Success Stories
Returning to the Stage
Addiction and trouble came early and fast for Smith Pettis. He was a gifted and curious child. By age 12 he had taken his first narcotic, at 15 while participating in an accelerated program at Michigan State University he found cocaine and heroin. By the time he was 17, he was hooked and well on his way to a life of crime, drugs, and a period of homelessness. He hit bottom several times over the years. Prison even scared him straight… for awhile. He came to Project Rehab because a friend, former user, and graduate told him about it. It offered the latest thing called behavior modification and it lasted four years. Not a bad trade off considering the 14 to 21 years he was facing for stealing tax refunds. What helped him the most he says was “learning consequential thinking and structure.” Smitty, as he likes to be called, found focus and purpose during treatment. He eventually helped sponsor legislation that forced employers to offer addicted employees help first, instead of firing them. He started to climb the ladder of artistic success and reached a point in the mid 1980s when he was on a popular recording label. Today Smith is in a good place, in recovery and writing poetry. He’s also working on a CD of poetry and jazz and performing with his group Word Smith. His dream is to “come to the door and finally cross the threshold.”
Smith’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 Grand Valley State University