Your approach to sobriety is commendable and your desire to be engaged in the helping professions is admirable…I’ll give you a sense about me and my career path.

Some history..I’ve been sober for over 29 years…my sobriety is the single most important thing in my life, and if anything jeopardizes that, it’s eliminated..most folks wouldn’t know I am a sober guy as I don’t broadcast my sobriety…..

I came to working in the addiction field when I approached four years sober (I am 43) and have been very grateful and appreciative of my path and my work with my clients. My background is in mental health and clinical psychopharmacology….I’m currently employed doing in-home mental health and CD engagement with (mostly) seniors.

I spend a lot of time thinking about supporting people to find alternate pathways to ‘exit addiction. I don’t have a 12-step orientation and have found that most of my clients have tired of the traditional pathways to abstinence. If you are so inclined you might check out natural recovery / spontaneous remission / recovery capital. As I have a strong interest in pharmacology I am all about Naltrexone (revia), Campral, and Prazosin as drugs to support people to deal with cravings.

There is no reward for suffering, so it makes sense to think about alternate pathways to get/stay sober. After some time we need to question the method and not the person. It seems to me that sobriety is a skill and that recovery looks different for everybody.

If you want to do something beyond the traditional channels of abstinence and pathways to help clients get and stay sober, I would invite you to develop an orientation which includes harm-reduction and support groups beyond AA/NA/MA/CA,,,,,, our agency runs the only in-home CD program in Washington state…..our success rate hovers around 70%,,I sense this has much to do with my approach to helping people stay sober…..I’m glad I can help people stay sober..but I gots to tell you, I am a huge resource guy…..I enjoy helping people find resources…..one of the fave things about my work.

I can tell you from personal experience that clients are literally begging to find someone who will give them information they need which doesn’t include a 12-step orientation. I got sober in AA and stayed with the program for the first 10 years of my sobriety..since then my path to recovery has included some mentors (I advertised to find them), online support (like you do here), a very talented therapist I see from time-to-time, the martial arts, watching movies, reading a lot of books (I am a book whore), working to support people to get and stay sober, did I mention watching movies??, playing with dogs, and seeing a friend when I have time.

See,,,most people have their “program” written out as meetings, sponsorship, prayer, meditation, steps, meetings, meetings, etc……

I sense it’s important to remember that more never does anything, different is the key……..we all drink to change the way we feel…….I certainly honor what people do, as Kabir has said, there is no one road to home..many paths lead there..

If you want to work as a clinician, it’s available..walls aren’t there to keep people out..they exist to see how bad you want to get in.

best,
T

I have a BS in Rehabilitation Services Education and certification as a substance abuse counselor. I would think you would be able to get a job if you were able to get a degree in some human services area (psychology, rehabilitation, counseling etc etc) and then, some places will even hire you with a promise of you obtaining your certification within a year of hire. At least, that’s the way it is here. Let me know if you have any more questions about this in particular. Would love to see you achieve this goal.

BTW – I couldn’t figure out how to move this to the motivationallesness post, which is where it was intended, for those of you not in the know.

To tell you the truth, the thought of that much more education is a bit scary and intimidating. But, such is life I suppose.

Once again, I thank you for your input. Very valuable.

My sister-in-law got her MSW (Masters of Social Work) late in life, and she’s glad she did. But she had the financial support of her husband. The daughter of a friend of mine knew she wanted to go into counseling in college, and ended up getting her master’s at the University of Michigan, one of the top schools in the nation. She loved counseling and was doing well, but she has since shifted into management because of the higher pay.

At any rate, it looks as if you would have to get more education, so you can always start saving money now. Let me know what you think!