Anyone struggle with authority in treatment?

Looking for advice on how to bite my tongue. In treatment and I’m doing it. I’m more motivated than ever. Here the counselors are slacking on my goal plan, unorganized and don’t take accountability for their actions… I can go on. But any advice on how to keep my head down, while learning and taking anything I can use back in the world to be sober and Dad…

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I have never been at inpatient treatment myself, but I have had plenty of times I have snapped (either directly or passive-aggressively) at others, and I can say that for me, it never works out well.

We’re all humans on this earth together, and as the old story goes, it doesn’t make sense to dwell on the speck in another person’s eye when there’s a giant log in yours.

I’ve gotten good at apologizing. I figure I can work on restraining my snappy mouth, but if it does come out, the least I can do is apologize to the person. And it’s a learning experience for me: it helps me refine my communication and learn better restraint for the future.

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I had a bit of that early on during my 3 month rehab stint. It’s actually the perfect opportunity to practice restraint and composure. Something I lacked as an addict was obviously self control which was with everything, I assumed I was always talked down to, no one listened and no one seen things my way. Obviously people can be genuinely mean or just oblivious to others feelings but most times I found I could meet people half way or just started to actually not care if someone was annoying me, if I was not doing anything to cause their attitude problem I found them a source of humour and thank myself that I’m not that hung up. Its tough in treatment because you are already feeling crap but use it all as another form of therapy, people watching and learning by observation

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I took it upon myself to do the things that were within my capabilities when I was in treatment and I learned more from the other patients who were there than from the staff that was working there.
I’ve applied this little philosophy when I rejoined the National Guard. If I’m told to do something that requires me to work with an idiot, I ask said idiot to help me out. If said idiot is being lazy, I completely bypass him or her and just either;
A.) Do it myself
B.) Get a friend to give me a hand if it really is a 2 person job.
Since I’ve been on this deployment, I’ve been awarded officially, 5 times. All because I’m being myself and absolutely no one questions my work ethic.

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Thank you guys. All of you hit it in some way. It’s just scary that some of these people are actually in control of people’s future. To an extent anyway. But appreciate the advice, thanks again. This app is awesome!

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I have never been to rehab, but I deal with a lot of difficult people This advice is on point:

“Thank you for pointing that out. I will take that under advisement.”
Or,

“Fascinating! I hadn’t thought of it that way. Let me process that.”

I use this with difficult customers, vendors, even my own children. :slight_smile:

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Try the serenity prayer. Addicts and alcoholics despise authority and being told what to do. Giving up control is a must for us but it can be very difficult. The big book talks about alcoholics being like a director of a show. We are always trying to get everyone to do what we want. Rarely does it work. Let go of trying to control it and just go with it. Your stress levels will disappear if you can truly do it.

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Thank you all. Every time I login, I get something from someone. Now I have to put this stuff to use. Then Dad will be home sober, soon…

Offer advice if permitted. But try to let them help you. It’s very easy to rob others of joy by not allowing them to succeed. My wife does things in a manner in which I don’t find efficient but if I do it for her she never gets to help me and display that type of love towards me. Just food for thought.

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