A career in drug and alcohol counselling
According to the Australian Alcohol and Drug Foundation, 85.5% of Australians drink alcohol regularly, and 15.6% of the population use illicit drugs. People use alcohol and drugs for a variety of reasons, the main one being that it makes them feel good. And while most will be fine to use alcohol and sometimes drugs in moderation for fun times, it becomes a problem when they are using substances to relieve stress or cope with problems.
The misuse of alcohol and other drugs can have a damaging impact on individuals, families, and communities, and unfortunately, drug and alcohol abuse is an epidemic across the world.
How to deal with the issue of drug and alcohol addiction?
For many people struggling with addiction, the toughest step toward recovery is recognising that they have a problem and deciding to make a change. When they are ready to change their lives, the next steps include:
- Detoxification to rid their body of drugs and alcohol, and manage withdrawal symptoms.
- Counselling to identify the reasons for their drug and alcohol use, repair relationships, and learn healthier coping skills.
- Medication (if required) to manage withdrawal symptoms, prevent relapse or treat any co-occurring mental health condition such as depression or anxiety.
- Long-term follow-up can help to prevent relapse and maintain sobriety.
The importance of drug and alcohol counselling
Drug and alcohol counsellors are trained professionals who work with their clients to help them better understand and overcome their addictions. It is the job of the drug and alcohol counsellor to provide the assistance these people need to overcome their destructive behaviour.
Drug and alcohol counsellors will work with their clients to:
- Offer support, rehabilitation, and guidance.
- Use a variety of techniques to help their client find the root cause of their problem.
- Confirm, conduct, and monitor intervention strategies.
- develop treatment plans to help them better cope with their addictive personalities.
The drug and alcohol counsellor is the one responsible for leading an addict along the road to recovery.
Becoming a drug and alcohol counsellor
Drug and alcohol counsellors have distinct personalities. To succeed in this area, they need to be kind, generous, cooperative, patient, caring, helpful, empathetic, tactful, and friendly. Drug and alcohol counsellors need extreme sensitivity and are often creative, intuitive, articulate, and expressive.
Does this sound like you? If you’d like a rewarding career that changes people’s lives by helping them overcome addiction, consider training to become a drug and alcohol counsellor.
TrainSmart offers a Diploma of Alcohol and other Drugs, which is a 12-month course that will equip you with a range of knowledge and skills to intervene in people’s lives, help them understand their addiction, and form achievable goals to manage and overcome their addiction.
Find out more at the TrainSmart Australia website.
