Drug Counselor

[sunsrequiem]

Okay opi pals, i've got a question for you...

If you were to see a drug counselor, would you rather see some guy right out of school with no real personal interaction with the drug world, or would you feel more comfortable with someone who has been there...who might even have a scar or two on his arms?

[ouch]

scar(s) on arms.

[hydro chris]

good question there buddy.
is a couple year outta school with some scares count?

[OpiumEyes]

The latter.
I personally would feel more at ease with someone who knows what the hell he's talking about, and knows how hard life really is. Chances are he'd be less condescending and more willing to help, where the other guy might just look at you as a junky instead of digging to find the person underneath the drugs.

^hypothetically speaking.

[nick]

Okay opi pals, i've got a question for you...

If you were to see a drug counselor, would you rather see some guy right out of school with no real personal interaction with the drug world, or would you feel more comfortable with someone who has been there...who might even have a scar or two on his arms?

Personally,I don't care is a councillor is,was or ever used dope. I more interested in if they use compassion and common sense,as opposed to dope.

[losangeleslifer]

Personally,I don't care is a councillor is,was or ever used dope. I more interested in if they use compassion and common sense,as opposed to dope.

True. But, they would still lack the first hand knowledge of *relating* that tends to put people more at ease.

[nick]

True. But, they would still lack the first hand knowledge of *relating* that tends to put people more at ease.

True,but after over 20 years in the treatment system,all I want from any of them is to be treated with a little respect and drug use has nothing to do with weather a councillor is a decent human being-or not.

Actually,for me this is hypothetical.I don't have to see councillors anymore,I mean just what are they going to say to me to ease my burden?

[matfield]

im in that kind of situation right now....becoming a social worker and not only that i have scars i am still on done and i am still using.

great people who are working in that field are ex-users and i honestly think there is no problem about that...quite the opossite! i found it very helpful and inspiring if i met ex-users in detox or rehab.

Well over the past 4 weeks i had to co-work with social workers counseling several people and lot of them were drug addicts.
that was really kinda strange and i often felt a bit like "fake"....or i was scared that someone might know me or can see whats going on with me.
i was often thinking if that does make me a hypocrite? i dont know.
actually i think not because i was not there talking someone into being clean but helping people with basic daily life shit. getting their life a bit back together or just helped them to find a place to sleep or worked at facilities where people could eat, shower and sleep.
but this is something i am thinking about a lot.
also when i am studying. being there, learning and talking about how to "treat" people for example addicts while knowing that i have severe drug problems myself is often, uhm kind of a "dilemma" to me.
and i often compare myself to the others or think about what if they knew and so on.
i am also thinking about coming straight and being honest about my addiction but that could really backfire at me i guess.

well difficult topic for me

[Narkotikon]

I like what Nick said, but if I had to choose just between no experience and experience, I'd choose the counselor with a past. All the ones I've had who had no experience (from either their mouths or just from my assuming / guessing) tended to be very very clinical and very closed-minded. If they were taught it in school, even if it was wrong, it must be right. That type of mentality.