Clinicals in Rehab.

This week I got the opportunity to do a clinical at a rehab and detox center.  Woah, that was an incredible experience.  I saw things from the eyes of an addict and it was such an eye opening experience.  There were moments when I cried, moments when I laughed, moments when I was afraid, moments when I hopeful, moments when I felt discouraged, and lots and lots and lots of moments when I truly was touched emotionally.  

As a student nurse, I was able to sit in on their group therapy sessions and the things these patients were sharing was such an “aha” moment for me.   I’ve blogged before that my dad was an addict.  He was an addict for several years.  For my whole life I’ve heard stories about drugs and addiction from the sober eyes.  Stories of how drugs affected the life of my mom, my siblings, my grandparents etc.  Not once did I hear stories from my dad, the addict himself. 

So, when I was able to hear these stories at rehab it was such an incredible experience for me.  The reasoning for starting drugs,  the reasons for trying to detox, the effects of their family life, the way they got the drugs, the way they found a dealer, etc.  These people shared their most intimate details about their addiction with me.  It wasn’t only therapeutic for them, but so very therapeutic for me. 

Addiction is a scary thing for me.  I worry about my children being affected by addiction,  my husband, my siblings, my parents, and myself.  Anyone can be affected.  Everyone can be affected.  I saw patients of all ages, young, old, teenagers, mothers, fathers, rich, poor, successful, not successful. Anyone.  

It was such an experience.  Super emotional.  Super inspiring.  Super insightful.   And I still can’t stop thinking about it.  I pray the patients I met make it out of the rehab unit and I pray they never go back to their way of life.  But, that’s something they will have to continue to work at every single day.  Every day.  And I admire them so very much for just taking the first step, despite how absolutely difficult it must be.

Keep going.  Keep trying.  Don’t ever give up.
Beat it. Win it. 
Amen.