How To Use Your Struggle With Addiction for Good
Unfortunately, more people than ever are struggling with substance abuse. Whether caused by the stress of the global pandemic, unconventional times, or the availability of illegal substances or prescription drugs, most people know someone who is currently facing the challenges of overcoming substance use issues.
If you or someone you love has come through a successful recovery from substance use, you know more than anyone just how important having a great support team can be to long-term sobriety. If you’re like many and looking for how to give back or help others to beat their addiction, there are ways you can use your own struggles with addiction for positive change. For a few ways that you can help put your own journey to a good cause and help others, read on.
Taking Care of Yourself First
Before you can truly help anyone, you need to have a strong grasp on your own recovery journey. Whether this means a visit to a fantastic resource like thehopehouse.com or an honest look at your own journey and checking yourself into a facility like The Hope House, you’ll be doing yourself a favor if you help yourself first. The Hope House is a luxury personalized drug and alcohol rehab facility based in Scottsdale, Arizona. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, this is a great place to get the help you need. Between the social workers, doctors, nurses, therapists, and staff with credentials to offer every type of therapy and treatment plan to the calming facilities and amenities you’ll be able to access during your residential treatment, trusting The Hope House to be part of your recovery journey could be the next best step you take toward mental and physical wellness.
If you’re already well into your recovery and ready to put your experiences and wisdom to great use, you’ll need to think about getting the credentials required to work with others in their addiction journeys. Whether it’s that you hope to become a group leader, want to volunteer as an AA or NA speaker, or plan to become a licensed therapist, knowing your final goal is a good way to know what to do next.
Earning a Behavioral Therapy Degree
One way to put your unique perspective to great use is to earn a degree in behavioral therapy. You can earn a behavioral therapist degree online, sit for licensing, and soon enough be an instrumental part of the treatment teams that help people in recovery. As a behavioral therapist, you’ll better understand the tools and resources people need to stay in recovery. You’ll also be trained to identify triggers, patterns, toxic relationships, and motivators for why people do the things they do. Not only will this help you to better understand your own journey, but it will give you better insight into your future clients, too.
Becoming a Therapist or Mentor
If you decide to advance your education, it’s important to understand the many types of therapy out there. The reality is that there is more than one type of treatment for addiction, and what works for one person might not work as well for someone else. Taking the time to research the differences between social workers, psychologists, and basic schools of thought on treatment plans will help point you into a specialty direction that works for you.
At the end of the day, it’s important to remember to take care of yourself. The first step in helping others is to be as healthy as possible. Be sure you have a strong support system first. After that, moving forward to become a behavioral disorder counselor or work with others who are struggling is a great way to give back. Best of luck as you examine your career path and find ways to make your struggle with addiction something you can draw on to help others.
