#27 Behavioral Health Technician Tara MacDonald on Addiction and Recovery

SUMMARY Susan’s guest today is Tara McDonald she is a behavioral health technician. She has experience in the substance abuse recovery field. Tara shares her views and experiences regarding addiction and the most effective treatments from her perspective. Most of her views have been shaped by her personal experience with addiction and through providing help and guidance for others. ------------------------------ HIGHLIGHTS [01:01] Susan introduces Tara McDonald who is a drug addiction recovery specialist, and she talks about her job and reasons for doing it. [07:01] Tara talks about the causes of addiction and how addiction keeps persisting due to ignorance. [16:15] Tara goes over her traumatic beginnings and her life before she stopped doing drugs and drinking. [26:55] Tara explains how she got out of addiction and became a recovery specialist for Team Success. [35:49] Tara discusses the Team Success Homelessness outreach program and its importance. [51:39] Tara describes how she and Team Success helps homeless children. ------------------------------ QUOTES [5:06]   “If I'm working at McDonald's and I can't get my rent, I will end up homeless again. I'm going to go back to using once I go back to using, it's just going to get worse.” [25:12] “I know the old AA saying you don't change your attitude. I'm a firm believer that a change in the attitude along with a change of latitude can go a long way.” [29:51]  “But we do this thing where we think we’re normal. We just assume everybody else is high and that carries on into  addiction. We assume that what we're going through, everybody else knows about.” [47:14] “These people are not continuing in treatment because you're freaking them out because you're giving them a new casemanager every couple of months.” [56:10] “You're allowed to slip and fall, just fall forward. You're allowed to slip and fall and pick up the phone and call and tell somebody.” ------------------------------ RESOURCES Team Success: Phone- (772)-236-7770 Team Success Website-https://www.teamsuccessschools.org/ Florida Department of Children and Families(DCF): https://www.myflfamilies.com/ The Chesnutt LawFirm :https://www.thechesnuttlawfirm.com/about/ The Chesnutt Law Firm WebDrug and Alcohol OffensesInfo: https://www.thechesnuttlawfirm.com/drug-alcohol-offenses/