Substance Abuse Counselor

I would like to welcome you to my website, www.substanceabusecounselor.net!

I am now one year clean from Oxycontin addiction!

Sometimes an addict comes to a substance abuse counselor and it seems they have nothing to say. They might sit there in silence and be unable to speak. Others will spend the full consultation venting emotions that gush out like a stream.

 In the limited time of the consultation people often feel under pressure to get issues sorted out and dealt with. In many cases this will result in emotional issues being pushed aside in favor of sorting out “real” problems such as getting help to find employment, or accommodation.

 When attempting to give up drug use in the long term it is dealing with emotional issues first which is the key to success. When a person feels stable and secure and not at the mercy of overwhelming emotions, then they will find it much easier to work out methods of securing work and finding somewhere suitable to live.

 The first job of the substance abuse counselor is to help addicts to reach and get in touch with their emotions. This can be a challenge if a person is only coming in perhaps once a week for substance abuse counseling.

The benefits of residential detox and rehabilitation programs for the person wanting to stop substance abuse are that his chances of success are improved if he can get free of the immediate pressures and stresses in his life.

 With holistic detox methods a person can become physically drug free and independent of drug taking in a fairly short time. However, what gets most people hooked in the first place is their emotional need to use substances to combat anxiety and depression. Without a physical need to take drugs, the temptation under any form of stress will still be there. The essence of addiction recovery is emotional recovery and taking an optimistic view.

Changes in your perception and understanding of the world rarely take the form of a blinding flash of inspiration that will change your life forever. Addicts and substance abusers work closely with holistic substance abuse counselors to work through the many issues which have combined to make substance abuse their choice.

 In a holistic residential rehab setting, trained substance abuse counselors have more opportunity to make effective interventions at the time they are most needed and help normalize experience with encouraging words and methods.

 It is said that time heals. Holistic substance abuse counselors know that time is relative. A deep down pain can take some time to work through. A solution can happen instantly with a well timed intervention. Endless complaining that seems to be going round in circles can be halted with timely advice and interpretation from an understanding substance abuse counselor.

 To support a decision to give up substance abuse may mean having to change your lifestyle. To support long term freedom from substance abuse might mean having to give up some familiar, comfortable yet stress inducing relationships or habits.

 Giving up drugs can easily arouse the conflicts and emotions that lead to substance abuse in the first place. It can be a rollercoaster ride. Alone and unsupported, you are highly vulnerable to relapse.

 To get maximum benefits from holistic drug alcohol detox and rehab – you need holistic residential rehabilitation so that as issues and feelings arise a trained substance abuse counselor is on call and ready to give you a helping hand.

 Holistic drug rehabilitation centers offer a calming, relaxed style, good food for your body – holistic substance abuse counseling nourishes the mind and helps you to overcome addiction.

If things go well you will have a close and long term relationship with your substance abuse counselor. In many ways it is a relationship that is not easily defined. It can change from day to day. A holistic substance abuse counselor is there for you, to help and meet your needs. As you learn better ways to deal with substance abuse and the challenges of life – so your needs will change.

 It is natural for people to want to put into words just what the relationship is that they have with their substance abuse counselor – we all like to put labels on things. When we form a close relationship with others there are usually words we can use that define what the relationship is. Once we define our relationship to another it sets up a pattern of expectations. Friends are expected to be supportive and unquestioningly loyal, our teachers full of wisdom and ready to give to us the answers that we need, preachers should have a handle on the spiritual dimension and live a life above reproach.

 We go to a substance abuse counselor in our hour of need—naturally we want to know what their expectations are of us, and what we should be expecting from them. Most people try very hard to create in their mind a definition of the role that the counselor plays in their life. Then they have a framework around which to make assumptions, predictions and have expectations about the relationship.

It can come as a bit of a shock or as a great surprise to find that the role of a holistic substance abuse counselor cannot be defined. It is part of the way to helping you see that life need not always follow and be according to pre-set rules. Substance abuse counselors are there for you – to help you to discover what it is you need to do to resolve the issues that have led to substance abuse.

 Any negativity that you feel about the way you handle life is a result of depression. Feelings of being anxious, worthless or hopeless are merely symptoms of depression. Most people deal with someone who is depressed by telling them to snap out of it and get themselves a life, or else they tell them in all good faith how to beat depression or anxiety in ways that might not suit.

 Holistic substance abuse counselors provide a new way of looking at your problems, in a way that no others do – they provide a space to allow you to think about what you need to do to help improve your life. The space in the room between you and the holistic counselor has infinite potential. With the help of the counselor you can work out all sorts of ways and methods to get your life back on track.

When you go to a substance abuse counselor, filled with expectations, and demand that he fits into a role, be aware that keeping an open frame offers the best potential for you to find a way out from “the dark night of the soul” (quote: Jung). It might be a bit a scary at first until you get your bearings but trust the substance abuse counselor. At different times you may see him as a preacher, a teacher, a friend, or perhaps like a parent in your life – he can take on any role that helps you mend your life.

