Methadone: A Flicker Of Light In The Dark
Methadone: A Flicker Of Light In The Dark
Methadone: A Flicker Of Light In The Dark
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Methadone: A Flicker Of Light In The Dark

To provide a better understanding of the very important role methadone plays in the treatment of addiction.
 
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 UPDATE BUT TWO ISSUES INCREASE AT NEW CLINIC AND GRIEVANCE OLD CLINIC

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Finallyachance

Finallyachance


Female
Number of posts : 68
Location : Over the rainbow
Registration date : 2011-10-11

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PostSubject: UPDATE BUT TWO ISSUES INCREASE AT NEW CLINIC AND GRIEVANCE OLD CLINIC   UPDATE BUT TWO ISSUES INCREASE AT NEW CLINIC AND GRIEVANCE OLD CLINIC EmptyTue Oct 25, 2011 10:35 pm

PART ONE

The new doc increased me 5mg and said I could continue getting them every three days or so until I stabilize out, but I am unsure how that works as I get take homes for 6 days so I am sure they are not going to redo my labels and fix my bottles if I came in after 3 days and if I go once a week I am sure every other week I will have to wait for the counselor to get the doc to sign off on it etc... Any suggestions? If I do once a week I will get the increase tomorrow then next wednesday when I go in I ask for increase then wait another week to get it approved so I will only be increasing every two weeks 5 mg. I don't mind the once a week increase but the only way to do that would be ask for the next week increase the same day I get a increase and to me that would seem to them premature like I am not even trying to see if the 5 mg is working or not. It's confusing for me so I know I am confusing you all.

Oh and he told me to be prepared for bottle recalls as my dose is somewhat high as to make sure there is no diverting. I don't know maybe I am stuck up or think too much of myself but i find it rather rude that they say things like that ina insinuating manner. I did grow up with a silver spoon in my mouth but I got over that being a junky and all. Except now that I feel I am doing right I don't like being talked to like I am still a junkie etc...

BUT BACK TO THE INCREASE ISSUE OF HOW DO YOU INCREASE EVERY THREE DAYS IF YOU GET WEEKLY TAKEHOMES? Maybe I could call in the middle of the week and ask my counselor for her to put in for an increase and that way I could do 5mg a week. They tell you they will do somethin but they dont tell you how to best make it happen. I mean the doc saw my six bottles from old clinic etc...he saw my paperwork therefore knows I could not do much more than ask every week when I come in for increase therefore having to wait til next week for the paperwork to be done otherwise they would have to change my bottles or me come in twice a week on my own I will ask the nurse maybe tomorrow whats the best remedy.

Is there a chance 5mg will be all I would need? The "drug addict" in me says no, but the "had to learn the hard way" in me learned not to ask them to figure it out. If I do ask what they will say back is well why are u even worrying about how to make it happen until u see if u need another 5 mg. Methadone clinic is a school of hard knocks if I ever seen one. We are left to our own devices and punished if we do it wrong in their eyes and patronized when we ask for help figuring it all out.

It's a b---h( is that a bad word on a forum?) to be afraid of trying to figure out and learn what to say or do in regards to your health care.


PART TWO
I know I have been told on this forum and another one not to expect too much to be done regarding the grievance i filed, but I can not help but be amazed by the BLATANT DISREGARD. When those nurses were so rude and I told my counselor what happened my counselor seemed shocked. I do not believe she was faking it. She must have told the director herself as I get a call from her later that day giving me this speech about how the director told her that somethin indeed needed to be done, but his hands are tied if I choose not to file a grievance. To me that indicated that he was in agreement with my counselor that I need to file a grievance. My counselor tried to get me to file one that day, but I wanted to run it all by yall. So anyways I did file the grievance and within a hour of me filing said grievance the Director came into my counselors office where I was sitting as he had went to the lobby to find me and I was not there so he found me and thanked me for filing the grievance he said the same thing my counselor told me that a lot of clients complain but fail to file grivances etc...He can not do anything constructive without one.

