Addiction & Recovery

By Andrew J. Schreier

Approximately 21.5 million people aged 12 or older in 2014 had a substance use disorder (SUD) in the past year. Over the years we have seen alcohol and drug trends impact individuals, families, communities, states, and as far reaching as nationwide. The opioid epidemic, the rise in stimulant use, legalization of marijuana in some states, and vaping are a few of the major trends we have seen impact the world of addiction and recovery. Addiction is nothing new, and yet we do not always have clear understandings of:
- What is addiction?
- What does it mean to be in recovery?
- How do people change?
- How does addiction and recovery impact the family members and loved ones?
- What does the future hold for a world that has both addiction and recovery in it?
Addiction & Recovery provides a unique perspective of both sides from a counselor who has worked with people whose lives have been impacted by the use of alcohol drugs.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Sep 28, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543947809

Andrew J. Schreier

Andrew J. Schreier was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at age twelve. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and human services and is working toward a master’s degree in counseling. He’s a substance abuse counselor and writer and lives in Wisconsin.

Book preview

Addiction & Recovery

Andrew J. Schreier © 2018

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Print ISBN: 978-1-54394-779-3

eBook ISBN: 978-1-54394-780-9

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Foreword

Section: Introduction

A Crisis and a Counselor

The Story Behind the Book

Section: Addiction

Misunderstandings About Addiction

What is Addiction?

The Tricks of Addiction

The Future of Addiction

Section: Change

Stages & Layers of Change

Motivation to Change

Section: Recovery

Misunderstandings About Recovery

What is Recovery?

The Tools of Recovery

The Future of Recovery

Section: Family Members & Loved Ones

Addiction as a Family/Systematic Disease

Self-Care & Support

The Tools for Helping Family Members & Loved Ones

I’m Not the One Who Has the Problem

The Future for Family Members & Loved Ones

Section: Conclusion

Final Messages

Living in a World of Addiction & Recovery

Resources

Website

Acknowledgements

"To everyone fighting addiction: may your struggle

through this journey lead you onto the road of recovery

for yourself and loved ones."

Andrew J. Schreier

Praise for Addiction & Recovery

"Treatment throws a lot at you and not all of it will stick; and this is coming from someone who recently completed their fifth treatment program. What I learned in Addiction & Recovery won’t be something that just sticks, but has become a part of my plan to carry with throughout this journey in recovery from addiction."

—Anonymous person in recovery from addiction

A must have for clinicians, those struggling with addiction, family members and friends looking how best to support their loved ones. This book sets a pivotal foundation for understanding addiction from conceptualization to root causes, to practical and hands on tools for breaking free from the pain and cycle of addiction.

—Kristin Damato, Licensed Professional Counselor

"Addiction & Recovery is an extremely useful resource for corrections professionals who work with people who have an addiction. The valuable toolbox the author put together through his own experiences as a counselor has been helpful and can be utilized by professionals, family members, and those who struggle with addiction."

—Sue Karras, Wisconsin Department of Corrections

"Living with an addiction can be extremely complex. Understanding how to go from the grips of addiction to the freedom of recovery is difficult to describe. Addiction & Recovery is one of the best attempts to do just that – and in a way that makes sense to so many people affected by alcohol and drugs."

—Anonymous person in recovery from addiction

The section dedicated to family members and loved ones was far beyond anything we learned while our children were in treatment or counseling at various times. Not only did it provide knowledge, but gave us ways to heal as individuals, parents, and work towards a future as a family.

—Parents of three children who have addictions to alcohol and drugs

"Addiction & Recovery is a needed resource to individuals, loved ones and family members who are suffering with addiction. Schreier uses his experience as an alcohol and drug counselor to help us get inside the heads of his clients who struggle with addiction to lead us to greater understanding. Addiction is a family and community problem which Schreier understands and gives us insight and tools to address. Addiction & Recovery has given me new awareness personally that I have shared with my clients. This book is a valuable resource in fighting addiction for all of us."

—Linda Pellmann, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist

Extraordinary book filled with wisdom based on years of experiences of a counselor’s journey working with those who have addictions. Schreier covered so many of the twists and turns of the development of addiction, the curse of addiction, and the efforts needed for recovery. Clearly written to improve the understanding of addiction and recovery for not only professionals in the field but for the curious person with addiction themselves, families and loved ones, and community members impacted by addiction. As Program Supervisor, this will be a required read for my entire team and endorsed for clients alike!

