In a drug and alcohol rehab program sometimes the question is postulated about if you need to have had an addiction to truly understand what a person goes through, so you can really help them.  Some people say only ex-addicts can help other addicts.  It is an interesting thought, but does it really have any validity?

A person who has had a long and varied addiction is just that, a person who may be an expert in the addictive experience.  They are not an expert in getting sober and staying there.  They may have changed their life and found a path to sobriety, but it is not the only path to get there.  It may not be the most successful route, it is just their route.  The reason I point this out is that often, with all the good intentions in the world, someone who has found sobriety may try to convince someone to go down the path they followed on the assumption that if it worked for me, it will most likely work for you.

There is a basic problem with this.  They may not exactly know what exactly worked for them, only what they think worked for them.  Often the first 2 to 3 weeks of sobriety are confusing, and while comming off of various drugs, not all that clear.  What they remember about the experience may not be exactly what happened at all.  Plus they are many other paths to sobriety, and they may only offer one,(their's) to those they council.

This is why anyone who wishes to work in the field of rehab have some education, training, or experience other than simply their own path.  One must be able to offer several solutions to someone struggling to find the answer to sobriety in their life, not just the one that worked for you.

The other issue is one of safety.  Many people very early in their sobriety, wish to help others and want to work in a rehab facility.  This is just not wise.  The constant discussions about drugs and alcohol may cue they to reuse.  Also working in a rehab can be a very stressful situation, and stress is the number one cause of relapse. 

People entering a drug and alcohol rehab program deserve educators and councilors with a varied and unbiased approach and opinions.  I think that is very difficult if your are early in your sobriety, and have litttle experience or training.  It is most likely easier for someone with no personal history of addiction to be unbiased in their approach and opinions.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 15th, 2007 at 12:57 am and is filed under 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.