He then made an appointment for me to see him regarding the grievance the next week at 7am same day. Well as I stated in an earlier post I showed up he didn't I waited for him he never showed. I called his voice mail and left a very nice message stating that I could not wait any longer that day but for him to call me that I could come in anyday it did not have to be a whole week later when I come in for my weekly takehomes that I would drive over at his convenience. Well when days went by and no response I committed to changing clinics and then I heard from him saying her forgot to write it down that day. I did not ask him why he took days to get back with me I let him reschedule it for tomorrow at 7am. And...I went ahead and followed thru today with the new clinic doctor appointment. Thank God. Saw the new doc, told him because he ask why I was changing clinics and I told him that I was scheduled to go to old clinic for an appt with the director regarding the grievance (which the new doc agreed I should have filed) This new doc tho told me he used to be the doc at that clinic and he worked with that director and for me not to be surprised if he fails to show up tomorrow. In fact....He told me to go if I felt like it but I was probably wasting my time.

No sooner did I get out of my meeting with the new doc I see I have a call from my counselor at old clinic. I was hesitant to answer because I thought she was calling me to talk to me about me changing clinics as yesterday somebody faxed I guess my records over for todays doc appt. I signed release yesterday and I would assume they would not take my word for my level or dose amount would they? But I went ahead and answered cause I knew I was going to have to see her tomorrow at the appt with the director and also why avoid the inevitable confrontation etc... Well she was calling to reschedule my appt with the director for DECEMBER 2nd. YES 5 OR SO WEEKS FROM NOW. Well I laughed and said wow thats quite a long time from now he must be patronizing me for changing clinics and she said what do you mean. I told her I had changed clinic and I had just gotten out of a meeting with the new doc. She looked in the computer to see who had sent my records to new clinic etc... and said there was nothing there showing that any records had been sent out etc...and she did not know I had transferred but she wished me luck and ask if I return the bottles as I had told her I would for me to step in her office and see her etc... She said she was sorry and that she had really enjoyed our conversations etc... I felt bad for a minute. Only a minute tho.

Anyways I guess this only validates to me more clearly that they do not give a s---. Is there not a policy they are suppose to follow regarding client grievances. With any of the accrediting???? Anything?????
Is there not a time limit and/or procedure to be followed regarding clients rights outside of the clinics policy???? I mean why 5 weeks is he going to Iraq or somewhere that he will be gone period for 5 weeks. I am amazed and find it a real slap in the face especially since he encouraged me to file. And....what if I had not changed clinics???? Are those nurses aware that I filed a grievance against them or are they notified after one meets with the director etc...????? Now I want to file a greivance on him. HELP
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D


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Number of posts : 484
Age : 65
Location : Vermont
Registration date : 2009-03-05

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PostSubject: Re: UPDATE BUT TWO ISSUES INCREASE AT NEW CLINIC AND GRIEVANCE OLD CLINIC   UPDATE BUT TWO ISSUES INCREASE AT NEW CLINIC AND GRIEVANCE OLD CLINIC EmptyWed Oct 26, 2011 7:37 pm

hey finallyachance,
Is b---h a bad word for a forum? Not at all. I would have probably added some characters in there somewhere. Depending on how frustrated I was at the time, we are only human.
I am sorry I wasn't here sooner. We had a death in the family last weekend and things have been a bit hectic going to the wake and funeral. It seems like I have missed much, especially when I checked my email. It looks like I haven't checked it in over a week.

I don't know how the new clinic would expect to do the 5mg increase every three days or so unless they are thinking of you like a new patient in the beginning of treatment where the dose is raised until the patients is at a level of comfort.
Maybe the doctor is thinking you will come in every three days until you level out. It makes sense what your saying about making up new labels and bottles. How far is the new clinic from where you are now?

