There are many addiction concepts and it’s important for professionals to be fully competent if they are working directly with clients.

An Addiction Professional must be Knowledgeable

There are very basic concepts of addiction that professionals need to know.  The elemental recognition of how drug use is affected by cultures, economics, politics, and sociology is crucial.  History plays a significant role in how each of these concepts have evolved to where they are today and both legal and illegal substances are to be identified. It’s imperative that addiction professionals know how to identify the risk and resiliency for using alcohol or other substances.

Addiction Professionals must have Strong Attitudes

Attitude is everything and oftentimes addiction professionals go off of their own past experiences, whether personal or professional, to treat their current clients. While past experiences can certainly benefit their present practice, it’s critical that they recognize the importance of these contextual variables as well as the differences that all cultures present and being appreciative of their uniquenesses.

[clickToTweet tweet=”If you are thinking about becoming an addiction professional you must have an open mind. #AddictionRecovery ” quote=”If you are thinking about becoming an addiction professional, you must have an open mind,”] have the ability to think critically, and if needed, forget about everything you once thought about addiction.  Research and science is constantly presenting new insights and it’s our responsibility to be open to all possibilities.