Addiction Recovery: The Wounded Healer!

Many times when an addict or alcoholic has maintained significant time in recovery, they have strong desires to help others, particularly other alcoholics and addicts hurting. This is a very strong and often effective phenomenon that has touched the lives of many recovering addicts and alcoholics. In an executive drug treatment program or alcohol treatment program, you will find that many of the staff have been personally touched by addiction.

The wounded healer is someone who uses her or his painful life experiences as tools to assist people in need. Often the person in recovery can immediately relate to the suffering of another addict or alcoholic and provide strength and hope through their experiences. Most of the famous healers throughout history were men and women who suffered first, then transformed their suffering into strength to not only help themselves, but others as well.

The smart wounded healer knows when she or he needs to refer to a professional. We need to emphasize the "healing" that needs to take place. We cannot permit our woundedness to direct our actions, it is our experience of healing and strength that acts as support and guidance for the person in need.

Let us all work on our woundedness, so we can become better healers for those of us in need of help and recovery! Together we can make a better and healthier humanity!

Happy Easter from Paradise Recovery!

Recuperatio Primoris,
Dr. Bill Heran