Hope Perspective

I was having a conversation with a new friend yesterday and I had the chance to talk about my addiction. As I tell everyone, addicts are not my favorite population to work with as a counselor. My friend asked me a simple question, “Why?” I didn’t have a good answer at the time so naturally I have been turning it over it in my head, and I think I may have come up with an answer, other than the fact that addicts are really hard to work with!  I don’t like to approach addiction from a counseling perspective because I don’t understand it from that perspective. I understand from the perspective of the addict. I understand that while in the midst of the hurt and pain and destruction counseling doesn’t always work. It is hard to connect to a counselor and it’s hard to be honest with a counselor. You aren’t honest with yourself much less others.  I didn’t break through the chains of addiction with counseling. I did it with the help of people that loved me and refused to give up on me, with people that loved me through their boundaries, and with realizing that I couldn’t do it at all without God. Those things were the key to me breaking free. I wish I could bottle up and give away what I have been so freely given, but I can’t. I can give away what I have learned. I can share it all, from pain to freedom.  I have so many other experiences that have helped make me a good counselor. My addiction has helped me be an example and bring hope.