Farewell to Betty Ford, Pioneer in Alcohol Awareness

by: Mike Miller
7/13/2016

America and the planet lost one of the really good people on this planet yesterday with the passing of Betty Ford. No doubt up somewhere floating with the Angels, Ford was a tireless woman of great conviction. She used her tremendous personal and compassionate energy to better the lives of the people living on Earth.

You may think I am too flowery in my praise for Betty Ford. You may be like I once was, a person battling internal demons that manifested themselves in addicted behavior. Drugs, alcohol, shoplifting, no doubt, I was addicted to many vices. During this time “Betty Ford” represented the name of the place I did not want to end up. I had to quit my addictions before I had to seek professional help and stop forever!

Betty Ford Center

Along with being the wife of President Gerald Ford, Ford is best known for the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage California. This has always been one of the most well-respected live-in treatment centers for alcohol and drug addictions.

Betty Ford was an addict! She admitted in 1978 that she was an alcoholic and had a strong dependency for prescription medication, primarily mood-enhancing drugs. For her, the path to sobriety started with a family intervention. From there she attended an alcohol rehab program at Long Beach Naval Hospital.

Champion of Many Causes

Betty Ford not like most other First Ladies. Betty Ford had passionate views and spoke out and worked on behalf of the causes she cared so deeply about. Did you know she was a main proponent of the Equal Rights Amendment? She also favored abortion laws and used her influence as First Lady to have more women hired by her husband’s administration.

Throughout her life Ford championed the cause of women’s rights. Betty Ford was a great woman, and we all are better for having had her gracious soul around us.