—Connie Schrank, Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor

Foreword

"I lived through death.

Through death I found life.

Through life I found sobriety.

Through sobriety I found myself."

Quote Inspired by Former Client

Section:

Introduction

A Crisis and a Counselor

The Story Behind the Book

A Crisis and a Counselor

Drugs are merely the most obvious forms of addiction in our society. Drug addiction is one of the things that undermines traditional values.

Quote Inspired by Christopher Lasch

Addiction to alcohol and drugs has become a part of the world’s culture. Addiction to alcohol or drugs has become a frequent notice of importance whether it is because of a new drug trend, recent celebrity death, or other noticeable events. Sitcoms incorporate it into their story lines, television series like Intervention are commonly known and there are reality shows like Celebrity Rehab that capture famous people bathe their addiction. Documentaries about drugs can be found on major television networks and streaming services like Netflix and Hulu.

Many of us are familiar with celebrities who have struggled with addiction to the point of death. Jimi Hendrix (barbiturate intoxication), John Belushi (cocaine and heroin), Chris Farley (cocaine and morphine), Amy Winehouse (alcohol), Philip Seymour Hoffman (heroin), and Prince (fentanyl) are a few notable examples. Today, we often hear about well-known celebrities with addictions ranging from alcohol to prescription opiates to cocaine to heroin.

Celebrities are not the only ones who have been affected by this disease. Millions of people throughout the world have been impacted by the use of alcohol and drugs in numerous ways. If you mentioned the word addiction to someone and they did not know what it meant you would probably think they were not from this planet.

The use of alcohol and drugs for a variety of reasons has been around for thousands of years. The impact of alcohol and drugs, attempts to control and regulate them, and the possibility of addiction is not a new concept or discovery. History and ancient literature is filled with references to alcohol, mushrooms, marijuana, and opium poppies.

While drug trends continue to change and take shape over time the idea of addiction is not anything new. However, the face of addiction has changed. The idea of an alcoholic being an old homeless man in the street with a paper bag around a bottle of liquor is no longer the standard. The image of a junkie being a poor person sticking a needle of heroin in their arm is not the full picture.

I used to think a drug addict was someone who lived on the far edges of society. Wild-eyed, shaven-headed and living in a filthy squat. That was until I became one.

Quote Inspired by Cathryn Hemp

An article featured in TODAY Health & Wellness Today entitled, Hooked: A teacher’s addiction and the new face of heroin shared the story of a teacher and mother who was living a double life as a heroin addict.¹ On October 24, 2016, John Oliver said on Last Week Tonight, Unfortunately, America is now in the midst of a new drug crisis, and it seems that no one is safe from it.²

The idea of addiction being so widespread and affecting so many people appears scary. Some people like the idea of continuing to believe it doesn’t affect them or it’s not as big of a problem compared to others we face as a society. Countless times I’ve heard citizens say we don’t have that kind of problem (drugs or alcohol) in our community or a parent say there’s no way my child could have an addiction. While there are a variety of issues going on in this world addiction has become one of the major focuses of nations, states, organizations, communities, families, and individuals. The need for education, prevention, and treatment is at an all-time high.

Plenty of people have been dedicating their time, effort, energy, and resources to helping those who suffer from addiction. Professionally, I have spent over a decade working with individuals whose lives have been impacted by the use of alcohol and drugs. I am a Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Clinical Supervisor – in Training (CS-IT) for the state of Wisconsin. Over the years I have worked with individuals who use alcohol and drugs to the point where it has led them to receiving counseling services.

Working with addiction teaches you an incredible amount of information and insight. The purpose of this book is to give some of that knowledge to those who desperately need it in hopes they will turn the information into wisdom to healing, change, and growth.

Are You in Recovery?

The polite way of asking whether or not I have an addiction is to ask, Are you in recovery? Clients, co-workers, possible employers, other professionals, and family members often ask that question when they discover your profession is counseling people with an alcohol or drug addiction. The grassroots history of addiction counseling began with individuals who were able to overcome their addiction wanted to help others by bringing in the talk the talk, walk the walk experience.

When I started in my career it was almost an unwritten rule about needing to have an alcohol or drug addiction in order to help others. For me, it wasn’t an addiction that bridged the gap between becoming a counselor for this specific population. I faced my fair share of doubters and misbelievers about my ability to counsel people with an addiction without having one myself.

