Learning how to live clean and sober can be challenging. It is also one of the most rewarding things addicts and alcoholics will ever experience. Imagine how magnificent the feeling would be to help someone overcome an addiction that was destroying their life.
Those of us who work in recovery appreciate these feelings. Everything isn’t always wonderful. However, each time someone walks out of a treatment facility with a new lease on life, it takes a team effort from the entire staff. Here’s what it’s like to work at a drug rehab.
Who Works at a Drug Rehab?
The types of jobs required to run a successful drug rehabilitation facility are diverse. Some individuals work on a part-time basis while others carry full-time responsibilities. Certain members of the medical staff will have responsibilities outside the facility.
Detox from drugs and alcohol can be dangerous. The dangers require medically supervised detox for the safety of all clients. Doctors will commonly have set schedules at a drug rehab to provide checkups and analysis.
There will also be a staff of medically licensed professionals such as nurses on site 24-hours a day. These two types of jobs are critical in the detox process, plus they continue to manage the medical aspects of early recovery.
Each drug rehab program will have a staff of therapists and counselors. These are the positions that work most intimately with those in recovery. With the explosion of addiction across the nation, there is an increasingly higher need for specialized addiction counselors.
If you feel you have the patience and empathy to help someone whose life is in turmoil, this is an aspect of rehabilitation that is essential. There will be disappointments, individuals who struggle mightily, or relapse after completing a program.
For every person who remains clean and sober, there will be a percentage that fail. When we work at a drug rehab, we hurt for the failures as much as we feel joy for those who succeed. The important thing to remember is to treat each person as a potential success.
Drug rehabs also have a staff of office workers and usually a list of sober companions. While the doctors keep everyone medically safe, these workers are no less important. Often, a sober companion will become your best friend in recovery.
What Are the Rewards?
The biggest reward of working at a drug rehab facility is the thought that we are saving lives. Statistics across a myriad of sources points to the startling facts. People are dying from drug addiction and alcoholism.
To appreciate that no matter what position on the staff we hold, as a member of the drug rehab team, we are essentially saving lives one life at a time. That is a reward that has no boundaries. We also experience the gratitude of helping people.
Working at a drug rehab indirectly results in helping communities. We may never meet the families or friends of those lives we touch, but the positive results are undeniable. When it comes to families and friends, it’s also heartwarming to help heal broken relationships.
What Are the Challenges?
The biggest challenge we experience working at a drug rehab has to be the emotional disappointment when someone relapses. It can be heartbreaking. We must learn to leave the emotional aspects of our job at the job. It can be difficult.
The most painful thing about being part of a recovery team is learning that someone has fallen victim to the baffling nature of addiction. Some will even die after successfully completing treatment, but failing to follow a suggested path of recovery.
There will be individuals who come to treatment angry, and these people can be difficult. The key is to remain empathetic. Working at a drug rehab facility has countless rewards, but we cannot ignore that there are challenges. However, the good always outweighs the bad.
Fighting drug addiction and alcoholism is a tough battle. Those dedicated people who work in all recovery environments experience daily challenges. There is one important thing to remember when working at a drug rehab.
We must continue to balance emotionally how much the rewards outweigh the difficulties. If you think you may have a problem with drugs or alcohol, don’t put off asking for help. There are kind individuals waiting to show you how much more wonderful a clean and sober life can be compared to the maddening spiral of addiction.
If you’re someone who is part of the recovery community, you should consider working at drug rehab, especially if you completed a rehab program. Sure, there will be tough challenges. However, the thrill of helping someone turn their life around is a priceless reward. Call us today at 833-820-2922.