Talk to the nurse and your new counselor to see how things are done at the new clinic and please get a copy of the rules and regulations for that clinic.
You asked about 5mg being enough of an increase, that's hard to guess especially since you appear to be a fast metabolize. In the beginning it may be enough but a week later you might find that you need more.

I would by all means follow through on the grievance though, there needs to be at least some kind of documentation of what went on, without your filing it would be like no one ever filed and nothing ever happened leaving the door open for others to get the same type of treatment.
Steps can't be taken unless there is some kind of record on file. The nurses may be aware that you did say something, word travels fast. No matter what policy says about confidentiality, word still gets out one way or another.
I would like to know though how they go about handling their grievances, who acts on them and where they go. Are they kept is some file somewhere or are they sent to a home office etc.
Keep in touch and take care

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Finallyachance

Finallyachance


Female
Number of posts : 68
Location : Over the rainbow
Registration date : 2011-10-11

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PostSubject: Re: UPDATE BUT TWO ISSUES INCREASE AT NEW CLINIC AND GRIEVANCE OLD CLINIC   UPDATE BUT TWO ISSUES INCREASE AT NEW CLINIC AND GRIEVANCE OLD CLINIC EmptyFri Oct 28, 2011 1:38 pm

NOW AN UPDATE ON THE NEW CLINIC

I went to the new clinic yesterday to get my first take homes and to discuss how to make the 5mg increase every three days work along with my takehome schedule and....this is the best we could come up with.
I was told It could take several weeks for me to get a counselor (apparently the counselor, not the nurses, are the one to put in for increases) with that being said I ask to speak to my intake counselor we will call him Joe. Even tho the intake process the other day took 4 and a half hours and all the new intakes were in and out of there in less than 2 hours, I really like this Man. (Although there is one issue and I will explain in a minute that I shared with him and he took off running with it so I need to re-visit this subject with him.) He came out to the lobby and took me back and I explained to him that I did not know how without a counselor and/or my takehome schedule I could effectuate the increases. I must admit it confused him for a moment, but he said well are you comfortable with me being your counselor? I said Yes and in all actuality sitting there in that lobby so many hours this week from what I could see of the interactions with client/counselor relations, I think Joe is a smart choice. Together he and I formulated a plan that I get my takehomes on Wednesdays and on Mondays I call before Noon and speak with him about any lagging symtoms and he puts in for an increase on Monday and he walks it to the doctor who is there on Tuesdays gets it signed off on and puts it in the computer so I can have the increases on Wednesdays for next week takehomes. So it will be 5mg a week rather than every 3 days, but I have been waiting for over a year for this to be a solution I can take this solution modified by the conflicting schedules.

Now back to the issue I shared with Joe that may bite me in the arse if I do not readdress it with him. Back in 96 I think it was I was staying sober in NA and was able to do so for about three years and then for the next two years I was able to pretend to be sober in this period of time I was an administrator of a drug treatment facility in Daytona. I have been in several treatment and detox facilities since then and to share this with staff and/or clients usually works against me. Upon me telling him this and I can not remember what brought it up I think relapses or my longest sobriety etc... brought it up but, I instantly saw him to start treating me with a little more relaxation, humor and engaging in almost staff to staff instead of staff to client demeanor. i.e. He would say well you already know that, or he said I dont need to waste our time talking about that, or he said You know what you need to do, throughout this 4 and a half hour assessment this happened countless times. In fact one might think if this be the case my assessment should have only taken a hour not 4 hours huh?

Well I know that would seem to look as if this would be a bonus but it never has been. It leaves room for more disappointment in any failures, misunderstandings and it gives me more room to muck up and get away with it point proven in working in it I was able to "use" the last two years of a 5 year employment as I was a hard worker with an unlimited capacity for learning my job and anyone around me jobs so I was multi-utilized by my boss and other staff. etc.... I can fly right under the radar as one counselor put it to me one time. DO YOU THINK I SHOULD RE-ADDRESS THIS OR AM I MAKING TOO MUCH OF IT AS THIS IS NOT QUITE LIKE TREATMENT (INPATIENT) WHERE I FOUND IT TO BE SUCH A DISADVANTAGE?