What led me to working in the field of alcohol and drug addiction? At the age of twelve I was diagnosed with type one diabetes, a chronic illness that requires daily maintenance in order to live. The body does not produce insulin naturally and therefore requires testing blood sugars and injecting insulin multiple times throughout the day.

I struggled with my disease throughout the early years of the diagnosis into high school. At one point my health was at such a decline to where a doctor said, You are going to end up dead. This course of events led to a path of seeing a counselor. Meeting with a counselor became an intervention at a time that was desperately needed and opened my eyes to seeing things dramatically different. The success of counseling not only changed how I saw the meaning of my life, but also set in motion the desire and dream of becoming a counselor one day so I could in turn help others.

The idea of wanting to help others by becoming a counselor became a growing interest. I researched local colleges hoping a program in counseling could be a possibility. During the research I came across an Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA) Counseling program available at Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC).

I knew nothing about addiction. There was no addiction in my family history and no friends who I considered to have an addiction. There were a few peers who experimented with alcohol and marijuana and fellow students who were rumored to use other drugs. For the most part addiction was a mystery. In conducting some initial research on the program there was a viewpoint on addiction gaining steam in the field: that addiction was being seen as a disease very similar to that of heart disease and diabetes.

Now, the idea of addiction being a disease was not entirely new. Some people have held this view for a very long time; however the use of technology, science, and research was gaining interest in viewing addiction as a disease as opposed to a sin or moral failure.

Honestly, there was some initial resentment and frustration over the idea of addiction being compared to diabetes. I take insulin in order to avoid getting high (blood sugars) while people with an addiction used drugs in order to get high (feel pleasure, avoid pain, etc.).

When I was seventeen-years-old I was with a group of friends attending a baseball game. At the time I was making significant progress in taking care of my own health. It was not perfect, but I was progressing at being more responsible. On this occasion I decided to take my diabetes management kit (insulin, syringes, blood meter, etc.) with me.

I went back to the car and tested my blood. We were about to eat and I measured out the amount of insulin I needed. As I was about to inject the insulin through a syringe an old couple walked past the car. As they approached the car the elderly man looked in my direction and said fucking drug user and continued walking.

There was a lot of frustration, shame, and sadness. The person who was with me noticed the discomfort and attempted to cheer me up. I told them to go ahead back to the group and I just need a minute to myself and would finish what I was doing. As soon as the person walked away I stopped what I was doing. I didn’t want to be associated with drug users because I was nothing like them. I put all the supplies back in the kit and walked back to my friends. I didn’t talk about what happened and lied about taking my insulin. A small resentment towards drug users started to grow.

Before making the decision to embark on the possible journey of becoming an AODA counselor I remembered that story and played it over in my head. This happened years ago, and yet I could still feel the resentment. I did not know if I could overcome it and be willing to accept addiction as a disease similar to what I faced with diabetes.

A part of me wanted to see what I would discover if I decided to explore this area further and discover if I could relate to what individuals with an addiction feel like when trying to stay sober or embark on their own journey in recovery. Besides, it took me many attempts and failures to reach success with my own disease. Maybe, if I were able to see the connection and relate to those living with a disease they must deal with daily I would be able to bring insights from a different perspective. Maybe I could overcome that resentment, and if so, give something back to a group of people I once looked down on.

I forgave the man that called me a drug addict. I am grateful for the experience because it taught me a lot about how I viewed my own disease and self, how I viewed others, and the power of resentment. Even though I did not see it at the time, nor did the man who said those words to me, it set forth a destination where my diabetes and addiction counseling would intersect. I made the decision to see what would come of it by becoming a counselor.

How Can I Help You?

For the beginning part of the process I focused on a commitment to learning as much as I could about addiction. The program at WCTC provided an educational foundation for understanding addiction, specific drugs, abuse, dependency, synapses, treatment options, goal setting, and other various aspects; but my experience with addiction and the disease itself wouldn’t start until I began working with clients.

The face-to-face interactions with clients during individual and group counseling sessions was the gap in understanding how addiction was viewed as a disease that was treated professionally and recovery being the pathway to healing and change in order to avoid a return to their alcohol and drug use. I met plenty of clients over the years who wanted to stay sober but struggled to maintain long-term recovery.

