AHS Views

A Maui woman who is addicted to drugs is being given a chance to change her life by completing a drug treatment program. According to a recent article, the woman faced burglary and theft charges stemming from her own drug addiction. She feels that with a successful drug rehab program, she will be able to handle her own addiction so she can pursue a long-time goal of becoming a drug counselor.

While some may thing it is a bit odd that someone addicted to drugs would want to work as a drug counselor, I have found it to be increasingly common that once a person handles their own drug addiction, they end up gainfully employed in the drug treatment field.

In fact, several months ago I was doing some research on different types of drug rehab centers and, through speaking to many different counselors at centers, found out that many drug counselors are former addicts. This is also true of the colleagues that I’ve worked with over the years in the drug rehab field. Many former addicts have been the most effective drug counselors I’ve seen.

A former addict’s personal experience gives them unique insight into the problems drug addicts are faced with. And they are very successful at interventions: when it’s impossible for a friend or family member to convince the addict to get help, an interventionist often succeeds.

In a successful drug rehab program, staff who have been through it themselves and come out the other side, clean and sober, may be their most valuable asset.