"You Work with Addicts?!"

Typically, when I tell someone about my internship at Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge and future as a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor, their response is some form of "Wow! That's wonderful! The world needs more of that, because it must be so hard to work with those people." 

Stop right there. That's the part where you're wrong. It is not hard to work with people who struggle with addiction, or "addicts" since we are so inclined to label people like we do objects. Hear me out when I say this, because there are pressing challenges, but everyone has issues in their lives. These individuals simply have different issues than you might. 

Why isn't it hard? Working with people that face addiction is not hard. What is challenging is helping them in their current situation, but working with them in general means simply this: Showing them love!!! Every area of work poses challenges and forces one to deal with people on some of their worst days. Addiction counseling is no different. The key is doing one's best to show compassion and love to others no matter the scenario, because after all, addiction is not the root issue here! 

Here is what I want to address: I have had many conversations with people in which I have shared what I am going into and where they have reacted as though I am dealing with some foreign, dangerous creatures that do not belong in society with the rest of us. The truth is that they are people, just like you and I. They have children and families, and they want to be loved. Who doesn't?! Many of those I have met with have never been loved properly, but that does not mean they don't belong or that they are lower than everyone else for having used drugs. At one time, it may have seemed as though drugs loved them when no one else did. These substances served as their heartache medication. These are people, discounted and downtrodden, often because we have chosen to look at them as outcasts. I mean, HELLO?!?! Who do you think Jesus spent most of His time with (Matthew 9:9-13, Luke 9:7)?!

Many people will likely never experience what I have in my mere 4 months as an intern, so I want whoever is reading this to pay attention. These people are living proof of what it looks like not to give up, despite having watched their lives crumble around them time and again, despite being told lies of how they are worthless, unlovable, and mistakes. They are fighters. They have shown me genuine love by taking time to ask how my day is, building me up when I lead them in group or lecture, telling me I ought to have my hair out of my face more, because I have such pretty features, and not being afraid to be vulnerable and raw around me. Honestly, I would often rather hang around the clients at MNTC than other people, because they tend not to wear masks all the time. They are broken, and they have allowed me to see and take part in that.

Believe it or not, in regards to faith, I would consider so many of the people at MNTC to be role models! I have learned more about what authentic faith looks like from these individuals than I probably have anywhere else. Some have lost everything and everyone they loved and have been treated in the most inhumane ways. Still, they trust that God loves them and will provide for them, creating new and beautiful lives according to His will. 

Working in the field of addictions is dizzying. There have been days I have had a constant smile on my face and days where I have wanted to rip my hair out. It is crazy and painful and beautiful and amazing all at once. However, working with "addicts" is not entirely different than working with clients in other professions. We are called to love (Matthew 19:19), and that's exactly what I'm trying to do. 

#Addiction #God #Love #Outcast #Faith #MNTC #Counseling