Everything you read, hear about, learn, and experience takes an entirely different form once you sit down with a client and try to understand their life. This is the opportunity to work with addiction face-to-face instead of through a textbook, research, or educational material. The reality of what addiction is, who the individual is, and everything about the struggle is sitting in a chair across from me. The seriousness about addiction to alcohol and drugs is now in my office talking about needing help before going back to being incarcerated or potentially facing the end of their life.

I started my work at a group home working with inner city adolescents from Milwaukee who were diagnosed with an alcohol or drug dependence and sent to live out of county to receive treatment. The majority of the clients had problems with their alcohol and drug use that led to conflicts in school, family, relationships, personal care, and legal issues. We saw clients who were skipping school in order to get high or running away from home in order to be with peers to drink or use drugs.

Most of the adolescent clients were using consuming alcohol and marijuana, with a few of them experimenting with ecstasy. Over the course of eight years I saw the trends in drug use change. We started seeing teenagers abuse cold medications in order to get a similar feeling of intoxication to alcohol. They would appear drunk and the initial breathalyzer tests would show up negative. It wasn’t until more sophisticated drug testing and finding empty cold medication packets that we discovered a rise in abuse of these chemicals.

After implementing some strategies to prevent getting access to cold medications and providing psychoeducation on the dangers of using those substances to get high, we were able to curb their use. However, as that trend was decreasing a new one was forming. We began to see clients appear high similar to the effects of marijuana. Staff would also report strong odors that were somewhat similar to marijuana but had a strange smell that raised their alarms to something going on with the clients.

Once again, the drug tests came back negative even with the more sophisticated testing available. After making connections with some of the law enforcement and probation officers we were notified of synthetic marijuana (also known as spice or K2). Drug trends would continue to change throughout the time working with adolescents and their attempts at getting high would also take different shapes and forms.

The goal at the time was to stop their using. We tried to educate them, provide counseling, and attempt to help them look outside of their way of thinking and living to see the potential in their lives. Even if a client did not want to stop using we still encouraged them to look at how their life could be different if they stopped using alcohol and drugs.

Over eight years there were a number of clients who stopped using, continued using, or reduced their using. Some clients graduated from the program and successfully returned home. Other clients graduated, went home, and returned to their old ways. Some ended up leaving the program early by running away or continuing to use. Others never stopped using even when they arrived. Outcomes vary because no two clients are alike.

I am blessed to say during the eight years I worked with these adolescents we never lost a single client due to an overdose while in treatment. The amount of knowledge and experienced gained working in this setting with this target population was instrumental early on in my career. The biggest change in working in the field of addiction came when I decided to accept a new position for a different organization.

Over the next four years I worked for a halfway house program that eventually turned into a residential intensive treatment program working directly with male offenders through the Department of Corrections who have a substance use disorder diagnosis. No longer the kids and teenagers; these were adult males who were coming directly out of being incarcerated from jail or prison or this was a last stop before going there.

The first group counseling session I attended there were a total of twelve clients. Out of these twelve clients only one had an addiction to opiates while the other eleven were addicted to alcohol (Opiates –8% and Alcohol – 92%). Four years later there were four alcoholics or other drug users and ten had an addiction to heroin or prescription opiates (Opiates/Opioids – 71% and Alcohol/Other Drugs – 29%). The number of clients coming to treatment for addiction to prescription painkillers and heroin was growing significantly.

The prescription opioid and heroin epidemic has been grabbing headlines across the nation and impacting millions of lives. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a study released in September found that 37.8% of U.S. adults used prescription painkillers compared to 31.1% who used tobacco products.³

According to the Center for Disease Control, overdose deaths involving prescription opioids have quadrupled since 1999. From a period of 1999 to 2014, more than 165,000 people have died in the U.S. from prescription opioids overdoses.⁴ Heroin use, on the other hand, has more than doubled in the past decade among young adults aged 18 to 25. Heroin-related deaths have more than tripled since 2010. From a one year period alone (2013-2014) heroin overdose rates increased by 26% with more than 10,500 people dying in 2014.⁵

Can you imagine what would happen if these numbers increasing in a different area? Think about what would happen if the amount of fatalities due to car accidents doubled? There would be laws changing, newer technology to address the issues, and discussions on many sides in a desperate attempt to solve it.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published an article on August 12, 2016 entitled, Heroin suspected in 20 deaths in 2 weeks.⁶ 24 days later, Fox6 Milwaukee published a story through Dose of Reality entitled, A deadly Labor Day weekend: Medical examiner investigates 12 probable overdose deaths.⁷ These stories have not just become common in my own home state, but across the country.

