I’ve been working in the recovery field for several years now and I must say that it has been an incredibly rewarding experience. There is nothing like the feeling of observing an addict work their way out of abject addiction and into recovery. The experience of leading an intervention into treatment is priceless. Seeing the elation of a person receiving their 30, 60 or 90 day chip at AA meetings never gets old for me. In fact, it gives me renewed energy and hope.

But not every experience in recovery work is tantamount to butterflies and roses. There’s the chronic relapser. Or, the intervention from hell where the addict refuses to even sit and listen to the love, support and treatment that is being offered. Lastly, there are the stories of addiction that leads to death. Sadly, there are far too many of these stories.

The teeter-tottering of emotions can weigh heavy in the heart of not only professionals working in recovery, but also the families and friends of those suffering from the disease of addiction. I remember when I was taking classes at UCLA working on my Drug and Alcohol Counseling Certificate. Many hours were spent in class discussing the need for self help while working in the recovery field. The failure to do so, we were warned, could easily result in periods of depression, anxiety, possible relapse for those in recovery themselves, as well as job burnout.

So what are some examples of self help that can be used during the “down times”? The short answer is that the list could be endless ranging from therapy to cooking, and depends upon the individual.

For me, exercising my mind, body, and spirit works best. My “go to” strategy includes running, playing guitar, writing, calling fellow colleagues, and going to AA meetings. I don’t mean to suggest that my personal methods should be construed as your own solution. It’s just a partial list of options that work for me.

The point is that it is important to do something. The intensity of working in the addiction field or living with someone actively in addiction exists. Protect yourself. Help yourself.