Thank you for your comment. The point I am trying to make is that drug users don’t need to feel at loss about their past but can value it as an asset. As drug experiences can’t be learnt from a book, ex-drug users are in a great position to turn their history into a profession and guide others by the experience of transformation.

As a psychotherapist who has worked with a few patients with drug addiction issues I have been interested in your work since an ex-patient of mine kicked his use by seeking help from you. He saw me as a therapist for a short while and after a recent get together with him (and asking for feedback) he recounted how he felt judged by me as his therapist and that it is/was important for him to have had a therapist who had also (ab)used drugs. I wondered about the benefits of saying I’d used recreational drugs. I was reminded too of a man who saw me who had been in prison for many years. I haven’t been in prison but this did not seem to interfere in our work. He was also a patient with whom I was very upfront about my lack of knowledge about abusing drugs when he had. He found my honesty refreshing and upfront.

What I’m finding interesting here is that it has been my belief that I don’t need to have suffered in the same way as my patients. Do I need to have had an eating disorder to work with patients that have one? Do I need to have HIV to work with patients who are HIV+? In fact, I have patients who have similar symptoms as I do but it’s not something I usually tell them. I’ve held this attitude because I believe that each person’s take on issues will be different. If I tell a patient I have HIV, for example, does that make it easier for the patient? My concern would be setting the patient up for possible failure because they may see me as successfully dealing with my issue when they are not. Also, for me, therapy is about the patient and not about me.

Though I may not always be able to say I’ve done that or been there, just like one of my patients, what I do know is what it is like to suffer, to be in pain.

I’m interested in hearing from others here about what I’m trying to express here, perhaps not so eloquently.

Cheers good people.
Michael

i have called the clinic trans 2012 because jost and i agreed that post drug warriors will be well equipped to handle the change in consciousness occuring and proliferating in 2012.
transition,transformation,transmutation……….through and beyond 2012.
we do acupuncture,chinese herbs,deep tissue bodywork, nutrition and counselling/psychotherapy.
and to any tcm practitioners who have a calling for this work would love to hear from you if you have an interest in working at the clinic or otherwise.
hail the post drug warrior
love and light
chris

I’m in my first year studying TCM and am also an ex-drug user. It’s clear to me now that my own drug use with it’s roller coaster ride of ups and downs was all a part of my own spiritual journey leading me to this point in my life. Discovering TCM was a major illumination for me and if I’m able at the end of my studies to help others like me that’ll be fantastic.

All the best and thanks for the inspiration!

I once was confronted with a counselor that told me “ I never took drugs and I don’t have anybody in my circle of friends that ever took drugs “ It sounded surreal to me – and still does. I am still thinking about this statement of hers once in a while and still can’t figure out if she just said it to me as part of a professional therapy or if she was for real. I shortly afterwards stopped going to her. Once I knew that she has no understanding of my situation (only from her theoretical course at university) it made sense why we never connect. I was doubting that she was able to help me.

While I am here I wanted to thank you for your input and sharing. I read your website quite often I always get something out of it. I guess I like the idea that there are other people out there that shared similar experiences to myself and be able to put this openly in writing and give great advice on top of it all.

Thank you very much
e