Donnylutz

Happy Sunday everyone. I rarely post here these days, but I keep sticking around and following everyone's journey. It's great to see so many successes!

I'm well into my grad program in addiction counseling, and just started my internships. I'm now working with an IOP group that meets 5 days a week. Everything I thought I knew about use and recovery from my own experience keeps getting less and less relevant - all of our journeys are so unique and individual. When we are using, we need to stop - that is one thing we all share. But when it comes to overall health and wellbeing in recovery - what we all need is as varied as our fingerprints.

Everyone I'm working with now, most fresh out of residential treatment and currently living in sober housing, are walking a very unique path. What leads us into substance abuse is unique, and what will lead us out of it is as well. Support, education, and structure are things we all need. But those I'm working with all have unique trauma's, physical issues, mental health struggles, family dynamic drama, criminal justice system issues, etc that are so imperative for their recovery.

I was in such a bad spot (you can read my old posts lol) but I'm so thankful I somehow found a way out when I did. I was about to lose everything, and thankfully I didn't. Those I'm working to help now are facing struggles I can't even imagine.

With my internships, I've had to turn my personal self care up 500%. I'm 4 weeks into the internship and I honestly leave everyday completely on empty, mentally and physically. My weekends (though filled with homework) are where I prioritize sleep (Friday & Saturday nights I average about 11 hours!) and mindless fun things like going for walks, meditating, or playing video games. The fact that I'm here and talking about recovery falls outside of my self care - I'm finding thinking about recovery 100% of the time (be it your own or someone else's) can become an issue quite quickly! It's all about finding the balance you need, and that can be really tricky to find.

Do I have a point? As usual, no. I just needed to vent. It's nice having this place to do that. When I post here I always feel some guilt as I'm able to unload my thoughts and stress, but I'm not around to return the favor for other's. I promise I will be eventually. I've got about 765 hours left of my internship (880 hours total) and then if I pass the state exam I'll be a licensed alcohol and drug counselor. My remaining classes focus on mental health (once done with school I'll be working on getting my supervision hours for my LPC licensure) - and at some point with all of this, I'll have a bit more time.

I hope everyone is doing well. And to those coming back, keep coming back. When you slip/relapse/use you don't lose the knowledge and experience you gained. Once you decide you want to stop, you are constantly building upon that - don't stop trying! Much like how I'm getting through such a hectic schedule - one day at a time is an amazing mindset to use.

Donny

Farrier

IOP programs and sober living homes is where I built my foundation of sobriety. I really appreciate that you're giving back to others. Thank you.

Steely

Wonderful news, Donny. Good on you!

Whoever crosses your path in their own road to recovery will have struck it lucky.

I remember you.

Zencat

Good on you Donny for giving back to the community with your expertise in addiction counselling.

You remind/encourage me to finish my CAADE Accredited Program – Certified Addiction Treatment Counselors. I have completed 3/5 of the Addictions Studies classes. I do general education and addiction home study just to stay with current addiction treatments and work on my GED.

Hevyn

Wonderful to hear from you, Donny - great update.

You'll be able to speak from the heart to any who truly listen & absorb your wisdom.

DriGuy

Point or not, your observations are spot on. That was a very insightful post. We are all different, and that is critical knowledge for those in the field of addiction counseling.