John Makohen argues that lived experience is not a soft extra in addiction counseling—it is a skill set. Drawing from homelessness, heroin use, and sex work, he explains how lived experience builds trust, reads risk, and guides clients, while demanding supervision, disclosure training, career paths, and equal pay.

Shelly-Anne McKay looked successful while alcohol, drugs, food, work, and achievement helped her survive a nervous system that never felt safe. After 12 recovery attempts, she stopped asking what was wrong with her and began asking what her coping was trying to solve.

Kristen Crisp’s Author of the Month article tells the devastating story of her sister Robin, whose education, professional success, and social standing did not protect her from alcohol addiction. With blunt honesty and grief, Kristen describes the warning signs, the family history of drinking, the trauma and loss that intensified Robin’s use, and the painful truth that addiction does not discriminate.