Experienced substance abuse counselors often find that having heard only part of the story they already have an understanding of the problem, and can think of some good solutions. Many people come to substance abuse counselors assuming them to be “the one who knows” all about their problem, someone who can provide them with answers.

Addicts will present themselves to a substance abuse counselor, tell them everything that they think is important, and then say to the counselor - tell me what to do.

Some substance abuse counseling services are only too happy to provide you with a list of instructions: things to do, what you must not do, and ask you report back later to see how things are going. Without a lot of backup and support, and perhaps some further explanation, you might find this” new road” map a bit too hard to follow and not quite suited to your particular needs and circumstances.

If the advice you get is too hard to put to put in place, you will probably feel anxious and that that you are somehow “not good enough” because you are not able to follow it through.

Addicts will often write off counseling and start using again because the recovery program does not support their needs. They don’t feel understood and they don’t feel “listened to”.

Qualified holistic substance abuse counselors certainly know the problems that you are facing. Some have even had personal experience of or involvement with addiction. They also know that no matter how much training and experience they have had, everyone has their own personal story to tell.

The best thing about a holistic substance abuse counselor is that they will not tell you what to do. A holistic substance abuse counselor will help you to work out for yourself what are the best plans to put into action to help your recovery.

You will gain from the benefit of the experience of a holistic counselor, but they won’t be telling you what to do. Rules and plans are developed from you making a decision that they are right for you.

It is very empowering to feel that you have been really listened to, and that your opinions and thoughts are highly regarded as being important. Addicts are often treated by counselors as if they have “failed’ and need to be told what to do.

Most addicts know exactly what it is that they need sorted out in their lives. What they don’t know is how to make it happen. Holistic substance abuse counselors will not impose on you. They will simply make suggestions, and take notice of what you say.

With a holistic substance abuse counselor you will not come away feeling that you have been given a task that you need to manage on your own. Between you and the counselor,  you can work out the best answers to the problems which bother you. The holistic substance abuse counselor can come up with a lot of ideas that that you haven’t thought of before. He can help put ideas into action.

Take care when choosing your substance abuse counselor. Many substance abuse programs make use of equally addictive substitute drugs as part of a so called “cure”. Make your first step away from the slavery of addiction the rejection of drug use completely. Holistic substance abuse counseling is effective, empowering. It can have you free of addiction and 100% drug free.

Qualified substance abuse counselors come from many different trainings and cultural backgrounds, each bringing to their counseling a unique experience of life and a desire to help.

Whether your experience with a substance abuse counselor does in fact provide you with the help that you need depends very much on the integrity, style and personal qualities of the substance abuse counselor.

It is worth making some enquiries before you make a choice as to which substance abuse counseling service you will use. Selecting the best substance abuse counseling service is not like just taking the first cab off the rank.

Holistic substance abuse counselors offer 100% natural methods and drug free rehabilitation for people with substance abuse and addiction problems. Holistic substance abuse programs offer one to one counseling and support. A qualified holistic substance abuse counselor also works with groups, family, young people and couples. The essence of holistic rehabilitation is respect for individual style, good health and a drug free way of life.

Responsibility to take control and adjust to a new drug free way of life remains with you when you choose holistic rehabilitation. There are no quick fixes or replacement drugs to smooth the way. Holistic detox and rehabilitation processes are thorough, supported and lasting. Holistic rehabilitation is not an exercise designed to get you functioning again in much the same old way, in the shortest possible time, at the lowest possible cost.

Despite vast amounts of money and resources being thrown into the public health system at an ever increasingly frantic rate the evidence of its own statistics shows that mental and physical ill health in our society is dramatically on the rise. People are becoming increasingly dependent upon drugs of all kinds to obtain relief from endemic anxiety, illness and depression. Few look at or question the system of values that imposes such distress – they simply look to the system to cure them. A trust both misplaced and betrayed.

Holistic substance abuse counselors provide an alternative to the system based addiction and drug rehabilitation processes. At least take the time to investigate the possibilities which can arise when you take yourself out of our “pressure cooker” system – allowing your body and mind to recover from the stress and toxic pressures that pass for every day “living”.

Best if you can enter into for a while the peace and healthy lifestyle of holistic residential rehab. There you can more fully experience what it could mean to be drug free and clear of the emotional blocks that keep you bonded to toxic habits and relationships.

A holistic substance abuse counselor is non-judgmental. It is for you to discover for yourself what is harmful and a cause of stress in your life and for you to make decisions about how and what you will change.

A holistic substance abuse counselor understands that real life can be tough, that strong language and strong emotions are part of it. You will not find a holistic counselor recoiling with shock and horror because you use the “F” word, nor will they take it personally if you feel a need to vent your rage and unload some painful issues.

You may not at first trust anyone, least of all this well meaning type who calls himself a holistic counselor. Well, test him or her and challenge them fully – you won’t be kicked out in disgrace! At the end of the day, you will find your testing rewarded – with a professional relationship that you can trust.