Essay on Readiness for Internship in the Chemical Dependency Field

Introduction

It goes without saying that educational qualifications are important to any professional work. However, education and experience bring a lot more together, and that is what I'm offering. My wish to work with chemical dependents stems from a desire to see these clients overcome substance abuse, believe that it can be done and grow from it. More importantly, however, it comes from my own personal experience. I live with two traumatic realities; the death of my sister and my own rape. I should disclose that sharing this is difficult for me. Losing my sister was difficult for me and I drunk a lot as a coping mechanism. I finally got arrested in 2009 and got a DUI charge. When I was raped, the trauma became too much for me and I took prescription pills to deal with the pain. I got addicted and was finally arrested and charged with petit larceny in 2010 after stealing money from my mother-in-law to get prescription pills even though I was not sick. I was charged at Rensselaer City Court and sentenced to three years of probation with a restitution of $174.24 and an order of protection. I was also charged with disorderly conduct. A lot of factors led to a deep depression towards the end of my probation, including my own trauma and the fact that I had lost a dear friend to addiction. I found out that a man very close to me had died of an overdose. This made my depression worse and I ended up admitting myself to Four Winds for suicidal ideation.

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The outpatient's method for dealing with the trauma of my rape, which was essentially forcing me to disclose my experience, became unbearable for me and I ran. Authorities declared my actions a violation of probation, which I do not understand because I admitted myself at Four Winds. I was also charged with a misdemeanor in 2014 and ordered to pay a fine after I was pulled over and searched. I had taken what I thought to be my friend's steroid pills, which turned out to be Prozac. I was charged with possession and it took over one year to see my public defender. The culmination of my experiences is that I have come out stronger and with a determination to help people like me get through their own ordeals. I have been sober for seven years and I'm seeing a therapist, which I am very proud of. Dr. Morris, my therapist, is treating me for ADD, PTSD, Severe Anxiety and depression. I am also on the suboxone program and have prescriptions for Xanax and Adderall.

Aside from my experiences, another driving motivation for me is eradicating the endless suffering and stigma that comes with addiction. Over 22 million Americans suffer from chemical dependency, and yet only 10% of these get the treatment they need. This treatment gap is fuelled by self-denial among dependents and stigma surrounding substance abuse. I want to make an active contribution in helping others achieve recovery. Helping others, watching them grow through recovery and seeing them come out the other side healthier, stronger and well recovered will be an immense reward and source of joy for me. I have the emotional stability and interpersonal skills to work closely with communities at a personal level. Having worked on myself with other professionals and gained a lot of growth also puts me in a unique position to not only understand the needs and difficulties chemical dependents experience but also come up with collaborative solutions that work.

Conclusion

I would like to be placed either at the Hope House Women and Children's Residential Program, The next Step Female Residential Facility, Hope House Outpatient (all in Albany) or the SPARC inpatient rehab in Guilderland. I have the time and ability to meet the requirements for placement and I am very much interested in fighting this epidemic facing us as a nation.