In 2017, in the span of one week I was informed of three fatal overdoses and one who was fortunate enough to survive through the use of Narcan (a medication used to reverse the effects of opiates and opioids). Two were people I personally knew and two were former clients. This was not just part of the job, as the epidemic was also hitting on a personal level.

A brutal reminder of the reality we are facing. Our program was at the front line fighting the opioid epidemic impacting millions of people. No longer were we trying to tell clients, using could get you into trouble or mess up your relationships, instead we were desperately trying to tell them, this will kill you!

Even after the heroin and prescription opioids, like OxyContin and Percocet, spread like wildfire that still was not the end. Earlier on in my career there was a notion that heroin was the worst of them all. Beyond the dangers and destruction of heroin we have now been introduced to the epidemic of synthetic drugs like fentanyl (synthetic opioid) and K2 (synthetic marijuana).

Synthetic opioids like fentanyl are more powerful than morphine. In fact, fentanyl is known to be 50-100 times stronger in potency than morphine. Consuming these drugs knowingly is scary enough, but recent trends are showing more frightening concerns by simply coming into contact with them. Fentanyl has been found in batches of heroin, cocaine, and even recently marijuana. People are choosing to use drugs that are still harmful but are unaware of the strong substances being mixed it by the drug manufacturers and distributers. Someone smoking marijuana may unknowingly consume fentanyl that could lead to an overdose and death. One client said his reason to stop using was because, you have no idea what is in anything anymore.

Besides unknowingly consuming these harmful substances, the drugs themselves can kill even without consumption but through the simple touch. There were reports and warnings coming in of firefighters, paramedics, and police officers experiencing overdoses after coming into contact with the substance. A recent article identified a 6-year-old boy who needed Narcan after coming into contact with fentanyl at a park. These substances are scary enough where unknown contact can lead to feeling its effects (including an overdose).

If you would have asked me at the beginning of my counseling journey I would have naively said there were no way these trends and experiences would happen. Now, I try my best to stay up to date on what new trends are waiting around the corner. What can we do when it comes to dealing with addiction and recovery? This book will explore what I do as a substance abuse counselor and how it impacts the clients I work with.

Dear Client,

You have been around the block when it comes to knowing the treatment information, what it means to work a recovery program, what it takes to stay sober, and what you face if you return to addictive or criminal behaviors. In a way there’s a part that says, What more could I possible say compared to someone who is brand new to treatment, never attended support groups, never truly worked a recovery program, or been through the experiences you have been? You may think there is more to say to that person because of their inexperience, but that is not entirely true. Yes, a part of me could have a lot to say to that person who needs to learn for the first time about their addiction and what recovery truly is. Their knowledge is lacking and therefore the wisdom has not developed. You, on the other hand, are in a different position. You have been through some of the learning experiences. Whether that be through treatment programs or incarceration; you have learned both from experience and facilities trying to teach you all about your addictive and criminal behaviors. I do believe you have the knowledge after going through all the learning you have. The bigger question that now looms is, Do you have the wisdom? Wisdom, by definition, is the soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of experience, knowledge, and good judgement. That definition says a whole lot about what it means to not only have the knowledge but the ability to apply it when it really matters. Wow, talk about something that is definitely a difference maker in some people maintaining their sobriety and others falling back to their addiction. Most of the time, someone’s wisdom will show with their behavior and not their words. People can talk the talk all they want all the way to the bank; but the bank won’t cash it unless their actions speak for it. When someone goes to the bank of sobriety they can do all the talking they want, but unless they have the action to show it they will come up empty handed. How do we avoid coming up empty handed? We bridge the gap between knowledge and wisdom, the difference between knowing something and actually doing it. If I didn’t learn anything it’s because I didn’t want to, may have been in denial over my addiction, or simply was not ready to learn. Once you decide to learn, ask yourself, Why did I? Was I learning to make a good impression, make people believe I was motivated, or to simply get out of this consequence I dug for myself? That is where a lot of people fall short of making it across to wisdom. They either did not want to learn in the first place or they did not want the end result of what the learning was trying to teach. The person that wants to learn in order to benefit their lives, make changes, and stay sober is that much closer to gaining wisdom. This transition time is an opportunity like no other to see whether or not you possess that wisdom and able to use it as you start your recovery under new circumstances. This is no longer a matter of telling us what you know, but show us. Most importantly show yourself what you have learned and how you are applying it to staying sober.

