What does a Drug and Alcohol Counselor do? The 4 Domains of drug counseling. The 12 core functions of a drug counselor. Getting the client into treatment, Screening, Engagement, Orientation, Assessment.
How to Find Success & Avoid Failure.
By David Joel Miller, MS, Licensed Therapist & Licensed Counselor.
Success or failure?
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com
You will reach a destination faster and more surely if you have a map. Far too many people head off looking for success with no idea where they are going or how they will get there. They are surprised when after years of traveling life’s roads they still have not found the success they were looking for.
If you want a life that fails, you can avoid doing most anything, but to have real success will require some planning. Be careful about following other people s directions, they may not be headed where you are going.
If you want to be successful in life invest some time in creating a road map to success that is specific to your life journey.
To reach success you need a clear vision of what it will look like when you get there.
Not paying attention to this one has disastrous results. Lots of people go along following other people’s rules; doing what they are supposed to do, only to find when they reach the destination they are not where they wanted to be.
Did you say you wanted to make a lot of money? Are you willing to do anything to get it? Spend some time at the begging of your success journey thinking about what is most important to you. What are your values and goals? Will it be success, if you earn the money you want by doing things that you consider morally wrong?
How much more will you need to get paid to compensate for a life of doing work you hate?
We find in career counseling that people, who are doing work they like, and that they have the abilities for, are more likely to be successful.
Get to know yourself well. You should be your own best friend. The more self-knowledge you have the more likely you are to set course for yourself that will be enjoyable and successful.
Lots of money won’t mean much if you are miserable and need to spend it all on therapy to solve your misery.
Be sure you have a clear, accurate understanding of what it will be like to reach this goal.
Say you decide, that for you, success is living at the beach- one time I was driving along and saw a sign that said something about an ancient beach. I took the turnoff and drove for hours. Eventually, I discovered I had ended up in the middle of the desert. There was a beach there all right. An ancient beach complete with fossils. But there had not been any water near there for a gazillion years.
So often clients tell me they perused a dream, an idea of success only to find out that the reality of the destination was very different from what they expected. Make sure you know, if you become a novelist – just how much money does the average one make? Do you know how many hours per week the top business managers work?
Would it really be worth it to you to go to college for 8 years to become a professor and then maybe work for what that school you are interested in pays? Today student debt is at an all-time high. People are finding that they can’t make enough in their chosen career field to pay back that college loan.
People can pursue career goals, go to school for a new occupation only to find out that they will need to move cross country to be where the jobs are. Is success for you getting your dream job and moving to a new city to start a new life or is it getting the best job possible while living your life in your home town?
Before you take a training class on becoming a jet aircraft mechanic, find out if there are any airports in your area that have jets. And when was the last time, they hired a mechanic at that airport?
There are plenty of posts in the blog-o-sphere about the importance of enjoying the journey. I tend to agree with that. The destination will be a lot less enjoyable if you do not enjoy the journey.
But life is not all about the journey. Failing to plan and going with the flow may mean you end up somewhere you never wanted to go.
Lots of people struggle to reach a goal thinking that will mean they are successful only to discover the goal does not meet the need they have. In some disciplines, half of the people completing a college degree never work in the field. Either there are no jobs, none in the town they live in, or they decide they really do not want to do that kind of work.
Thousands of kids tell me they want to play professional sports. One look at many of them tells me they are not likely to make it.
If you hate math and science should you really pursue an engineering career?
I am not telling you that you should chuck your dream. Some skinny kids do become Olympic weightlifters. But it is a long road. Do you enjoy doing the things you need to do to get there, and when you reach the goal will it really have been worth it?
There are two approaches to getting from where you are now to where you want to be. Find the things you are strong at and build on those skills or find the things you are weak in and develop new skills.
What does not work is build a definition of success that requires you to become good at things for which you have no skills, and which requires doing things you do not like to do.
If you can see the path from where you are to where you want to go clearly and that is a path you chose to travel, then go for it. But a little planning, in the beginning, can help you avoid a ton of failure.
Does the job require education? Do you like going to school? If the job you want requires meeting the public and promoting the company, are you a social person and will you enjoy making public appearances?
Lots of small business owners get into a bind when they create a business that involves them doing a lot of things they like to do and then as the business grows, they find they are having to do everything and that there is very little they can turn over to others.
If you are a creative artist do you want to do your art, or do you want to create an advertising company and spend time selling to clients, while having to turn the creative work over to others?
