The giving up/cutting down alcohol support thread!

jo1972

Lamarsi, thanks for posting

I would like to be a substance misuse keyworker, how do you get into that career? I've not been able to look into it before as I was still drinking but hopefully, in fact definately, this time I've stopped for good and may be able to help others

lamarsi

jo1972, i started as a volunteer at a local rehab whilst at college and was offered work in the summer holidays and never went back, well done on your stopping drinking btw!! people who have had problems with substance misuse in the past and have been engaged with services are asked to have a minimum of two years clean as a rule but there is nothing stopping you in the mean time if this isn't the case of volunteering as it's the best way to get the experience, also in a couple of years (maybe sooner) everyone who works in the field will need NVQ lv3 in adult care ( DANOS) that's drug and alcohol national occupational standards so if you look at local colleges see if they have any courses that will help you towards this, i know mine has NVQ LV 2 Drugs Awareness Course, these types of courses are often attended by people in the field already so good for making contacts, hope that helps good luck it's a really rewarding job!!

barshamhillbilly

:hello:Hi Lamarsi

lamarsi

hi!! i can't use the smilies on my stupid computor well apart from that one and that one lol!

barshamhillbilly

Have just totted up DW and I have saved around £39 in 11 days! Blimey. Now what shall I spend that on - oh yes debts.
And a little bit for us.

BHB

jo1972

Thanks for that Lamarsi

Tell me though, did you find the job really draining? I thought my keyworker was extremely stressed most of the time! Although he was a lovely lovely man and helped me untolds (in the end!) it always irritated me that he had never had a drink problem and I used to tell him as much. When I went off into a rant I tell him how much I HATED people that were normal and even told him that I was jealous of the fact that after seeing me (I was the last client of the day), he'd be off down the pub with the rest of the keyworkers and it just wasn't fair!! Luckily he humoured me but I've always maintained that I would prefer to have a counsellor that had previously had misuse problems and actually understood me through previous experience rather than learning it from a book. Hope I don't offend any workers that have just learnt it rather than experienced it, it was just how I felt at the time!!

lamarsi

sorry about that delay in replying.. got called out to a job.. Jo1972, i think there are good and bad workers on both sides of the fence, one of the best ppl i ever worked with has never had a substance misuse problem and one of the worst had! sorry for rushed reply i'm trying to multi task and i'm abit rubbish, if you need any more advice mail me and i'll try and help!!

lewt

jo1972 wrote: »

Lamarsi, thanks for posting

I would like to be a substance misuse keyworker, how do you get into that career? I've not been able to look into it before as I was still drinking but hopefully, in fact definately, this time I've stopped for good and may be able to help others

think 2 years clean is the going rate.... if you tell them that is... And i'll tel you this although you prob knoe already, yo'll have an empathy that is outsanding to clients, as you really feel it. rather than someone who hasnt ben there, they just cant have that, although many ive meet think they do......

jo1972

lewt wrote: »

yo'll have an empathy that is outsanding to clients, as you really feel it. rather than someone who hasnt ben there, they just cant have that, although many ive meet think they do......

Now that's exactly what I was getting at!

ageing_biker

have you all gone the pub