ICB News - National Addiction Counselor Day

National Addiction Counselor Day

On April 2, 2010 Governor Pat Quinn signed my Pardon with order permitting expungement, finally freedom from the wreckage of my past. 22 years ago I went into treatment for my addiction to drugs and alcohol. I used my experience to work as a counselor helping other men and women who also suffered with addictions.
I went into therapy for other issues I had, I took my children into therapy also, because addiction is a family disease, and my children suffered horribly as a result of my addiction. I became a good parent with three of my five children graduating from High School, the ones that were young when I came into recovery.

I started working primarily with women because of my desire to help women get the courage and empower them to begin their own journey of this new way of living; addressing sexual abuse, physical abuse, domestic violence low self esteem and low self worth poor parenting skills. I was awarded COUNSELOR OF THE YEAR 1995 (the lst year). I became caretakers to my grandchildren, worked my butt off changing the person I had been during those 25 years of addiction to becoming a productive member of society. In 2002 I founded my own business and opened a recovery home for women N' THE SPIRIT TRANSFORMATIONAL LIVING in the heart of Englewood, (a drug infested neighborhood) with emphasis on 12 steps, Spirituality and Empowerment.

I was even asked to be the key note speaker at a school in Englewood that my children had attended. I started attending church, taking spiritual classes and started a Prison Ministry at the Cook County Jail for women, for over two years. I had so much gratitude for my recovery and so much respect for treatment and the counselors who worked with me when I was in treatment; that believed in me when I didn't believe in my self, feeling hopeless because basically all I knew at that time was how to use drugs. Even though I worked most of my life, I was never dependable, but the counselors helped me see my strengths. In 2001 I initiated the NATIONAL ADDICTION COUNSELORS DAY, because without counselors, people with addictions would probably still be stuck in their addictions, their families would still be suffering.

To me, I felt with all I had accomplished why was society still being caught up in my criminal record from 1972; I had changed everything about me, but my record still haunted me; in my job working with children, with my responsibility as a caretaker to my grandchildren. But I am not that same person, I have changed, I am a tax payer owning properties, what else can I do to heal from the consequences of my drug history? In 2006 I went to a expungement summit and started the process of executive clemency. At the prison review, I got positive feedback from the interviewers and even a letter from the States Attorney in my favor. From there it sat on Governor Blagojevich’s desk. When he was impeached I felt why me, I felt it was probably filed away when Pat Quinn took office, but I BELIEVE IN GOD, MY HIGHER POWER. I was out of town when I got back there was a call, informing me that Governor Quinn had signed my Pardon, and that they believed that a judge would sign my expungement. I felt like a ton of bricks were lifted off my back. I know what it means in the Promises (AA BOOK) you will know a new freedom.

Where would I be today if I had not gone into treatment August 22, 1988? Where would I be if I did not have a counselor who told me I COULD DO IT.?

National Addiction Counselor Day (now changed to National Addiction Professional Day) is September 20th. I encourage everyone to call and let your counselor or any counselor know you appreciate them for their dedication to the profession of helping addicts wanting to save their lives.

N' The Spirit
Pamela Frazier, CSADC, NCAC II, MISA II, NCRS

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