Failure to consider the roads you will need to travel results in lots of people being unhappy along the way as they find themselves having to do things, they never wanted to do to reach a success goal that is no longer appealing when they get there.
Starting today, begin developing a plan that will take you to the place you call success.
If you enjoyed this post or think others might enjoy it please click on one or more of the “Like” or “Share” buttons on this page.
Other posts on this topic are in the category success.
Staying connected with David Joel Miller
Seven David Joel Miller Books are available now!
My newest book is now available. It was my opportunity to try on a new genre. I’ve been working on this book for several years, but now seem like the right time to publish it.
Story Bureau is a thrilling Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic adventure in the Surviving the Apocalypse series.
Baldwin struggles to survive life in a post-apocalyptic world where the government controls everything.
As society collapses and his family gets plunged into poverty, Baldwin takes a job in the capital city, working for a government agency called the Story Bureau. He discovers the Story Bureau is not a benign news outlet but a sinister government plot to manipulate society.
Bumps on the Road of Life. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, low motivation, or addiction, you can recover. Bumps on the Road of Life is the story of how people get off track and how to get your life out of the ditch.
Dark Family Secrets: Doris wants to get her life back, but small-town prejudice could shatter her dreams.
Casino Robbery Arthur Mitchell escapes the trauma of watching his girlfriend die. But the killers know he’s a witness and want him dead.
Planned Accidents The second Arthur Mitchell and Plutus mystery.
Letters from the Dead: The third in the Arthur Mitchell mystery series.
What would you do if you found a letter to a detective describing a crime and you knew the writer and detective were dead, and you could be next?
Sasquatch. Three things about us, you should know. One, we have seen the past. Two, we’re trapped there. Three, I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to our own time.
For these and my upcoming books; please visit my Author Page – David Joel Miller
Want the latest blog posts as they publish? Subscribe to this blog.
For videos, see: Counselorssoapbox YouTube Video Channel
Friendly.
Sunday Inspiration. Post by David Joel Miller.
Friendly
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com
“A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.”
― Elbert Hubbard
“It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emerson in His Journals
“What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.”
― Aristotle
Wanted to share some inspirational quotes with you. Today seemed like a good time to do this. There are an estimated 100,000 words in the English language that are feelings related. Some emotions are pleasant, and some are unpleasant, but all feelings can prove useful information. If any of these quotes strike a chord with you, please share them.
Look at these related posts for more on this topic and other feelings.
Alcohol #20 Individualized Counseling.
The necessary skills for drug and alcohol counselors, individual counseling, and group counseling. The importance of the therapeutic relationship. Missteps, evidence-based practices types of groups and the necessary skills. Some of the therapies and other treatment approaches used in substance use disorder counselor.
How is treatment delivered to the individual with a substance use disorder? This video includes an overview of assessment of substance use disorders, developing a substance use history, modalities and some of the issues that come up in treatment.
By David Joel Miller, MS, Licensed Therapist & Licensed Counselor.
Stress.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that your life is out of your control. Suffering excess stress without taking action may result in both physical and mental illnesses. Modern life has come with a lot of physical advantages, but it also comes with potentially debilitating levels of stress. Here are some ways to reduce the impact of stress on your life.
Frequent or excessive headaches can be one sign of stress. Excess stress may interfere with sleep. Lying in bed, unable to fall asleep because you are thinking about all the problems in your life, should tell you your stress is out of control. Changes in appetite, unexpected weight loss, or excessive cravings for carbohydrates and sugar can also be the result of stress.
Using alcohol or drugs to cope with daily life may not only tell you that you’re under excess stress, but that your coping mechanism may be about to turn into a worse problem called addiction.
Stress can also manifest as emotional issues. If you’re becoming irritable, easily angered, or chronically depressed and anxious, your stress may be taking you down the road to mental illness. Lacking energy even after a night’s sleep may be the result of stress. If your day off doesn’t result in the return of energy, it may be because stress is wearing you out both physically and emotionally.
When we say stress, we often think of emotional or mental stress, but stress can also be physical. Good physical health practices can buffer you from the effects of normal stress. Skimping on sleep will not make you more productive. Not enough sleep will impair your decision-making ability, reduce your ability to handle stress, and can eventually lead to burnout.
Even a small amount of exercise can help reduce the impact of stress. Exercise doesn’t have to mean a strenuous workout in the gym. Getting up and moving around can help reduce the impact of stress. Walking each day for as little as 20 to 30 minutes has been shown to reduce the effects of stress and to improve the mood of people with depression.
Don’t confuse relaxation with switching to another type of stress. Passively consuming electronic media may sound like relaxation, but every time you see an exciting scene, your brain may release more adrenaline.
Consider taking up mindfulness or meditation practices. Do things like reading, which stimulate your imagination.
Having too many things on your to-do list doesn’t make you more productive; it will make you more scattered and stressed out. Having too many priorities results in you feeling bad about yourself for not getting everything accomplished. Make self-care the top priority so that you will be around to work on the other to-do items. Learn to say no to things you can’t do or don’t want to do, both in your personal and your professional life.
Don’t try to do everything yourself. Learn to accept help. Make time for positive people in your life. Humans are inherently social animals, and we need connections with others. Becoming lonely will drain you of resources you have to cope with stress. If you don’t have friends in your life, make them. If the people in your life are adding to your stress, either get them out of your life or spend some time working on that relationship. Remember, you are not the Lone Ranger, and even he had a constant friend to help him.
If stress is overwhelming you, reach out for help. The Counselor, Therapist, or other helping person can be just the resource you need to help you cope with your stress. Asking for help from a professional does not mean you failed; it means you’re smart enough to know when to reach out for help.
Other counselorssoapbox posts on this topic are at Stress.
Recommended Mental Health Books
David Miller at counselorssoapbox.com is an Amazon Affiliate and may receive a small Commission if you purchase a book or product using the link on this page. Using the link will not increase the cost to you.
Staying connected with David Joel Miller
Seven David Joel Miller Books are available now!
My newest book is now available. It was my opportunity to try on a new genre. I’ve been working on this book for several years, but now seems like the right time to publish it.
Story Bureau is a thrilling Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic adventure in the Surviving the Apocalypse series.
Baldwin struggles to survive life in a post-apocalyptic world where the government controls everything.
As society collapses and his family gets plunged into poverty, Baldwin takes a job in the capital city, working for a government agency called the Story Bureau. He discovers the Story Bureau is not a benign news outlet but a sinister government plot to manipulate society.
Bumps on the Road of Life. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, low motivation, or addiction, you can recover. Bumps on the Road of Life is the story of how people get off track and how to get their lives out of the ditch.
Dark Family Secrets: Doris wants to get her life back, but small-town prejudice could shatter her dreams.
Casino Robbery Arthur Mitchell escapes the trauma of watching his girlfriend die. But the killers know he’s a witness and want him dead.
Planned Accidents The second Arthur Mitchell and Plutus mystery.
Letters from the Dead: The third in the Arthur Mitchell mystery series.
What would you do if you found a letter to a detective describing a crime, and you knew the writer and detective were dead, and you could be next?
Sasquatch. Three things about us, you should know. One, we have seen the past. Two, we’re trapped there. Three, I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to our own time.
For these and my upcoming books, please visit my Author Page – David Joel Miller
Want the latest blog posts as they publish? Subscribe to this blog.
For videos, see: Counselorssoapbox YouTube Video Channel
Focus.
Sunday Inspiration. Post by David Joel Miller.
Focus.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com
“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.”
― Zig Ziglar
“Focusing is about saying No.”
― Steve Jobs
“Always focus on the front windshield and not the review mirror.”
― Colin Powell
Wanted to share some inspirational quotes with you. Today seemed like a good time to do this. There are an estimated 100,000 words in the English language that are feelings related. Some emotions are pleasant, and some are unpleasant, but all feelings can prove useful information. If any of these quotes strike a chord with you, please share them.
Look at these related posts for more on this topic and other feelings.
Alcohol #18. Treating alcohol use disorders
This video describes briefly some of the considerations when the client enters a drug or alcohol treatment program. How do people recover from alcoholism? What are the stages of change? Alcoholism is a chronic disease. How to screen for alcohol use disorders. Brief alcoholism interventions and when someone needs medical attention before entering a treatment program.
Today September 11th – Dark Family secrets – Kindle edition will be free on Amazon.
What if your family secrets put you in danger?
Some family secrets can be deadly.
Doris Jones formally Doris Barnes desperate for a job moves back to her father’s hometown to take a teaching job at the high school. Doris discovers her family has dark secrets. Some people hate her because of her family and others want to harm her.
Alcoholism and other dysfunction change the functioning of the family. Some families develop specific roles for family members. People who grow up in a dysfunctional family may develop specific characteristics and are sometimes called “adult children of alcoholics.” Increasing their resiliency is important for people who have grown up in a dysfunctional family.
counselorssoapbox 