Your counselor,

A.J.

The Story Behind the Book

It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.

Quote Inspired by Joseph Campbell

Over the years I began gathering an extensive library of books in a wide range of areas. While working at the residential treatment program my collection of books started turning into a library for clients. I was lending out whatever books clients asked to or recommended based on their particular issues and treatment plans.

Many clients were talking about the guilt and shame related to their addiction, which gave the perfect opportunity to hand out a copy of Overcoming Guilt and Shame by Dr. Green and Mel L. Five clients read that book in a one month period alone. I had a client talk about struggling to find meaning in his life and another one who expressed a genuine fear of not liking himself after being sober. In those cases I gave copies of A Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. A nineteen-year-old client express interest in wanting to return to school and asked about a book related to philosophy, so I ended up lending him Aesop’s Fables by Aesop.

One day a client came into the office and wanted to borrow a book. He was progressing very well in the residential program and reading actually became a part of his treatment plan. As he came into the office he returned a recent book he borrowed and asked, Do you have any books about addiction? At first, I thought nothing of it. In my head I had a whole library full of useful information and books related to the field of addiction.

There were definitely a lot of books on the subject of addiction. As I looked on the shelves I saw books about the issue of drug use itself. I saw Drugs in Perspective: Causes, Assessment, Family, Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment by Richard Fields. Next to it was Drugs and Society by Hanson, Venturelli, and Fleckenstein. A couple of books over was Julien’s Primer of Drug Addiction: A Comprehensive Guide to the Actions, Uses, and Side Effects of Psychoactive Drugs by Advokat, Comaty and Julien. None of those books really stood out to what I thought he was asking for.

I looked a few books down the row and found a bunch on specific drugs. I saw You Are What You Drink by Allan Luks and Joseph Barbato. There was When Painkillers Become Dangerous by Drew Pinsky. Next to it was Crystal Meth: They Call It Ice by Mary Holley. On the other side was Buzzed: The Straight Facts About the Most Used and Abused Drugs from Alcohol to Ecstasy. When I mentioned these titles to him his response was, no offense, but I know what a lot of the drugs do because I’ve used them.

Point was well made and the search continued. I thought maybe a story written from someone about addiction might help. I found Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff and Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction by David Sheff chronicling the story of a young man becoming addicted as well as the father’s perspective. There was Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood by Karen Zailckas and Symptoms of Withdrawal: A Memoir of Snapshots and Redemption by Christopher Kennedy Lawford. I even read controversial books such as A Million Little Pieces by James Frey and The Alcoholism & Addiction Cure by Chris Prentiss. All of those were met with disinterest and not really focusing at what the client was searching for. From there, the conversation went like this:

Counselor: Well, my apologies but apparently I do not have anything that really talks about addiction in the way you were hoping. I’ll have to look into it more.

Client: Don’t worry about it. There’s always something else to read. He left my office only to return a few seconds later and said, This may be stupid, but do you have any books about recovery?

The only books I could think of were the well-known Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous literature that I would pass along to clients before they received their own. They were the only books I could think of that would speak to what it meant to be in recovery. The only problem was he was already reading from his own copy of the book while currently working on his fourth step in the recovery program.

Counselor: Once again I am leaving you empty handed.

Client: Maybe you should just write one about addiction and recovery.

He left the office without a book about addiction or recovery, but provided me with an incredibly inspiring idea: to write a book about them. In my head, the idea was to write a book that provides readers a counselor’s perspective of working with clients who deal with addiction. Whether it be for the individuals themselves, a family member, peer, loved one, counselor, probation officer, school teacher, or someone caught in the destruction of alcohol and drug addiction; the book would be written to provide insights learned from years of counseling people addicted to alcohol and drugs.

The Purpose of the Book

The purpose of this book is to provide readers with information and knowledge gained from working directly with clients as a counselor. While there will be some statistics, theories, and research provided, that is not my specialty or area of practice. Statistics, theories, and research are necessary tools I use when trying to gain a continued understanding about what is being studied in the field of addiction.

