Education to sustain and improve a life in recovery

My story is my own, and, my personal mantra is this....There is no one way to get to, and, stay in recovery.    What I am going to share about education as a tool to sustain and improve life as a person in recovery is just one way.  It's not the only way, and, in my view, shouldn't be the only tool in your recovery tool box.    With that said, let's get into it.

This morning I received word that my proposal for my doctoral work has officially been submitted for review/approval.  Yes, you heard that right.  I am on the tail end of a doctoral degree.    Me, a kid from the streets of Tacoma in my late 20's is going to be Dr. David Douglas within a year.     Me, who in 2005, with over ten years of recovery, picked up a drink and then drugs, is going to have a doctoral degree.  This will set me up to go down roads and enhance my opportunities in ways I could have never imagined nearly 12 yrs ago, on March 25th, 2007, when I said I wanted to get back on the road of recovery that I knew would be better than the road I was heading down.

My educational journey as a person in recovery started in 1996.   I was enrolled in a program for people fresh out of treatment that was set on the Pierce College campus.    In this program we were given tools to get us on a strong footing for a career of our choosing. There were only two requirements for graduating from the seven week state funded program; either be employed full time, or be enrolled in college full time.     I can tell you, that either of those requirements, at the time, seemed impossible.   But, after just a few short weeks in this amazing program, I started to believe it.  In fact, I was employed pretty quickly, and, I found myself enrolled at Pierce College as a real life college student for the first time in my life.

To this very day, I credit that program, called The Vocational Opportunity & Training Education (VOTE) program, for steering me right to where I am today in many ways.   It taught me how to feel good about myself again.   The instructors in that program taught me to have confidence in myself.  Just the location, on a college campus, was a massive confidence booster.  I felt a part of something positive.   Being with my peers, who many had very similar pasts, was helpful in many ways. 

The education piece, that was huge.  After VOTE I enrolled at Pierce to gain education to be a chemical dependency professional.   I, for the first time since I dropped out of high school in the 10th grade gained knowledge in a wide range of areas.     I learned a lot about the many facets of a substance use disorder.   All of it was fascinating to me, and opened up my eyes in ways that simply couldn't have happened without going to school.     With the education I was now open to new career paths and income increases that I simply wasn't open to before.    I took a break from school for over ten years because that part time job I got turned into full time, and, I ended up in a nearly ten year career.   It was all good.

It wasn't until 2006, years after my time at Pierce College,  that I decided to use the education I had gained and became a counselor in the arena of substance use disorders.  It was also during this time that I decided to finish what I had started years prior.   I re-enrolled in college.    With mentoring I was encourage to not just get an associates, but, to get a bachelors degree.  In the field of addiction counseling just having an associates degree isn't enough anymore.  There is a strong need for counselors to have a bachelors.   Thus, I looked to CWU, which was right in my back yard.   Mind you, my only goal, was to get that piece of paper.......I was scared to death my first quarter on campus.   I was 40yrs old sitting in classrooms with kids half my age.  Yet, I thrived.   I loved learning.    I picked a major, family studies, that truly changed how I think about my own family and all others.    It was fascinating to really learn about family systems.  I was able to take this right into my work as a counselor.   It also helped me immensely as a person in recovery to learn about the "why" of many things that had happened in my own family.

Again, due to mentoring, I was encouraged to not just get a bachelors degree, but, to consider getting a Master's degree.    The opportunity to try my hand at teaching was presented to me at this same and I jumped at it.........well,  I wouldn't say jumped at it, maybe just a little leap.....it was a scary prospect.    During my process of earning a masters degree is when my life, as a person in recovery myself, and to this very day with the work I do to help others find a path to recovery, was changed forever.

It was while I was doing research I learned that there are multiple pathways to get to, and, to stay in recovery.    Prior to this, I only knew of one way, and, I thought that was it.    I was now faced with knowing this wasn't reality.     I shifted my own mindset personally, and I now like to help others to see that they CAN choose their own path to recovery.     It was also during my masters program that I started working in the community I live in to help make positive change in the are of substance use disorders.    To this day I serve on committees that work with multiple community stakeholders.  We work to find effective ways to help people find a pathway to get to, and, stay in recovery.

I want to close with this......gaining an education is NOT the cure all by any means.  But, I do believe that anyone in recovery needs to educate themselves in ways that will help them best.    I believe I need to gain knowledge in all areas of my life to ensure I am getting the best care for my whole life.    Whether it be my medical care, mental health care, or my nutritional care........I need to educate myself.   I spent many of my years relying on one or two pieces of information from one or two people.  Now, I read, I learn, and, I grow.   

Education, as a tool to enhance a life is recovery, is an amazing thing.

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