Guest guest Posted June 18, 1998 Report Share Posted June 18, 1998 Since I made the decision to leave 12-step programs ( I had been withdrawing slowly for about 5yrs) I have told know one except my husband, who still goes to AA. He accepts my decision, however I do not for one second believe many of my aquaintances in AA/NA would. Too much fear. " oh no your gonna drink and use if you leave us " . I have always believed it was a decision to go out and use, and if I needed an excuse, well I use any number of them. Anyway, it was great when I found the ar12 ng, cuz I needed to know I was not crazy. I have been enrolled in college (returning after 20 yr). Human Services is my major. I am currently working toward Alcohol/Drug Certificate, I have so far been fortunate in having a couple of instructors who do not by into the disease concept, and also disagrees with the diseasing of all the other human behavioral traits. However, one class " Codependency " out text books Melody Beattie's Codependent No More, yikes, so self serving and assuming I just about puked everytime I had to read that book. Another text had a test you could take to see if your codependent, and the instrutor pointed out that there was no way anyone could pass it, hence we are all codependent and we better get to a 12 step meeting. I do not think I will work in the Drug/Alcohol field, however I will remain working in the field of Human Services, and I am glad to know of the alternatives to the 12 steps, and will most likely hestitate before suggesting AA/NA. I am currently working in a group home for teenage girls, and there is one 17yr old in the program. It saddens me that she has been labeled as having a life long disease, and will have to attend meetings for the rest of her life, and if she does drink or use she will feel so much guilt and remorse, which might end up worse than if she was just allowed to be the normal teenager that she is. I do not condone drinking and using, however I do believe as Stanton Peele, that most teens grow out of it. I see that even with my old high school friends. Anyway, what I am trying to say is the ng has been a big help to me, and I hope we don't allow a few jerks to spoil it. Sincerely Judie ---- Read this list on the Web at http://www.FindMail.com/list/12-step-free/ To unsubscribe, email to 12-step-free-unsubscribe@... To subscribe, email to 12-step-free-subscribe@... -- Start a FREE E-Mail List at http://makelist.com ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 18, 1998 Report Share Posted June 18, 1998 Hazeltine itself issues a white paper to it's clinitians to stop using the term " codependent " as it had no clinical foundation and was pop-psych and too much treatment speak for even Hazeltine, who had made millions off of their publishing arm. There is very, very little Graduate level substance abuse education in the US (because there are no research schools in substance abuse) and virtually no undergad- " counselor certificate " level education. Mostly it's Community College stuff) University of Toronto's Addiction Research Studies Program is one of the best (Graduate School) and I guess Rutgers is the best US school. My advice is to continue through Graduate school and into a Doctoral program in one of the above. I have been on the Credentialing Board (for substance abuse counseling) in a large state in the US and I saw some pretty sorry types that were " counselors " . Not ONE of them even comprehended alternatives to 12-step groups. Very, very few knew even basic theraputic interactive concepts. It was a very sorry state of affairs. If I can help you please mail me directly. I received my doctorate in the U.S. and know a few people, places, things, etc :-) Best of luck to you----study, study, study! Big help >Since I made the decision to leave 12-step programs ( I had been withdrawing >slowly for about 5yrs) I have told know one except my husband, who still goes >to AA. He accepts my decision, however I do not for one second believe many of >my aquaintances in AA/NA would. Too much fear. " oh no your gonna drink and use >if you leave us " . I have always believed it was a decision to go out and use, >and if I needed an excuse, well I use any number of them. Anyway, it was great >when I found the ar12 ng, cuz I needed to know I was not crazy. > >I have been enrolled in college (returning after 20 yr). Human Services is my >major. >I am currently working toward Alcohol/Drug Certificate, I have so far been >fortunate in having a couple of instructors who do not by into the disease >concept, and also disagrees with the diseasing of all the other human >behavioral traits. However, one class " Codependency " out text books Melody >Beattie's Codependent No More, yikes, so self serving and assuming I just >about puked everytime I had to read that book. Another text had a test you >could take to see if your codependent, and the instrutor pointed out that >there was no way anyone could pass it, hence we are all codependent and we >better get to a 12 step meeting. > >I do not think I will work in the Drug/Alcohol field, however I will remain >working in the field of Human Services, and I am glad to know of the >alternatives to the 12 steps, and will most likely hestitate before suggesting >AA/NA. > >I am currently working in a group home for teenage girls, and there is one >17yr old in the program. It saddens me that she has been labeled as having a >life long disease, and will have to attend meetings for the rest of her life, >and if she does drink or use she will feel so much guilt and remorse, which >might end up worse than if she was just allowed to be the normal teenager that >she is. I do not condone drinking and using, however I do believe as Stanton >Peele, that most teens grow out of it. I see that even with my old high school >friends. > >Anyway, what I am trying to say is the ng has been a big help to me, and I >hope we don't allow a few jerks to spoil it. > >Sincerely >Judie > > >---- >Read this list on the Web at http://www.FindMail.com/list/12-step-free/ >To unsubscribe, email to 12-step-free-unsubscribe@... >To subscribe, email to 12-step-free-subscribe@... >-- >Start a FREE E-Mail List at http://makelist.com ! > ---- Read this list on the Web at http://www.FindMail.com/list/12-step-free/ To unsubscribe, email to 12-step-free-unsubscribe@... To subscribe, email to 12-step-free-subscribe@... -- Start a FREE E-Mail List at http://makelist.com ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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