Any of the information I reference will be given proper credit and additional steps to learn more about those particular areas are encouraged. I hope you continue looking into some of the information I provide that may interest you. However, the purpose of this book is not to persuade you to believe in a particular focus of addiction or recovery. Before reading this book you already had some ideas and beliefs about these two. In the end, they may stay the same or change entirely.

I am not claiming to be an expert on addiction or recovery. I am licensed when it comes to substance abuse counseling and have years of experience when it comes to clinical practice and education. The experience I come to you with is working with clients in face-to-face settings in facilities and treatment programs that have mostly been intensive. To help put it in perspective I am going to provide you with some basic numbers. The following information shows the amount of contact hours I had with a client on a weekly basis depending on the program type I was working in at the time:

Outpatient: 1 hour of individual counseling (on an as needed basis or based on client request) = 1 hour

Group Home: 3 hours of group counseling + 1 hour of individual counseling = 4 hours

Halfway House: 6 hours of group counseling + 1 hour of individual counseling = 7 hours

Halfway House: 7.5 hours of group counseling + 1 hour of individual counseling = 8.5 hours (this increase in hours changed to increase amount of treatment provided).

Residential Program: 10.5 hours of group counseling + 1 hour of individual counseling = 11.5 hours.

The amount of time spent in counseling and treatment may vary. This depends on the counseling or treatment settings, the requirements set by contracts, or based on the client or patient’s needs or requests. Most counseling sessions on average lasts about an hour. You may attend one time per week, twice per week, bi-weekly, once a month, and so on and so forth. Someone’s mental health or presenting problems may create a need to be seen multiple times per week a monthly basis. There are treatment programs that are a few days, thirty-days, ninety-days, or even longer. Every case is different because of considering multiple factors.

When you work in a treatment program the amount of time you spend with clients face-to-face increases. I first started counseling at a group home I spent about 4 hours counseling in comparison to the residential program which totaled nearly 11.5 hours per week. The amazing part about it all is that 11.5 hours does not even capture the accurate amount of time I really spent with them.

Clients live in group home, halfway house, and residential settings. They do not pull up in their vehicle, attend their session, and leave for the rest of the day to return later in the week or next week. They eat, sleep, and live in the program. In the years of working with clients in residential treatment settings I saw them eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’ve seen them interact when it comes to recreational activities such as watching movies inside the program and even took them on outings to baseball games or parks. I’ve stayed up till midnight waiting for residents to go to bed and been there at 6am to wake them up the next morning.

How long does treatment or counseling last? Well, that all depends. Could be a 24 hour detox or 30-60-90 day treatment program. Throughout my entire career it has changed and the amount of time a client has been in counseling has varied. I have worked with clients at an outpatient setting where they attended one session and never returned. On the other hand, the longest client I ever worked with was in a group home setting where he stayed for sixteen months.

These experiences provide a continuous wealth of insight to seeing both addiction and recovery. Imagine being able to witness how some of the aspects of both addiction and recovery play out when a client is interacting with another peer in a competitive activity like sports or playing cards. Imagine being able to observe how someone does when it comes to following rules and given a certain set of expectations such as chores or keeping a house cleaned. Imagine being able to witness the behaviors (what we say and what we do) when a client doesn’t realize a counselor can hear them from their office. Imagine being able to see first-hand how they cope when it comes to stressful situations, dealing with their emotions, and problem solving on a daily basis.

These are the kinds of environments I grew up in professionally. I knew I needed to do develop and build on my observation skills to gain as much insight as possible. I watched, listened, remembered, and observed everything I could about the clients I worked with on a daily basis. Their day-to-day life was right in front of us because we were a major part of their daily lives and treatment providers. These kinds of insights are not often covered in textbooks and school courses.

I never realized how much insight I was given as a counselor under these circumstances until I began working in an entirely different type of setting. During the field placement my Master’s Degree in counseling I was placed in an outpatient, private practice clinic. I saw clients sometimes once a week, bi-weekly, or even once a month. It was an entirely different experience not seeing clients as often I used in comparison to being in residential settings.

The purpose is to provide a better understanding of both recovery and addiction from this experience. I truly believe people who seek to gain an understanding of the complexities of addiction and recovery are able to add a wealth of knowledge to help in the area they see needing it. I have seen first-hand how some of the information has helped people overcome their addiction and commit to recovery. I have also seen how addiction has continued to demonstrate its power and get people to avoid doing the things they know they need to in order to stay sober. While the information I provide can help, it is not a guarantee of success to stop someone from using alcohol or drugs or to make promises of a life in recovery. As you will learn, it all comes down to the individual.

