The United States of America is currently suffering from an addiction epidemic. Addictions to prescription opiates and alcohol are particularly common. It is more important than ever that a cadre of addiction counselors are trained effectively. Here are some of the most important aspects of addiction counselors that trainees will learn about.
How To Build Recovery Plans
Each recovering client has individual roadblocks to their healthy development. Trainee counselors at institutions such as TUW, https://www.tuw.edu/ learn how to develop unique and effective recovery plans for their clients. Developing a good recovery plan involves the close identification and interrogation of the issues a client faces. Clear, simple steps need to be agreed upon with the client. These steps need to be plausible for the client to achieve considering the individual challenges that they may face.
How To Help Recovering Addicts With Rejoining Society Sober
Many addicts form their addictions in part because of a perceived inability to cope with mainstream society. Most – if not all – recovering addicts suffer from anxieties surrounding their return to society and employment sober. Addiction counselors learn how to guide recoverees through the necessary steps to rejoining society. This can include providing clients with coping strategies, helping them find education, and helping them find work. The world can be a scary place, especially without a crutch to lean on.
How To Empathetically Counsel Clients
Addiction does not just emerge out of thin air. Addiction counselors need to develop the skills to deal with some of the underlying issues that may contribute towards their client’s addiction.
How To Work With The Justice System
Although addiction counselors are primarily working for their clients, they do have to be aware of their relationship with the justice system. Many addiction counselors are court mandated and are required to report back to legal representatives. It is very important that addiction counselors learn the laws surrounding substance abuse and addiction. This is not to say that counselors have to throw their clients under the bus – quite the opposite. Counselors need to be able to give their clients the best advice possible so that they can continue their recovery and avoid getting themselves into trouble.
How To Organize Medical Intervention
In many cases, counseling and non-invasive rehabilitation are not enough to turn the life of a recovering addict around. Many chemically addictive substances can be extremely hard to stop using due in part to the impact that leaving them behind can have on the body. Opiates, amphetamines, and alcohol can all have serious physiological withdrawal effects on people trying to recover. For this reason, addiction counselors need to be able to refer clients to medical professionals that can prescribe medicines designed to help patients during withdrawal. While they do not need to be medical professionals themselves, counselors need to have a good understanding of how withdrawal medication works. Drugs such as naltrexone are often prescribed for recovering opiate addicts while recovering alcohol addicts are often given acamprosate to stabilize the chemical signaling in the brain.