Originally Posted by
zerothehero 
...At the same time, I know people who work in those professions, many who have suffered either from their own addictions and/or from that of loved ones, and blanket statements about "the system" are just that, blanket statements; over-generalizations. Many people in that "system" are loving people who just want to help, and the front line workers aren't getting rich off it.
If there is one human being other than myself who I credit most with pulling me out of my hole, it's a counselor at the outpatient program I went through (the second one, not the first one that I flunked out of
). This lady was an absolute radiant angel for me, and I still make a point to attend her seminars once or twice a year. I'm certain that at that point in time when I was finally ready to stop, I would not have made it without her. She was really that important.
Not all of them are angels, and some I encountered were pretty nasty (perhaps beaten down by all the failures they see, not everyone makes it and they get to see the whole process leading to death, over and over again), but some are literally life savers who sure aren't getting rich, they're in the addiction counseling profession because they care and can really help people.
The people running the flashy rehabs and putting out those dreadful TV ads with the Malibu sunsets and dramatic music, they're a different breed.