Offering Addicts a Second Chance to Live Again

By Staff Writer

Everyone deserves a second chance. And at Carolina Treatment Center, an addiction treatment program with locations in Fayetteville, Pinehurst and Goldsboro, North Carolina, former addicts in recovery got just that: a second chance to experience prom night.

Many clients never had the chance to attend prom or were already struggling with addiction during that stage of life, and some attended prom decades ago and welcomed the opportunity to do it again. At Carolina Treatment Center, all had the opportunity to create new memories as they embark on a new, brighter stage of life.

"A lot of times, when our patients start really getting on to the road to recovery, they see they are starting to make different decisions," said Amy Garner, the center's program director. "A whole set of second chances are opened up to them."

Dressed to the nines in suits and gowns donated by local organizations, the patients and their dates – a family member, friend or spouse – enjoyed dinner and dancing at Docks at the Capitol, a restaurant that donated its grand ballroom for the event. Of 70 attendees, some of whom had been sober for years and others who were new to recovery, each one benefited from hearing speakers discuss their struggles with addiction and watching staff members from the center receive awards for their work.

Christina Woods, a client at the center who attended the prom with her mother, expressed great satisfaction with the event. What struck her most, she said, was the way the community came together to make the evening possible. In addition to the restaurant and apparel, donations came in the form of DJ services, a photographer and hair styling from a local salon.

"They don't look down on us for what we have done in our past," Christina said.

The “second-chance prom” was featured in an Oct. 1, 2009 article in The Fayetteville Observer, in which writer Amneris Solano interviewed Christina’s mother, Geraldine, about her experience at the prom. Geraldine visits the center with her daughter for Christina's daily treatment, which includes medication and therapy.

"It's just a chance to get to know each other outside of that environment," Geraldine told Solano. "We just appreciate that everybody went the extra mile for us and for the clients. That shows them that they are important."

Despite growing understanding of the disease of addiction, recovering addicts still face a stigma. And because many of the patients at Carolina Treatment Center take methadone or Suboxone, the stigma can be even worse. For that reason, the outpouring of community support was particularly uplifting for the clients, Garner told Solano.

"This has really been a good opportunity for our patients to belong to this community," Garner said. "They've been totally embraced since we started planning the project. It's been really fantastic to be welcomed."