I HOPE I DO NOT BORE YOU GUYS WITH MY LONG STORIES AND OVERLY STATED QUESTIONS. I thoroughly enjoy the feedback I get and I do utilize it as you all have gotten me from a deperate feeling of paranoia and dispair to a new clinic with limited complications etc... Thank You all sooooo much. But dont stop now I will always Need Help and I will always give help if I can.

OLD CLINIC DEPARTURE

So immediatley after I dosed at the new clinic and realized my old clinic had failed to send some of the records we had ask for I went over to the old clinic (and plus I wanted to turn in my old bottles) My counselor said she hated to see me go but she understood. She corrected a misunderstanding that she had conveyed to me a rescheduled appt with the clinical director was not for December 2nd but indeed next wednesday November 2nd and he had agreed to see me earlier than that but I only come in once a week and neither one of them were aware that I had already changed clinics so they put me down for my next clinic takehomes.
I told her I had already made the plan to change clinics before the misunderstanding anyways. She encouraged me to still come to the meeting and follow thru with the grievance. I further told her that if there was not a resolution agreeable to the needs of the clients left behind, that indeed I would be re-routing all my paperwork and greivances to the home office/clinic, CARF and the State Treatment Authority. At the end of our meeting, I ask my counselor to enjoy with me my walk to the dosing window so as to hand in my bottles. I felt as if my counselor was not aware my transfer nor was the directorthat the burses had to be aware as someone sent my records over or THE NEW CLINIC HAD TOOK MY WORD ON EVERYTHING AND ADMITTED, DOSED ME AND GAVE ME TAKEHOMES ON MY WORD ALONE WHICH I CAN NOT BELIEVE but when we approached the window one of the rude nurses was there the other one was away from her station (the one who grabbed my bottles). Anyways the one standing there looked perplexed at why my counselor was approaching the window and she ask whats up to my counselor. I stepped up and said I am returning my bottles, she said well ok and? I said well I am no longer going to be coming to this clinic but I would like the records to show I returned my bottles, she looked in the computer and said and are you dosing today? I said no I have dosed already at my new clinic. So she shrugged her shoulders and said okay well I noted ypour bottles as returned I said Thank You and walked off. This was a liberating moment for me but also a bit scarey. Sometimes now I struggle with the fact that it might do me best just to go on with my new clinic and forget the old clinic therefore no meeting-no grievances etc... But I think about these two B---- nurses continuing their abuse on other clients and I feel somewhat obligated. I really ask for your feedback on this.
I by no means am minimizing their behaviors, but as a fellow MMT friend very graciousley pointed out I do have a bit of a tendency to react, over engaging myself in hysteria etc.... She put it much nicer than that but the truth is I do this when it comes to being or feeling threatened in my methadone care because it is the only time in my life (Despite a month or two here or a year or three there) I feel I gotta chance. I know what my reality is without the methadone. I don't even think of when or if I am going to get off methadone so when someone starts thinking it for me I freak. I HATE THIS ABOUT ME. It mimics an old drug behavior I had when I was unable to reach the dopeman.

_________________




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Number of posts : 484
Age : 65
Location : Vermont
Registration date : 2009-03-05

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PostSubject: Re: UPDATE BUT TWO ISSUES INCREASE AT NEW CLINIC AND GRIEVANCE OLD CLINIC   UPDATE BUT TWO ISSUES INCREASE AT NEW CLINIC AND GRIEVANCE OLD CLINIC EmptySat Oct 29, 2011 9:52 pm

I can assure you that you do not bore anyone, not at all. This forum is for discussing what is going on and getting some feedback along with support from the other members. If you don't post what is going on and talk about what is bothering you, that can't happen.

