By David Myers
Southwest Kansas Register

During two weeks in October, Russia and Poland will be hosting an “addiction professional delegation” from the Unites States to assist them in stemming the steadily increasing problem of addiction in the two countries.

Among them will be Wright resident Hattie Stein.

“This came out of the blue,” said Stein, who is married to Kenneth and has six children and 13 grandchildren. “I had no dream of ever going to Russia or Poland. I feel very blessed for being asked.”

Stein’s invitation came in the form of a letter from NAADAC (Association for Addiction Professionals), of which she has been a member since she started in addiction counseling in 1985.

“It would be my honor to have you on this journey to exchange relevant treatment and recovery information,” wrote NAADAC president, Patricia Greer.

Stein, who works out of an office at Catholic Social Service in Dodge City, is a National Certified Alcohol Counselor, Certified Alcohol/Drug Counselor, and a National Advanced Certified Relapse Prevention Specialist. She has worked for the diocese for three years, and in addiction counseling for about 22.

In 1991, Stein was present for an historic moment. She was attending a training workshop in Chicago when it was announced that Russia had contacted the Alcoholics Anonymous main office in New York requesting assistance in dealing with the “severe problem” of alcoholism in their country. It was the first time Russia had requested or allowed outside addiction help into their country.

While Russia now boasts treatment centers and addiction professionals, the problems caused by addiction are no less rampant.

“There’s a lot of female trafficking in Russia,” Stein said. “They trade sex for drugs -- they even trade children for drugs. Most of the time it’s a transaction, a business deal -- that’s how they see it. That happens in the United States, too. AIDS cases have zoomed in Russia.

“It’s a huge market, and there’s tons of money in it. Alcohol, drugs and sex are the three most powerful motivators.”

The October trip is being organized by the People to People Ambassador Program, founded by Dwight D. Eisenhower. The organization helps groups such as NAADAC put together programs designed to nurture global relationships through sharing and insight.

“They work with the medical field, with education…. Their job is to put together delegations to meet with other countries. Eisenhower thought it would do more to bring countries together than all the wars.”

Stein offers a puzzled smile when asked what went into the decision to choose her over dozens of other addiction professionals from across the country, but the benefits she will bring to the group are crystal clear.

Not only is she highly knowledgeable about drug and alcohol addiction, but as a counselor she is down to earth, quick to laugh, and always ready to listen intently. She is absolutely passionate about her work. In fact, it’s impossible for Stein – even when discussing an overseas adventure – not to take a moment to offer some words of guidance.

She stressed that it’s important people not fall into the trap of associating drug and alcohol addiction with one group. Addiction is an “equal opportunity disease,” she said. “It is not governed by race, creed, gender, nationality, or age.”

She compared the descent into addiction to being on an airplane that’s been high jacked.

“You think you’re going to Florida, and suddenly you land in New York. You think you’re doing okay -- seeking your career, your ideals for your life -- and the next thing you know, you’re in a whole different place.”

In the beginning, most addicts have “no clue how they got there. You don’t know that you’ve been high jacked and you’re headed in a whole different direction. It’s very scary …. You experience feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. And when we’re hopeless, we’re powerless. And when we’re powerless, we can’t act on our own behalf. That’s why it takes support.”

The good news, she explained, is that addiction is also one of the “most treatable chronic diseases of our time.

“There has to be a purpose for me going,” Stein said. “I want to learn as much as I can from the experience, and bring back more insight into addiction than I had when I left.”

While in Poland, Stein will take an extra day to tour Auschwitz, the German death camp where thousands of Jews were put to death during World War II. Coverage from her trip will be included in a November issue of the SKR.

Stein can be contacted at (620) 227-1584, 1-800-222-9383, or by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .