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To become a drug counselor, a bachelor’s or master’s degree is usually required, along with specific drug counseling courses. Board certification or other credentials may also be necessary. Understanding the effects of different drugs and relating drug theory to real people suffering from addiction is crucial. Good listening skills and a compassionate attitude are essential for this job. Shift work that includes nights at a substance abuse rehab treatment center may be required.
A drug counselor is an individual who provides assistance to people with substance abuse problems. If you want to become a drug counselor, you will likely need a bachelor’s or master’s degree, depending on your region or country. Typical areas of study include pharmacology and psychology, as well as specific drug counseling courses. In some locations, board certification or other credentials are required or preferred to become a drug counselor.
For example, in the United States, a CAP (Certified Addiction Professional) is approved as being able to treat addiction after completing training with a supervisor and passing an exam. A Licensed Addictions Counselor (ALC) has successfully completed at least one year of formal substance abuse counseling training to become a substance abuse counselor. Another option is to obtain the Certification for Alcohol and Drug Counselors (CADC) with a bachelor’s degree, a certain number of hours of supervised counseling work, and completion of specific training qualifications. Master of drug counseling programs include the Master of Addiction Counseling (MAC), which may require some graduate work. It’s best to ask for education and training recommendations from the drug treatment facility you want to work in, as qualifications vary locally and around the world.
While the ability to understand the effects of different drugs through the formal study of pharmacology is necessary, no matter where you study, if you want to become a drug counselor, you must relate drug theory to real people suffering from addiction. For example, it’s important to learn the withdrawal symptoms of different drugs, but also to understand how addicts are likely to feel as their body is weaned off a specific drug in a detox or detox program. Understanding the effects of detoxification, which is the first step in addiction treatment and means that the drug is not present in the addict’s body, can help substance abuse counselors better deal with the addict’s behavior.
For example, the physical effects of withdrawing from medications can be extremely painful; addicts may become irritable and verbally attack counselors. If you want to become a drug counselor, chances are you’ll have to work with addicts in detox who experience difficult withdrawal symptoms such as vomiting, seizures, tremors, body aches, increased heart rate, and anxiety. After the initial period of detox, addicts often suffer from psychological cravings for the drugs that counselors help them work through.
Shift work that includes nights at a substance abuse rehab (rehab) treatment center may be required if you become a drug counselor. Most rehab centers have shared rooms for addicts that they stay in for weeks or months while they learn to cope without drugs or alcohol. Once the physical detox is complete, much of the remaining work is individual and group work. During group rehabilitation therapy sessions, individuals are encouraged by counselors to participate in discussions about significant incidents in family contexts or other emotional trauma that contributed to the addict’s drug use. If you want to become a drug counselor, good listening skills and a compassionate attitude are essential.
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