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ideas for lecture

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Anyone have any ideas what I can lecture to recovering addicts?

I've been volunteering at a drug and alcohol rehab facility for a few months now. At first, the head councilor asked me if I can take a case so I did. It became apparent to me however that I wasn't any good at it. In my opinion, my inefficiency came from the fact that I wasn't at the rehab all the time (since I was just volunteering, I just go there to talk to my 'client' or when I would bring undergrads to help do assessment). So I wasn't able to monitor his process while within the facility. Furthermore, because I'm not so enmeshed with the processes in the facility, I found that I was ill equipped to counsel people who are in a controlled environment.

So I spoke to the head councilor and I asked him if I could just do something else. I was planning to take up that hour and half a week of wasted time that was allotted for our group to supposedly do activities/lectures/psychotherapy (the guy who's supposed to be doing this is a louse and isn't doing anything). Initially, I was thinking of trying out group therapy, but I find that a group of 20+ individuals is too big for a group. So I was thinking of doing lectures or activities, but I don't know where to start.

If anyone can share some ideas on lectures or activities (that don't directly tackle addiction) that they think might help recovering addicts, please do share.

Thanks for those that might share. :)

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    What about a self esteem and goal setting lecture. You could do pie charts, the first one showing how someone might feel about themselves at the moment and the second with how they would like to feel about themselves, with different areas filled in to the chart like whether they think they are a good family member, or feel good about a hobby they have, or career or education. Then you could do short term, mid term, and long term goals, and how to set them. If people wanted you could hand out some pie charts with notes at the end so that people could have a go at filling in their own charts on how they feel now and how they would like to feel. And another handout on setting achievable goals.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru

    I've been volunteering at a drug and alcohol rehab facility for a few months now. At first, the head councilor asked me if I can take a case so I did.. :)

    I find this quite alarming!
    What qualifications do you have?
    Have you ever been an addict so that your clients can't say ...but you don't know what it's like?

    The very best rehabs will only have ex addicts alkys etc ...who get trained up.
    Sounds a bit cow boyish to me ....:chin: :eek2:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I agree with what you're saying. For qualifications, I can't speak of much except for a BA in Psychology. And no, I've never been an addict. But it doesn't seem to be much of an issue. I've talked to a few addicts at my time in the rehab, and they don't exclude me or shut me out just because I've never tried drugs. In any case, treatment for addiction is probably better and more precise in more advanced countries, but over here... let's just say it could be a lot better.

    It's just that the councilors at the rehab are all recovering addicts themselves. But as far as training goes, I don't think they're aptly trained on how to do counseling; they just go about doing to others what they believe to be beneficial for them because it worked for them (the councilors) when they were still in the program. The head councilor just asked me to take a case because of my background in psychology.

    In terms of being cowboyish... well, maybe. Am currently taking my MA in counseling psychology, but unfortunately, over here, taking your MA means more of theoretical learning than actual practical learning. And as far as I'm concerned, doing all theory and no practice looses the point of being in the program. So yeah, I do try to apply what I've learned and continue to learn in my classes to the other cases am handling.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I agree with what you're saying. For qualifications, I can't speak of much except for a BA in Psychology. And no, I've never been an addict. But it doesn't seem to be much of an issue. I've talked to a few addicts at my time in the rehab, and they don't exclude me or shut me out just because I've never tried drugs. In any case, treatment for addiction is probably better and more precise in more advanced countries, but over here... let's just say it could be a lot better.

    It's just that the councilors at the rehab are all recovering addicts themselves. But as far as training goes, I don't think they're aptly trained on how to do counseling; they just go about doing to others what they believe to be beneficial for them because it worked for them (the councilors) when they were still in the program. The head councilor just asked me to take a case because of my background in psychology.

    In terms of being cowboyish... well, maybe. Am currently taking my MA in counseling psychology, but unfortunately, over here, taking your MA means more of theoretical learning than actual practical learning. And as far as I'm concerned, doing all theory and no practice looses the point of being in the program. So yeah, I do try to apply what I've learned and continue to learn in my classes to the other cases am handling.

    Thanks for your pleasant and informative reply:thumb:
    I hadn't noticed you were in the third world.
    Best of luck with it all.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm not sure how exactly I would formulate this into a lecture or activity, this is just a theme that occurs to me. Addiction is a very self-focused place to be. There is you, there is your addiction, there is guilt and there is self loathing. When an addict chases the buzz there is just them and that buzz. Nothing else even registers, no guilt, no hesitation. It is only on the comedown that the guilt and self hate hits home, until the need comes around again. It is such a lonely place to be, and you can see how you're destroying everyone and everything around you but yet you feel powerless to stop it. As soon as that craving strikes back up within you then your conscience goes away.

    I found that some of the best feelings I had during my own years of addiction were in the odd times I could make a difference to someone else. When I could invest in someone and perhaps just cheer them up or solve a problem for them. It was one of the very few ways I could view myself as a decent human being, that I could reassure myself that I did have a heart and a soul. It helped soften some of the guilt, the self hate, for being so damn selfish.

    I was wondering if the issue of helping others could somehow be worked into a lecture. I think that it is a hugely positive thing for an addict, to give them that sense of esteem, of worthiness, of not living in a world with only them in it.

    I don't know if anyone else would agree, this is just a personal thing for me. I'm not sure if I've even explained it clearly, lol.

    One of the main reasons I'm even on this forum is exactly as I've explained above. To do something of value off the back of creating so much destruction is something that I can be proud of. Maybe the only thing I can be proud of.
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