just checking

justadrunk · MIP Old Timer

just checking

ChristineG · Senior Member

Me too!

whoops. when I first read this all that was here was "thankful for another sober day"

-- Edited by ChristineG on Monday 7th of January 2013 09:22:26 AM

Pythonpappy · MIP Old Timer

My 2 cents worth, ...

At nearly one year, you've matured more rapidly in the program than most anybody else i've seen ... I am grateful and proud of you, you are definitely an inspiration to me and others ... I feel you'd be great pursuing this new field of interest ... you're the type that, when you put your mind to something, you do it ...

Personally, I think you may be right to give it a little more time to be sure that you want to invest so much time, money, and you into this new field ... as they say, only you can decide ... it all boils down to exactly what it is that you think will make you happy AND be rewarding at the same time ...

Love ya and God Bless,
Pappy

P.S. Just try to be sure you stay 'spiritually fit' ... you may witness a lot of hopeless cases and situations that may make you question your own sobriety ... I pray you have the emotional 'strength' to handle that and not be affected by it ... some may involve children ... as with all things, keep God close to your side ...

-- Edited by Pythonpappy on Monday 7th of January 2013 09:19:06 AM

StPeteDean · MIP Old Timer

Ok, here some good reading on the challenges of being a substance abuse counselor.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64902/

"

Burnout

As mentioned above, working with clients who have chronic mental health disorders, severe substance abuse disorders, or a history of childhood abuse and neglect can often lead to "burnout." Working with substance-abusing clients who have experienced childhood maltreatment can further challenge a counselor's capacity to remain focused in treatment. Burnout occurs when the pressures of work erode a counselor's spirit and outlook and begin to interfere with her personal life (De Bellis, 1997). These secondary trauma responses have been called "compassion fatigue" (Figley, 1995), referring to the toll that helping sometimes has on the helper.

Burnout affects many counselors and can shorten their effective professional life (Grosch and Olsen, 1994). If the counselor sees a large number of clients (many with trauma histories), does not get adequate support or supervision, does not closely monitor her reactions to clients, and does not maintain a healthy personal lifestyle, counseling work of this sort may put her at personal risk "

-- Edited by StPeteDean on Monday 7th of January 2013 01:51:46 PM

Col · MIP Old Timer

Hey Tasha:) I'm actually considering getting back to school myself. I feel as though losing my job in the industry I've been 'getting by' in is a sign that it's just not the right thing for me any longer. I feel I'm ready for something more fulfilling and challenging, and my sponser is kind of pushing it, too. I'm curious what responses you'll get because I could take that advice into consideration, as well. I'd say go for it, but I'd like to hear what others with more experience would advise.

StPeteDean · MIP Old Timer

Did you mean to write ACOA? If it's counseling dysfunctional people (addicts and alcoholics) this profession can make you sicker. People have to have a strong program and maintain it well to survive. Most people get into that line of work to heal themselves, and it not a bad thing. Personally, I wouldn't do it. With that said, I do have a great deal of respect for those that do.

justadrunk · MIP Old Timer

I guess it's called AODA counselor here - substance abuse counselor yes. Why will it make you sicker?

justadrunk · MIP Old Timer

Well I don't want to get sicker! I'm torn between nutritionist & counselor. Wish I had the time and money to do both.

StPeteDean · MIP Old Timer

justadrunk wrote:
substance abuse counselor yes. Why will it make you sicker?

I said "it can make a person sicker". Most of us recovering folks are also codependents and tend to take on others' problems. Not only do we want to fix them, but we take on their stuff emotionally. Especially the drama, and it brings us down. Psychiatrists used to have amongst the highest suicide rates, largely for the same reasons.

justadrunk · MIP Old Timer

Hmmm - thanks

nezyb · Senior Member

Funny, I have been considering the same thing, going back to school to become a drug and alcohol abuse counselor. With the degree I already have, I would be able to transfer a lot of my credits and probably my experience as well (25 yrs + as a nurse). Currently God has blessed me to be in a position to be a "parent provider", eligible to be paid for the 24/7 care our autisitic son requires. Our goal is for him to be living in a supported living environment outside the home by age 25, about 4 1/2 years from now, and my current income will end when he moves. My husband will be retired and able to get medicare, but I will have to work so that I can have health insurance. I will have been away from nursing for about 7 years, and was thinking a change might be good for me. Towards the end of my working years, I did experience what Dean talks about, the "compassion fatigue" and burnout. That being said, I was leading a very unhealthy lifestyle behind the scenes, and this definitely contributed to that fatigue and burnout. I wonder if my efforts regarding helping alcoholics and addicts should remain focused in the rooms, and my passion and compassion for helping people in general would be better focused in something like teaching or mentoring. I honestly don't know, so I do what AA & you all have taught me to do. Hand it over to my HP and trust that the right answer will come to me in time. Just as an aside, I think you would be a fantastic writer, and I definitely would buy your books.

Fyne Spirit · MIP Old Timer

To me it's an admirable objective and it is understandable why many of us would entertain entering this field. Afterall we have found a way out and we know there are countless others out there which perhaps we are especially well euipped to help.

But then Dean points out the reality. I don't think I could maintain the necessary emotional detachment, it would be too tough for me.

A buddy of mine here with 20 years up just completed a degree in this field and works in our justice system. He says the frustrating thing for him all along has been to have to do/say/learn/teach things that are against his own experience in AA. Furthermore he would, in answering an exam question, have to provide the "correct" answer as taught rather than what he knows will work. If he answers questions truthfully according to his beliefs, he will not pass the exam. Whether what he has to offer works or not is totally irrelavent.

My sponsor worked in the field of youth justice up until his death and told me more or less the same thing. He was a gifted man and a great communicator and was able to do a lot of good with these young ones, but again he often was compelled to lead them down futile paths because that is what the political system demands. Here these facilities are funded by the government and he who pays the piper calls the tune.

Rob84 · MIP Old Timer

I think it's great that you are thinking about future career directions.

I don't know that the we would typically have the same "political system" issues here in the USA that Mike mentions above. I guess it would depend where you might be working. Most of the treatment places I am aware of basically work to try and get people into long term 12 step programs.

I know the emotional detachment part could be tough, but it's similar to what we are taught to do with sponcees and others in AA.

From what I understand in our area, you really need a masters degree to have good opportunities in this field. Best thing I would suggest is to see if you would be able to volunteer at a treatment center or a place you might want to work, you can quiz people in the field and get a better feel for what the day to day jobs are like and what kind of supply/demand there is for positions. There are open meetings sometimes held at treatment centers that you can also attend.

Hope this can help