In 21 years we've had many former clients who tried to
emulate what we do at TLC by starting programs of their own – many of them
because they are angry about the way they were treated at TLC or about how we
do things.
Some have even stolen our paperwork and brochures on their way
out. The only difference between their literature and ours is that they
inserted their name at the top. But today I can't think of a program started
by a former client that's still operating.
And it's not that we're so smart. It's simply that we're
dedicated enough to do the hard work it takes to deal with angry addicts and
alcoholics day in and day out – without much expectation of getting paid well for our efforts.
One motivation
for people to start a program is they think it's a great way to make money. They do the math and think they're going to get rich. But after a few months
they discover that clients sometimes pay nothing and rarely the full
amount. Then they realize they have to
pay mortgages, phones, transportation, insurance, food and on and on. And that’s when
their motivation fizzles.
They never
figure out that the real reason to do something as difficult as running a recovery
program is to have a mission in life. That helping others into recovery is its own payoff.
