What should I expect at a drug and rehabilitation center?

Question by OMG Becky: What should I expect at a drug and rehabilitation center?
I recently accepted a job in a in-patient drug & rehabilitation center. This is one population I have never dealt with, but I look forward to it. However, since I have never worked with these types, I have no idea what to expect. What kind of attitudes do they generally have during detox? Anything I should be aware of?
Well Jane, the only way to get experience is if someone gives it to you. I don’t like the fact that your hinting that I cannot do a job simply because I have never done it before. That’s totally false. Besides, I will be working in the business office. I just needed to know what types of behaviors I may encounter. sheesh…..

Best answer:

Answer by Jane
I feel slightly scared to know that people are being accepted for jobs working with people in rehab, who have absolutely no idea about the client group!

Anyway, here goes. There is no ‘type’ of people who get into a problem relationship with drugs and alcohol. Addiction crosses all classes, education, cultural background, age, gender etc.Your first mistake would be to make an assumption that there is a ‘type’.If you would like to take the time to find out more, the internet is at your fingertips, as well as the ability to step outside your door and find out what is going on in your area.There is an enormous amount of experience and understanding of addiction issues out there.

In any case, you are about due for a steep learning curve, and so I congratulate you for having the courage to step out into an aspect of life that is so new to you.

One place to start is with yourself- have you ever found yourself dependent on certain things in life? Could be your morning coffee, your mobile, the internet- anything you do every day where if it was taken away, you wouldn’t die but you would have to make a big adjustment. Try abstaining for a week from something you do every day just as a habit, and notice how this feels.

Add in some other factors-imagine that this habit of yours is going to damage your health, relationships and ability to fulfil your potential in life if you carry on doing it, but somehow you can’t stop.You know in your head it’s wrong, but you carry on.You realise you need help.

Hopefully, having though this through, you’ll have some idea what your customers will have experienced. If they have had this issue for a while, they may have experienced other consequences such as a criminal record, relationship breakdown, homelessness, debt, physical and mental illness, been beaten up or abused etc.

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