I took the classes and decided not to pursue the credential (for now).

I learned A WHOLE FRIGGIN LOT in the classes. Drug counseling curriculum is not an extension of "being in recovery". And trust me, a lot of former dope fiends in those classes certainly thought it was! The classes actually added a whole lot of PERSPECTIVE to my experiences, as both an addict and a loved one.

There is SO MUCH MORE to know about the world around drug addiction - studies of family dynamics, of how drugs become introduced into communities, about child development, about the role (or non-role) that "prevention" methods have in curbing addiction. Where is the line between the so-called "addictive personality" and the simple chemistry of substances that pass through the blood brain barrier of a homo sapien?

What IS the real relationship between ones childhood and their risk of becoming addicted? Why DO some people with childhoods more horrific than yours shake it off and lead "normal" lives, while others with almost no trauma fall so hard and fast?

What DO you do with an ordinarily "normal" person who has become colossally addicted to Vicodin because she has legitimate (and excruciating pain?) (Do we ask her if she was molested as a child? Or what?) What CAN be done (as a social solution) to someone who does not, will not, and may never "get it"?

These are all questions that you can get down and dirty with in a scholastic, somewhat objective fashion. Man, I LOVED hearing the experiences and observations of my teachers, all who had decades and decades of experience on the front lines of chemical dependency counseling. Guess what? Some of the most interesting observations were from NORMIES.


And honestly, my opinion shifted about prohibition of alcohol, which most people consider to be a remarkable failure. (In fact, acloholism went way the @$! down because working class people couldn't afford it!) I don't think prohibition is the ANSWER, but the expansion of my mind regarding the subject is priceless.


Addicts and loved ones (and even credentialed drug counselors) all run the risk of stagnating if their methods, information, and ways aren't updated. At least credentialed drug counselors are required to do some "continuing ed" on a frequent basis. Those of us with the "practical knowledge" tend to NOT get that continuing ed - we don't have a real reason to do it, right? KCI is not a professional entity, at least not for those of us who post here. Hell, we are not even a volunteer organization.

At the end of the day, WE'RE JUST A MESSAGE BOARD. We can move mountains or be reduced to glorified spelling police - the choice is all ours. This forum is only as special or "fresh" as we choose to be.


Want to be of more help to someone? Might I suggest reading a book that does not subscribe to your school of thought on the subject? I may not have agreed with much in the Rational Recovery book, but reading it was PRICELESS because it opened so many questions to me - it made me see a different way of looking at recovery. So now, if someone is truly struggling with 12 step, I may just be able to relate to some of those questions because I have given them some REAL thought. Not just passing thru with my assumptions.


If anyone here wants to purport themselves as being a "volunteer for the cause" - then keep your ideas fresh. No one wants to get or feel "old" right? In my opinion the aging process accelerates the second you stop asking questions.


Sorry for the rant, I guess this has been on my mind for awhile.


Keep it fresh, KCI!

Kelly aka Le Grumps.