[stopchewinggum]

I'm scheduled to give a talk to people in a 28 day dual diagnosis residential program for addictions, as someone who has recovered from addiction and deals with MI issues. As people with addictions, what are the types of topics/etc do people want to here the most about. I'll have about 90 minutes with these patients. I have time to prepare. I'm thinking of a general outline of brief history of my personal struggles, then tips and tricks. Then, I might switch gears to something uplifting. Then maybe see if anyone has question? What do you guys think, and what would be important for you to know hear?

[Bill3]

I would be interested in hearing how you have dealt with relapses (if you have had them).

[kecanoe]

I think your plan is a good one. For me, early in sobriety, I just wanted to know that people could understand where I had been and that there was hope.

And maybe how your MI has played a role in your addiction and how your recovery from both has intertwined. Which came first? Was it a joint thing or one at a time? How did you choose what to focus on?

[sans]

I love guest speakers that really speak from the heart. Something that is relatable and gritty. It gives me hope when I feel like I’m not a loser, misfit, or mistake in this world. When I used to hear speakers who really came up from the darkness, I feel inspired too!
Best wishes
Sans

[splitimage]

I'm with sans. I love it when I can hear a speaker and say well if they made it, I can make it too.

Definitely keep the focus on hope, that it's hard work, but recovery is possible. I'd like to hear how giving up substances affected your mental illness subsequent to getting clean, and how dips in you MI affect cravings, if they do, and how you cope with that.

You might want to mention that while rarer than AA there are meetings for people with concurrent disorders, like Double Recovery, and Dual Diagnosis Annonymous.

Don't know if the rehab you're speaking in is 12 step or not, but you might want to mention the benefit of having an IRL support group after treatment and that there are alternatives to AA. SMART recovery, Secular Organization for Sobriety, and Women for Sobriety are all good programs, that are sometimes more accepting of people with MI and the needs for meds.

Good luck with it.

splitimage