Once someone actually sees the power and importance of meaningful work in the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction, they ususally start to take this step seriously. Sometimes if they are still in a drug rehab facility they are willing to take any job as long as it helps they stay clean. However, just staying clean is not enough of a goal in addiction treatment. If there are not powerful life fulfilling goals, it is simply a matter of time until a slip or relapse occurs with continued drug use and the addiction cycle resumes.

Your Work Vision

Taking your time go through the list of questions and answer each one, no matter how outrageous it might seem right now.
Once finished, pause, relax, smile, and go through the list again. Look at each answer and ask yourself, â??Is this want I really want, or is it closer to what I think I can get?â??
If itâ??s not want you really want, cross it out and put down what you really, really desire.

Looking at the answers to your list, start to visualize what a perfect day at work might look like for you.
See if you can imagine in your mind where you are, and what you are doing.
See if you can imagine what it might feel like to be that person.
What would be the benefits to you and those around you if you were that person?
Write out this perfect day, and the benefits.
This is your vision or goal of what meaningful work would be for you!

What to Change

Write down a description of all the qualities, skills, talents and education, that this person having this perfect workday would have.
Now write out a description of all the qualities, skills, talents and education that you presently have.
Looking at each of the skills individually, see where you are now and where you have to go.
What changes would have to occur?
What courses might you have to take?
What books would you have to read?
What mentors would you have to find?

Again I know this is a lot of work. However as a reminder, isn’t addiction a lot of work? Remembering all the lies and constantly hiding and covering up behaviors is exhausting and time consuming. Even though going to a drug rehab is a difficult decision, many people once there, find it relaxing NOT to have so much work to do covering up their addiction. They find they have lots of spare time now they are not constantly searching out drugs or the money to buy drugs. So yes this is a lot of work. You are worth it so give it a try.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 25th, 2005 at 5:09 am and is filed under Drug Addiction, Drug Rehab. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.