I want to be of service - please help me get there

BACKGROUND

The Opioid Crisis  has been front and center in the national news recently, and rightly so.   Recent efforts to hold pharmaceutical companies, unscrupulous physicians, and regional pharmacies that function as nothing more than "pill mills"  responsible  for their roles in are  long overdue.

  Drug  addiction in the  U.S. is not, however, a new phenomenon. Yet, while these efforts may be effective in curbing the supply of drugs of abuse, there has not been a similar focus placed on confronting the demand for drugs in the form of increased support for addiction education and treatment. Why is this?

  One reason for this is the persistent misperception that, once an individual has detoxed, staying sober is a matter of willpower.  In truth, the real work of recovery - the hard part - begins once detoxification has been achieved. During early recovery, changes in the brain caused by prolonged drug and alcohol use persist, setting up intense cravings at a time when the newly sober individual is least able to exert control over the impulse to use.  Without the support of caring treatment providers, many will relapse despite the most alarming array of adverse consequences - the defining characteristic of addiction.  

WHAT I DECIDED TO DO ABOUT IT 

   About 5 years ago, I decided that I wanted to pursue a different career path, one that was more in keeping with my values; I wanted to be of service.  My goal was (and still is) to become a licensed clinical therapist with a focus on addiction treatment. I enrolled in college and completed my B.S. in psychology this past May. I applied and was accepted into graduate school soon after, and planned to begin in January of 2020.

WHY I NEED YOUR HELP

  When I went to register, I was notified that I had a balance on my undergraduate account of $3150 that I would have to resolve before  I could begin graduate school.  I have few resources, so am unable to obtain a loan, and it would take me  months to earn this amount. I also learned that if I do not register by the end of December 2019, I will be no longer eligible for either the grant I was awarded or my other education loans. In addition, I would have to wait to begin the graduate program until January 2021.  Finally, I will lose my undergraduate "in school" loan forbearance and would need to begin full repayment of my loans immediately.

  I have worked extremely hard to reach this point of my education, and am passionate about becoming a licensed therapist working in the addiction field.  I believe that my own personal experience with recovery ( I recently celebrated 22 years of sobriety ), when placed within the framework of my professional education and training,  adds to what I will have to offer those I serve as a licensed therapist.  I will be forever grateful for your help in achieving my  goal.