Letters and the New Normal! Why Effective Addiction Treatment Can Create A New Normal in Recovery

Robert Kent

10 minutes ago

3 min read

Businessman in a suit opens a letter at a desk beside a laptop and envelope in a bright office, looking focused.

September 21, 2026

Robert Kent, Author and Kent Strategic Advisors, LLC

Tom O'Connor, Publisher

KEY POINTS

Treatment professionals often spend more time confronting problems than recognizing the lives that effective care helped change.

Treatment remains essential, but we must also acknowledge that poor programs need oversight, complaints, and corrective action.

Recovery can lead to more than a return to a previous baseline; some people build a life they never imagined possible before treatment.

His message to people working in treatment: remember the former patients whose recovery proved the work mattered.

A good friend and leader of a great treatment program did something this week that we do not do often enough. He sent a group of us a copy of a letter he received from someone who received treatment in his program many years ago.

In the letter, "Joe" talked about how receiving a scholarship for treatment at my friend's program helped him find recovery, which led to him finding the love of his life, a steady, meaningful job, and a life he maybe didn't think was possible! Seeing my friend's pride in a job well done made me proud of him and made me think about a few other things. First, we seem to agonize over our problems before we celebrate our successes! Second, too many drug policy "experts" continue to attack treatment!

As the group read the letter, many who also lead treatment programs thought about similar letters that they have received. For a few moments, it seemed the problems could be parked, and they could feel some pride and joy in their work!

I have learned that some of those who are constantly attacking treatment do so based on their own experience. I met folks who had a bad treatment experience when I was a government regulator, and they said no when I asked whether they had complained to government hotlines. For some, the narrative outweighs fixing an issue. I believe that some also attack treatment because they want the government to take the money invested in treatment and spend it on their priorities. These are some of the same folks who tell you that overdose deaths have declined because those most at risk died!

I believe that we will never succeed in meaningfully addressing addiction without good and effective treatment programs! I will admit that not all treatment programs are good and effective! However, we cannot fix the bad ones or eliminate them if folks do not use the government oversight system to file complaints. I used the complaints we received when I was the General Counsel at NYS OASAS to take action against bad programs! While it was not easy, it was and is a necessary and worthy effort.

To those who work in treatment, I say thank you! As you continue your work, I encourage you to think about those whom you helped and are helping!

When you think your work isn't having an impact, think of this story I heard from Nic Sheff at a breakfast celebrating an NYS treatment program. Nic is David Sheff's son and the subject of his amazing book (and movie), "Beautiful Boy." Nic, who at the time of the breakfast was many years into his recovery journey, recounted his doctor telling him how much she loved working with folks trying to find recovery from addiction. He asked her why she felt that way, and she said that for patients with other medical conditions, the goal was to get them back to normal. She then said that when her patients find recovery from addiction, it so often leads to them living a life beyond any normal they may have experienced in their past, and that was meaningful for her!