I work with people who, stereotypically, are loathed by many. They are alcoholics, boozers, drunks, addicts, pill poppers, and junkies. I have always wanted to understand why people do what they do because I believe that if I can figure out the why, I can find ways to help them improve their lives and heal. So, I worked as a clinician for about 15 years and watched as drugs and alcohol destroyed people's lives. Then, I made the decision to go back to school and pursue my PhD. I believed that through research, I could find the answers to the questions I couldn't answer as a clinician. What's really exciting is that I am finding some of those answers and I'm going to share some of them with you tonight. As a clinician, I witnessed many people who desperately wanted to get sober, but they just couldn't. It wasn't because they didn't want to; it was because obstacles got in their way. Let me tell you about Anna. When I met her, she had been in treatment around five or six times and had burned all of her bridges. However, she expressed her desire to get clean. We found her a program, but it was a no-smoking program, and she smoked cigarettes in addition to using drugs. Despite her efforts, she couldn't resist lighting up and was immediately kicked out. She was left with no money or phone, and her only choice was to hitchhike back home. A couple of weeks later, Anna reached out to me, determined to try again. This time, she had to go through three detox programs before finding one that would accept her. The first program only admitted those at immediate risk, so she was rejected. The second program was cash-only, and she had no money. Finally, she...