I Was A Drug Counselor Getting High On Fentanyl Between Sessions

From the outside, Laura Bonczek was the picture of success — a well-known family in her Connecticut town, a teacher mother, a father in long-term recovery, good grades, sports, and eventually a master's in social work. She built a career as a therapist and rose to clinical director of a substance abuse treatment facility. And the entire time, she was secretly living the exact disease she was being paid to treat. Laura's addiction started young — alcohol and weed at 12, ecstasy and opioids in high school, hydrocodone giving way to the "thirties" she'd chase for years. She was, in her own words, high-functioning: seven years of college straight through while using, always getting just enough done to convince herself she wasn't really an addict because she wasn't "living under a bridge." She managed it through a cocktail of prescribed Adderall, Xanax, opioids, and alcohol — until she couldn't. She's brutally honest in this episode about the parts that are hardest to admit: being a therapist counseling people on their addictions while hiding her own, discovering kratom through her own clients, getting Suboxone delivered to her mailbox, being pulled over by the DEA on a work errand, and the day her own coworkers — many in recovery themselves — sat her down and refused to let her lie her way out one more time. One of them, a mother who'd nearly lost her own kids, told Laura she was going to lose her daughter. That was the moment the fog broke. Now four years sober, Laura is a licensed clinical social worker and clinical director doing the work honestly — using everything she survived to help others find the way out. This is a powerful story about the high-functioning addict nobody suspects, and the moment of clarity that changes everything. Sponsored by Caron Treatment Centers My recovery journey began at Caron Treatment Centers, and the care I received there changed the course of my life. That's why I'm proud to partner with Caron. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, Caron has been helping individuals and families find hope and lasting recovery for nearly 70 years. They are in-network with all major insurance providers, and same-day admission is available. ➡️ Learn more: https://www.caron.org/lp/rise-above 📞 Call Caron today: 855-352-0103 Recovery starts with taking the first step. #RiseAbove #OpioidRecovery #AddictionRecovery #4YearsSober #RecoveryIsPossible #SoberLife #HighFunctioningAddict #WomenInRecovery #KratomRecovery #SobrietyJourney #WoundedHealer #FromRockBottom #RiseAbovePodcast #KevinLanning #LauraBonczek #Connecticut #SoberMom #SecondChances #MomsInRecovery #OneMoreThing 00:00 Pulled over by the DEA on a work errand 00:47 A "prevalent last name" & wearing the mask young 03:08 First drink at 12 & chasing the numbness 06:01 The first opioids — hydrocodone and the warm quiet 07:40 Getting good grades while using — the justification 09:11 College, the cocktail, and never a sober day 12:13 Losing her father & the addiction deepening 16:09 Having her daughter & the postpartum spiral 19:29 Discovering kratom through her own clients 25:42 The walls closing in at work 28:19 The coworkers who refused to let her lie 30:10 The drive to treatment & 32 days away 34:19 Doing the work & rebuilding herself 38:28 Guilt, shame & finding other moms in recovery 40:39 Becoming a clinical director again & her advice 👉Instagram: Instagram: riseabovewithkevin 👉 TikTok: TikTok: rawithk 👉 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/riseabovewithk ✅ For Business Inquiries: [email protected] ================================ For Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below: 📩 Email: [email protected] 🔔 Hit that subscribe button for more exclusive, insightful, and inspiring videos: https://www.youtube.com/@Riseabovepod... ================================= #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #corecore #motivation #addictionrecovery #inspiration #selflove #selfhelp #loveyourself Disclaimer: We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred by you acting or not acting as a result of watching any of our publications. You acknowledge that you use the information we provide at your own risk. Do your research. Copyright Notice: This video and our YouTube channel contain dialogue, music, and images that are the property of Rise Above with Kevin Lanning. You are authorized to share the video link and channel and embed this video in your website or others as long as a link back to our YouTube channel is provided. © Rise Above with Kevin Lanning