The couple was a sobriety success story. She'd gone from being a passing out alcoholic to the married mother of a beautiful baby. He'd went from being a homeless meth addict to become a successful contractor. One of their parents helped them finance a split-level suburban home. Each had multiple years of sobriety. They were active on the 12-step circuit and chaired meetings.

Then one day, for some reason, he obtained a prescription for a highly addictive drug. It was a drug he wasn't allowed to use at the non-profit for which he worked. He was given a choice: stop taking the prescription or leave the company. He chose to leave, angry because he thought his doctor knew better.

Now, less than three years later the couple is reportedly homeless, living in a garage. There are reports of drunken sprees and serious drug use.

This story exemplifies why TLC has a policy prohibiting long-term drug use, even if it's a doctor's prescription. While there are good reasons to take prescribed drugs, we've learned through sad experience that chronic use of narcotic pain medication rarely ends well for the addicts and alcoholics at TLC. Chronic use turns into "lost" pills, acquisition of multiple prescriptions, or excessive consumption. While it might seem unfeeling to not allow our employees or clients to use narcotic pain medication, it so rarely works out well that we either refer them to other programs or - in the case of employees - let them go.