Discipling Clients addicted to Heroin

[Jim B.]

Hi all!

I work in addiction and recovery at a rehab/detox (inpatient). And while I work at a secular facility, I often have small sidebar conversations with my clients about spirituality. Most of my clients have very serious addictions, often using an I.V. to shoot up fentanyl and/or heroin.

And so my question is about patience and tolerance. One thing that many of my clients have in common is that they get overexcited about little things. It pains me to say this but sometimes this is as simple as jealousy over a food product. For example, "Joe got a chocolate chip muffin and I only got a corn muffin." While I have read a fair amount of addiction and recovery literature, I have yet to really see someone come out and say that heavy drug use brings you to a childhood state. However, I see it everyday.

So I have noticed in the past six months that I do not treat clients with the same level of respect and kindness that I used to. I have grown frustrated with their accusations toward me about petty things. I have grown weary with their lack of consideration and picking up after them. (They even do things like my daughter and put a half cup of coffee on the floor and what happens next? It gets kicked over.)

Notice I didn't say that I don't have tolerance for them because they are addicted to heroin or because they stole from their grandmother to feed their craving. No. For whatever reason, I am tolerant about that part. It is spending lots of time with them in the inpatient unit that drives me berzerk!

Please give me some advice on how to show love and kindness toward them. I fear that the situation will get so bad that I will have to quit. And yet, I am in such a good place to share the gospel of Christ with a very desperate population.

 

[mourningdove~]

What came to mind when I read your post was the 'resentment prayer' from the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Big Book.

Do you have that book, or is there one at your facility?
'Resentment prayer' info can be found on page 552 of the Big Book ...
or just by querying it, on the internet.

Here is one such internet link:

Friends of Bill W. - Twelve Step Prayersfromthe Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

(If you will scroll down that page, you will see Big Book page 552 discussed under '4th Step Resentment Prayer'.)

If may not be that you are feeling resentment towards the clients ...
just frustration, at this point ...
but perhaps something in that reading will be helpful to you.

To so many of life's challenges, I find that prayer is often what is most helpful.

God bless.

 

[Jim B.]

Yes. That prayer helps. Thank you for telling me about it.

What came to mind when I read your post was the 'resentment prayer' from the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Big Book.

Do you have that book, or is there one at your facility?
'Resentment prayer' info can be found on page 552 of the Big Book ...
or just by querying it, on the internet.

Here is one such internet link:

Friends of Bill W. - Twelve Step Prayersfromthe Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

(If you will scroll down that page, you will see Big Book page 552 discussed under '4th Step Resentment Prayer'.)

If may not be that you are feeling resentment towards the clients ...
just frustration, at this point ...
but perhaps something in that reading will be helpful to you.

To so many of life's challenges, I find that prayer is often what is most helpful.

God bless.