The promises of the 12 step programs usually don't come to us overnight.

I was reflecting upon this the other day after I received my certification as a CADAC, which in Arizona is an acronym for Certified Alcohol and Drug Addiction Counselor. This certification is particularly meaningful to me because when I entered the program in January of 1991 the formal education I had was my GED diploma. And I had earned it while incarcerated many years ago.

While this certification likely won't earn me more money, at least it may lend TLC credibility in the eyes of those who value formal education. Also, even though we are a peer driven program, it may have a little influence on those who question the value of what we do.

For me this certification has a great deal of meaning on a personal level. Probably because of self-esteem issues and the years I spent pursuing my addiction and alcoholism, I didn't believe I could succeed academically. I had this belief in spite of the fact that I had done many things that showed I had at least average intelligence. I had written for several years for prison publications. At one time, during the 1960s, I was a staff writer for the Orange County Register, a major Southern California newspaper. I had worked for several years for a major corporation as a vice president of business development. I had owned and operated several small businesses, including a tree service, a small advertising publication, and a garage. Yet I was afraid to undertake any kind of formal education because I didn't want to confirm that I wasn't very smart at all. Yet when I finally did go to school, I was able to maintain a B+ average. Now this is not the perfection that an alcoholic or addict fantasizes about. But it is good enough to graduate, which is what I did.

And when I took the state examination for the ICRC certification I achieved a 75% score, which isn't perfect, but good enough to pass. In fact, I learned that I did as good or better than many people who had worked as counselors for years. For me it was a tough, nerve-racking, examination.

But the idea that I hung in there and passed has a lot of meaning to me today. Another promise came true.