The other side of addiction
Of the men and women who enter and exit the doors of McHenry County PADS Homeless Services, 80 percent are dealing with addiction, mental illness or both.
Some are drawn to addiction because of a genetic predisposition, said Kevin Lesniewski, who works with substance abuse at Pioneer Center for Human Services. For others, it’s a form of masking something deeper.
“It keeps your mind off of things,” Lesniewski said. “That’s self-medication. You’re killing pain is what you’re trying to do.”
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