Terry Shapiro has spent more than 35 years in addiction treatment, and he’ll tell you the extra effort was never about the money or looking like the good guy. “I had the opportunity to save somebody’s life and to help somebody get better.”

He started out as an alcohol and drug abuse counselor. From there, he counseled employees through Amtrak’s Employee Assistance Program, led the Council for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services in Tennessee and Hazelden’s Chicago location, and brought addiction prevention programs to schools in Bogotá, Colombia, counseling young people and their families along the way. Today, he’s Co-CEO and Partner at GIA Healthcare and Banyan Treatment Centers.

After all those years, Terry keeps it simple: set the labels aside, and addiction is “using something that’s filling a hole in the soul.” That leaves the question he keeps coming back to: what are we going to do about treating the inside? In his view, treatment just opens the door. Community, connection, family, and support are what build the house.

He’s candid about what leadership has taught him about his own recovery, too. You can’t run a company like it’s a 12-step meeting, he says, but the principles of recovery are folded in, and need to be. One of his favorite healthcare books reads to him like “Big Book stuff.” And with a whole team counting on things going well, it’s taught him a lot about taking care of himself. So when people complain that it sucks to get old, Terry pushes back.

With host Michael Herbert, Terry reflects on decades in the field and in his own recovery, and on why every year is worth celebrating.

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This episode is sponsored by Guardian Recovery. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health challenges, Guardian can help. Visit https://www.guardianrecovery.com or call 888-721-3790 for confidential support and guidance.