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Dawn Herbert is a mother from Slidell in Louisiana and credits Substance Addiction Ministry (SAM) for helping her overcome a decade-long struggle with substance use disorders.
SAM offers free faith-based sobriety meetings twice a month at local Catholic churches through the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
Herbert began experimenting with drugs in high school, attending rave parties in New Orleans and progressed to alcohol, ecstasy, cocaine, crystal meth and opiates. When she wasn’t using, she coped with stress through perfectionism at work and school.
She associated drugs with pleasure caused by forced dopamine rushes. “It’s a defect in the behavior reward system in the brain, and I was seeking dopamine in places.”
Ten Years Sober and Counting
Herbert now celebrates sobriety for 10 years and encourages others affected by addiction to seek out programs like SAM. She credits community leaders, like Deacon Louis Bauer, who guided her on the path to recovery.
Bauer leads SAM at St. Margaret Mary Church in Slidell. He recalls the program’s introduction in 2011.
He had asked the congregation, “By a show of hands, how many people here have been afflicted with the disease of addiction or affected by someone else’s addiction? And as I looked around, I would say 80 to 85% of the people had their hands raised.”
That moment spurred the deacon to connect with SAM and form his own branch in the network. He operates a Facebook page for past and present participants. All SAM programming is free.
SAM in Slidell
The key to SAM combines sobriety with community. SAM hosts an annual community forum and resource fair, providing access to numerous programs for those in need. The event for 2026 took place at St. Angela Merici in Metairie.
Herbert highlights the program’s spiritual aspect. She explains, “SAM’s the resource to find the resources. When you don’t know where to go, where to turn, you go to SAM.”
Indeed, networks like SAM can open doors to additional community and government assistance for not just drug recovery, but social programs to make sure you don’t relapse when stress hits hard.
Bauer considers Herbert a notable success. “I buried a lot of people with this, but I’ve also celebrated the ones that are doing well.”
Finding Affordable Treatment Centers
Payment for treatment doesn’t have to be an obstacle to starting your recovery. Browse rehabs.org’s list of affordable treatment centers to in your area or call
800-914-7089
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for immediate assistance.
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