If it bothers you to have your new counselor "Joe" talk to you in such a familiar way and you feel that it is not professional behaviour between a counselor and patient, then I would suggest talking to him about it. It could be that he relaxed somewhat because he felt at ease when talking with you. I know the counselors in the mmt setting are overworked and time is short in regards to counseling/therapy but the goal of counseling is to work on the issues in our lives that need to be addressed and you need to feel comfortable in discussing these issues.


About the old clinic and the two nurses, it sucks that they can do what they do and usually get away with it. They do it because as one of them said "because I can" isn't that what she said when she took your bottles that day? I don't' think anyone has taken action before and so they keep repeating behaviour that is unacceptable. They treat people like they are beneath them when in reality, we all know they are no better than anyone else. They have the power or so they think they do. They think they are beyond reprimand.
You did nothing wrong. They did.
It may be that if you go ahead with the grievance nothing will happen or nothing will change but what it will do is put people on notice that not everyone can be intimidated.
In treating you with disrespect, they lost not only a good patient who was completely program compliant but could have caused someone to loose their stability within their recovery.
I feel like I am always saying the same thing but the truth is, it's always easier to give advice or set out examples of what someone should/could do. In the end though it is always up to you and how you feel.

You should be proud of yourself for standing up for what is right, and having the courage to change clinics. I know change doesn't come easy for a lot of people. But you did change and have not looked back with regret or what if's.
Take some time to do something nice for yourself. When was the last time you took time out to pamper yourself? I'm sure you could use some relaxation so go out and enjoy!
Have a great weekend



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oldbrowndog

oldbrowndog


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Number of posts : 17
Location : USA
Job/hobbies : I enjoy outdoor activities.
Registration date : 2011-10-30

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PostSubject: Re: UPDATE BUT TWO ISSUES INCREASE AT NEW CLINIC AND GRIEVANCE OLD CLINIC   UPDATE BUT TWO ISSUES INCREASE AT NEW CLINIC AND GRIEVANCE OLD CLINIC EmptySun Oct 30, 2011 2:17 pm

Hello FinallyaChance... I agree with Dee that you should be proud of yourself for standing up to those nurses, filing the grievance with your old clinic and moving on to a new clinic. Some people stay in bad clinics for years and live in fear. As for your new counselor "Joe" that is a long time.... over 4 hours for your appointment. I wonder why he had you in there talking for so long. Do you have any feeling that this man liked you a little too much or did you just get a feeling that he enjoyed talking?

I can share with you what happened to me in the past.... I have seen a parade of counselors in the past but at one point I had a male counselor that turned out to be a dog in disguise. LOL! Ever see one of those? He started off talking to me all the time when he would see me in the clinic, then he somehow got himself assigned to me as my counselor, then he would require me to come in all the time for "appts" which turned into 2 hour chat fests. Since I like people and I am usually the one helping them it turned out the same way in this situation with me being the counselor and listening to HIS problems for 2 hours....Haha! Can you picture this scene in your mind? Eventually it turned into him asking me out to "events" out in the world and when he got several "no I am way too busy that day" answers then he started to feel rejected and that is when the really mean stuff started. I felt like I was being punished for rejecting the advances of my counselor and if I did not comply I was facing loss of the medication I depended on every day. As you know we don't exactly have very many choices for treatment providers. The ONLY thing that saved my arse was this man getting a better job. If it was today with jobs being limited and people staying in positions I would have been up a river without a paddle.

Having told you this story I hope you will think about what "Joe's" true intentions are if you have a choice now. This situation could happen with anyone but if you feel that he likes you a little too much you might want to find a creative way to get a different counselor before you end up in my situation. Some people just like to talk and that may be the case as well. I would follow your instincts if I was in your shoes. I hope your new clinic turns out to be a positive experience for you. At least you have a schedule in place for your dosage increases and you still have your weekly take homes which is a very good thing. I was wondering.... how are the nurses treating you at the new place?

