Success Stories
Serving People Like Him
Tommy House was in the middle of the drug scene and riding high while in college. Tommy told his friends, “This is so great, I’m going to do this ‘til I die.” In his quest to get high he lost jobs, his family, relationships, and he broke the law. Tommy learned, “If you take other people’s stuff long enough, you’ll get caught.” In 1975 at age 24, a judge gave him a choice, prison or treatment. He chose Project Rehab, a treatment program proven to help the most difficult to serve. While in treatment, Tommy learned that he had to stop trying to dazzle people with his “bull” and to take responsibility for himself and his recovery. After graduating from Project Rehab in 1976, he was inspired to help others overcome their addictions. He earned a Master’s Degree, became a counselor, and soon earned a position as director of a treatment facility in Detroit. Later, he came to work for Project Rehab, but eventually had a relapse. “I was living the horror of being a treatment professional, yet using again. I had to learn that the disease is bigger than you.” Tommy overcame this setback and has since become Project Rehab’s Executive Director, epitomizing the truth that recovery is possible. “The difficult to serve; these are the ones that Project Rehab works with. People like me.”
Tommy’s story appears in 40 Stories of Courage and Hope: Celebrating 40 Years of Project Rehab, which was published in Fall 2008 in recognition of Project Rehab’s 40th anniversary. Click here to read more stories about our courageous clients and the treatment pioneers who helped make recovery possible.
This story is sponsored by Trivalent Group