe that life is hard – on one level or another – for most of us.
What has been a turning point during your work in this field?
Participating in a TPAS Collaborative meeting last year. TPAS stands for Treatment Professionals in Alumni Services. I was fortunate to attend and blog about my experience. I met so many inspired behavioral health professionals from around the country and the nature of a TPAS Collaborative is such that you are bound to have a deep, meaningful, likely spiritual experience. It reminded me that around this nation, many talented people have chosen this field, not because it’s easy or glamorous, but because we care deeply about people – and know that our efforts make a profound difference – even if we can’t save everyone.
What is one important truth you’ve learned through the process?
That everyone who is willing can transform.
What are you most proud of about your life today as a result from this line of work?
That I’m able to be a part of someone’s recovery journey. I’ve published many interviews with members of staff, some of whom are in recovery – and to see how it impacts them when their family, friends and colleagues praise them for the jobs they do, and the people they’ve become, it’s heartwarming. When I publish something that illuminates the inner beauty of someone – perhaps in a way that the interviewee or his/her peers may not have realized – that’s the type of content that makes me proudest of what I do for a living.
What is one of your biggest struggles working in this field? How do you overcome that?
Sadness. Seeing people struggle, knowing that they have the potential for happiness when they can’t see it yet – and not knowing if they’ll have the courage and strength to get to the other side – that’s concerning and sometimes depressing. You overcome it by holding on tightly to every victory. Every time I see a client in the hallways who looked sad, broken and antisocial in their first few days in treatment – who then emerges into the person they really are, more and more every day over the next handful of weeks – that’s the feeling that keeps you going. We are making a difference, and helping people, every day!
What do you find most satisfying about this expertise?
Having the ability to convey to others, who don’t work in the industry, that every person who struggles with addiction is a person just like them. Being able to help people understand that we’re all the same – and that any “us and them” way of thinking is flawed.
Is there a truth or piece of advice you have learned while working in the field?
There are many. The concept of radical acceptance as its described within the context of DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) is one of the more profound truths. Whether you struggle with addiction or not, there’s a wisdom that comes from accepting your situation without judgment, exactly as it is, as a starting point for whatever direction you want your journey to head.
What would you tell someone that is considering a job in this field and is afraid he/she is not the right fit?
If you truly care about people, want to grow as your own person, and want to be a part of the solution – you’re a good fit!