I do believe an individual who is going to make recovery from addiction successful is in need of as many resources and tools as possible. I never met a client or patient who said they have too much at their disposal. In most cases it’s not about having too many tools compared to the choice of using the tools when it matters. Let us also not forget the family members, loved ones, and communities that need resources and support as well.

This book is an entire collection of experiences and observations gained through counseling people with addiction to alcohol and drugs. I have learned an incredible amount of knowledge and information in the coursework of three degrees focusing on addiction and counseling. The most important wisdom I have ever gained has been, and continues to be, sitting in a room with a client. I have learned just as much from them as they have learned from me. What they learned from me has also been because of previous clients before them. This book is a way to pass down this information to others that you cannot find in a textbook or training.

Hopefully, this book will provide you with a toolbox when dealing with addiction and recovery in your own life in whatever way it relates to your situation. You may be someone who currently uses and takes some of the information to get yourself into treatment or recognize that you need help; you maybe someone who is currently sober and needs to know more about recovery in order to make your sobriety intact; you may be a family member or loved one who is looking to understand more about what you are dealing with.

Tools in the Box

There is one disclaimer I want to make before proceeding any further: treatment and counseling is always the best option for someone dealing with an addiction or problem with alcohol or drug use. Even though treatment may not always be easily accessible and costly, it is always the best choice to make. This book alone is not the answer to addiction. I am not claiming to provide a cure, the magic answer, or the one factor that will change your life.

Recovery from addiction requires an incredible amount of effort and resources over the course of someone’s life. Even though treatment isn’t going to be the only answer it is the most important first step in dealing with it. Most often, it will provide a safe environment with professional services that can give the professional care, education, prevention, and treatment needed to get the person sober and invested in their recovery. However, everyone dealing with addiction is not going to be in treatment at the same time. So this book will provide a number of tools and resources that can be applied to your particular situation. Let’s start by looking at the toolbox this book will start to build.

From the Professionals

The knowledge, resources, information, and statistics about addiction are out there. Writing a book containing all the information would be not realistic. This book will provide information from the professionals - people who have worked, specialized, and treated addiction. Professionals include substance abuse counselors, other mental health therapists, researchers, directors, and people within large organizations that focus on the issue of alcohol and drugs. It will come from professional organizations, as well as resources that have focused their entire efforts on dealing with alcohol and drugs.

The information they have made available over the years has been extremely beneficial as a counselor in working with clients. I have provided copies of articles, recommended books, handed out materials, and given additional resources based on the professional work of others. It is important to continue to share some of the same knowledge with clients and their family members and loved ones when meeting with them. The patience, dedication, and commitment these professionals have made to discover the truths about addiction are wholeheartedly appreciated and valued.

Professionals are not only individuals who have a long list of credentials and accomplishments after their name. I have worked with a variety of individuals who had different positions in the organizations I was employed. People who were responsible for helping clients wake up in the morning, assist in getting chores and household items taken care of, teaching social living skills, taking them out for recreational outings, and monitoring them during third shift.

At first, I was inexperienced in recognizing the value these workers and their observations and experiences. I falsely believed working with them in individual and group counseling sessions was the most important in order to help the client change. However, as I began to be more open to the advice and feedback given from fellow co-workers the light of insight grew brighter. This is an opportunity to share some of those stories and insights from the people who spent their lives working with the clients on a different level than counseling.

One of the best tools a counselor has when dealing with addiction is knowledge. Knowledge comes from a variety of resources including other professionals, organizations, books, seminars, journals, and statistics. If it helps us understand and treat addiction then the information discovered is going to be beneficial to the individual and their families as well. It is strongly encouraged that your search for knowledge and understanding doesn’t end here.

This has been a continuous process of learning about addiction and recovery. If you want the biggest chance of success to be on your side I guarantee the side where knowledge and wisdom stand often has the largest opportunity to overcome addiction and continue with sobriety.

Unlocking My Vault of Resources

This is the best opportunity to unlock my own professional vault of resources. Over the years, I have used a number of tools used by others. However, some of the best work I have ever done was creating tools, developing concepts, and resources to help clients face their addiction. This information is often shared only with them, their families, or staff