Serving Recovery with Empathy

When working through issues, finding guidance from those with personal experience in persevering through struggle can be life-changing. PATTI CAIN, a self-described “person in long-term recovery,” is using her experience to help others as a licensed clinical addiction specialist.

“One of the main reasons this line of work is so personal for me is that I stopped using alcohol in February of 2009, and my life completely changed for the better,” Cain says. “Alcohol had been a central part of my life, beginning in my teen years and progressing into my twenties.”

She says a shift in her relationship with alcohol happened in her thirties, when she sought it for relief from daily life and as an escape from the stress of parenthood. “It wasn’t until I moved to North Carolina that I was forced to face the loss of control I was experiencing with my use,” she says. “I would often tell myself that I was going to choose not to drink that particular day, only to find myself, near 5 p.m., justifying having a glass of wine because of all I had accomplished. Alcohol was very sneaky. It made me believe it was my ally, when it was covertly motivating me to consume larger amounts on more occasions.”

Cain says she didn’t feel safe discussing her problem with anyone for a long time and was finally relieved when she found talk therapy as an outlet. She soon after returned to college.

Cain began her career as a clinician in 2009 at Drug & Alcohol Assessment Services, where she guided clients who had driving while intoxicated (DWI) charges. She credits Danny Harrell, the owner of Drug & Alcohol Assessment Services, with encouraging her endeavors to help others as she completed her education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Cain was eventually compelled to expand her scope of clients with her own practice.

“After years of working in the substance use disorder field, I knew it was time to open my own practice,” she says. “The freedom I discovered with giving up alcohol is something I wanted to share. It is a way of life that is beyond my wildest dreams.”

In 2021, she opened Cain Connections & Recovery in her hometown of Hampstead, a place where she could meet her clients face-to-face and help them through a wide range of issues.

“I believe I have been moving towards this profession my entire life,” Cain says, adding that creating a safe space to help people confront and conquer addiction was a top priority for her. “I did not want to help by telling them what to do, but by being curious about who they are in a way that could guide them to discover what they actually want. I want clients to notice that they have made it to this point because they are stronger than they think they are.”

In addition to her extensive knowledge in addiction recovery, she can assist those with mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression, those in abusive relationships, parenting issues, divorce, self-esteem, and many others.

While she is licensed as a clinical addiction specialist, Cain is also licensed by the North Carolina Addiction Specialist Professional Practice Board and as a clinical social worker. Her specialties include relationship issues, trauma recovery, PTSD, and disorders stemming from alcohol or other substance use for individuals and their family members. Her biggest piece of advice to those struggling is to ask for help.

“I believe you need support whether you are battling with alcoholism or addiction yourself, or someone close to you is struggling,” Cain says. “These times are not the sort of times you tackle problems alone. I believe that alcohol use is being viewed as problematic for people more than ever. You do not have to be an alcoholic to let alcohol go. If alcohol is causing problems with your life, relationships, career or health, you can just stop using it. I think this idea is being explored more often now, and that’s exciting.”

To view more of photographer Daria Amato’s work, go to dariaphoto.com

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