Take care!
OldBrownDog
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Finallyachance

Finallyachance


Female
Number of posts : 68
Location : Over the rainbow
Registration date : 2011-10-11

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PostSubject: Re: UPDATE BUT TWO ISSUES INCREASE AT NEW CLINIC AND GRIEVANCE OLD CLINIC   UPDATE BUT TWO ISSUES INCREASE AT NEW CLINIC AND GRIEVANCE OLD CLINIC EmptyMon Oct 31, 2011 12:03 am

Well I have only seen the nurses on one occasion as I only go once a week. But....I will say the one I had went thru some details with me told me her job there was totally dependent on meeting the needs of the clients no clients no job she joked. I thought that was rather refreshing as in a way that is making a commitment to our recovery if they keep that mentality. The other nurses at the old clinic had a good opening act though so I am a bit untrusting.
As far as Joe. I think he took so long cause we were interrupted that morning as he was not suppose to do intakes that day but there were six of us and he says usually 3 is the most they admit at a time, but I guess they didn’t want to turn any of us away and I can appreciate that plus...yes he did like talking to me and how can I say this without sounding grandiose, I am a pretty interesting person and I look like somebody’s mother I was once told that by a fellow treatment friend not like someone with a 25 year history of drug abuse. By no means do I mean that as an insult in fact that is exactly what I am trying to explain about Joe. He picked up on that as he even commented on me being a very educated and well versed person.
But where I saw his treatment become relaxed with me is when we were talking about the fact that I had worked in a treatment facility for 5 years in Daytona Beach Florida as an administrator. That’s when he would say things like “oh you know what I mean”…”.or you already know this”,,,,or “I don’t need to explain that to you, you have worked in the field” etc… I got a lot of those comments and I wish I would never have told him as it always causes me grief in my personal drug treatment. I get more trust and room to mess up then the average client. That’s not a good thing because like a counselor called me on it one time and said I had learned how to fly just under the radar. Therefore not getting the real help I need. And when someone knows this about my past they will be more disappointed in my actions if I mess up cause “I should have known better” etc. You see what I am saying? He by no means seemed inappropriate or like he had any underhanded motives at all. He was very professional and very compassionate and nice. In fact when he ask if I was comfortable with him, (as he could expedite my waiting for a counselor therefore allowing him to act on my behalf for my increases etc…) I said yes with no hesitation as I indeed found myself very comfortable with him. After I left and started thinking about our conversations I realized I had made the mistake I had made before in a treatment setting and revealed my past job history of working in treatment. It has bit me in the butt both ways too. I either get treated with more respect and given more liberties than most which leads to real disappointment and when I would mess up etc…. or I would get allowances that would keep me from the real learning process as I would be the one in the office typing up brochures instead of going to groups etc… never able to fit in with my fellow clients etc… or worse yet, I get the heavy handed approach by the counselor or administrator that would be intimidated that I knew a lot and/or decide to treat me extra hard core etc…. Like the last treatment facility I was in for 90 days.
Let me tell you about it. It was 2006, my last inpatient, excluding detox. I have always been addicted to opiates but I got involved with a drug dealer who mostly dealt in cocaine but to get me involved in their life took up dealing pills to. I had never abused anything but pills but in no time, I was doing powder cocaine and not pain pills. I was more functioning pain pill addict than a cocaine addict I fell quick and hard and my family did an intervention. You know the kind where they get an advocate and the courts involved. Well this was in the Daytona Area where I was well known in the recovery community so when I got thrown into treatment, I knew some of the counselors and clients etc…. In fact I knew the administrator and the day she admitted me from detox as I had to go there first for 5 days she told me to watch myself because she would be watching me. She told my family etc…she did that in my best interest as she was more concerned for me because she had seen me in sobriety and knew I had worked in treatment so I would be the type of client to utilize my professional treatment knowledge in the wrong way. She never gave me a break and to be very honest that made things worse for me not better. She called me out on anything and everything she could and made some shit up too. It was awful well you know the addict is bound to tell their family and anyone who will listen how I hated it there. How I was being treated so bad etc… The truth was I was, but no one would believe me. I left treatment because I was told by several clients that when people left treatment she never followed thru .etc… So I decided to leave.
Well I was that one client she followed thru on. She had me picked up, left me in jail for a week telling the judge I had lost my bed and I would have to wait until one opened back up etc… I had never been to jail. And Daytona Beach is no place to go to jail either. Wow that’s a whole other story, but nonetheless my Mother got involved and when she found out my Mom was looking for another facility that could get me out quicker she let me come back after a week in jail. If my Mom had not got involved I think she would have left me there for a while. I had to go back and start my 90 days all over etc… God it was torture I tell you pure torture. I had to take it to plus she was made that I had told my family, the judge etc…what a HITLER she was. I MADE IT THRU and left Florida after I got out.
Anyways Like I originally was getting at the fact I worked in the field works against me because either they like me too much or they don’t like me at all and all because I worked in treatment.
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oldbrowndog

