The Voices of Integrity

Compelling Portrayals of Addiction

The Voices of Integrity by David H. Kerr, August 8, 2013 The best way to understand people is to hear their story. Because in the lives of others, we hear echoes of ourselves. The power of the human voice to tear down walls cannot be overstated - and the power of the voice of recovery is gathering. Gil Kerlikowske, Director, White House Office of National Drug Control policy, June 11, 2012. The savvy, the sincerity, the knowledge, the crafty talents, the instincts, the ability to read others, the hard work and finally the charisma and role modeling of recovering addicts, illuminated my path in founding the Integrity House drug treatment program in Newark, NJ, in the fall of 1968. This book describes the founding role that Integrity House played in working with other people and programs across the country to generate the first working definition of a type of self-help communal interactive healing that is positive and therapeutic. Dr. Max Jones defined this worldwide model as the Therapeutic Community. The book offers the history of Integrity House through the many compelling true stories of addiction, treatment and recovery, told by addicts who have completed the Integrity House program since the late 1960s. It gives the reader a solid understanding of the disease, the personal torment and the crimes essential to obtain money for the next fix. It describes the difficulty clean and sober addicts have in staying on the road to recovery, year after year. Finally the reader will be amazed at the achievements, the insights and the help for others, demonstrated by the recovering addicts interviewed.