Addiction Medicine

Jon Cassidy struggled with substance use disorder for years. “When you’re sick, it’s like it’s always raining. It’s always cloudy. Your whole family hates you. Everyone is mad at you. They can’t understand why you continue to use, but the reality for the person who uses is that’s it. The only way they’re going to be OK is if they continue to use the substance.”

After getting clean, he knew he wanted to help others. He’s able to do that working as a recovery peer specialist through lee health’s addiction medicine program. “I just coach people,” said Cassidy. “Hey man, what do you think is going to work best for you? Give people the opportunity to fail, but just with accountability. Once they go through that and are back here again, unfortunately I can say hey, we tried this last time, that didn’t work, how about we try something else?”

Lee Health believes that recovery requires a comprehensive team-based approach. “Social workers have a very specific angle, medical doctors have a very specific angle, now we’re broadening the net by adding peers. We want to help you, Lee is trying to figure out how to help you,” said Cassidy. “I come in and say listen, I might have a button down shirt, but I’m the same as you. I’ve been in and out of many hospitals and jails, and on the street and everything so let’s draw plan up with them.”

More than 20 million people in the US are in recovery. “I get phone calls from people almost every day just going over how amazing their life has become from where it was, which is hopeless and no light at all another living a beautiful life,” said Cassidy. You can learn more about addiction medicine by searching for it on leehealth.org.