oldbrowndog


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Number of posts : 17
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Registration date : 2011-10-30

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PostSubject: Re: UPDATE BUT TWO ISSUES INCREASE AT NEW CLINIC AND GRIEVANCE OLD CLINIC   UPDATE BUT TWO ISSUES INCREASE AT NEW CLINIC AND GRIEVANCE OLD CLINIC EmptyMon Oct 31, 2011 1:26 am

I understand what your saying and I know for myself that I always want so desperately to tell the truth to whomever I am working with in treatment. Sometimes this works to our disadvantage when it comes to methadone. Like you say.... either they like you or they don't. I think this happens even when we do not have a background in treatment and even when we don't have a dependency on methadone. Like they say, you cannot please everyone all the time so you just have to do what you feel is right for you. For example... when I go to the doctor next time I am going to sit there and most likely be conflicted. Do I tell this doctor I am methadone or not? If I tell him will he then look down his nose at me and treat me different thus giving me a lower standard of medical care or not? If I don't tell him then I leave feeling like a liar. So for me it feels like a no win, damned if I do damned if I don't situation. It sounds to me like you might feel the same way about disclosing the fact that you have so much experience in the treatment field. Since you have already disclosed to "Joe" and he seemed to receive that information well and treated you nicely I think if it was me, that I would have a peaceful feeling. Maybe this time will be the time that you are not going to have it go south on you. Time will tell. If he was treating you respectfully and taking a lot of time with you then this might just be a counselor that you could form a positive relationship with. It is so crucial in treatment to have caring people around us as we walk through our recovery. For me, People and their attitudes make all the difference in the world. A mean nurse, a counselor who does not even know you left treatment, a director that sees your time as less important than his time.... These things can all affect our treatment and for some of us it can be that one little spark that starts a major fire and causes us just to give up on treatment. I have heard several people say that they would rather deal with "dope dealers" than the people they deal with at their treatment center.

You have had a long journey to get to the place you are at now in your life. I am hoping that this might just be a counselor that takes his job seriously and is there to help his patients. I don't think you have anything to worry about and lets hope he continues to treat you nicely and help you with the issues that have brought you to this point in your life. I don't have a great counselor but I think a well balanced approach to treatment is really important. Medication as well as good counseling seems to result in the best success rates. There are reasons why we use in the first place and I think talk therapy via counseling is a valuable resource.

As far as the nurses I also understand that feeling of being a bit untrusting in a new clinic. Once you have heard a positive sales pitch and then suffered the exact opposite of what you were told originally it makes you wonder who you can trust in the future. Some people say that Trust is Earned. I think I probably suffer more when I cross paths with a person who has no honor but I like to give trust to everyone and then let them build on that. They will either show me that they are indeed trustworthy and honest or they will turn out like those nurses in your former clinic. I just think that it is harder to build a good relationship if the other person feels like you are suspicious of their motives all the time. I never like it when I feel that way as it makes me feel like I have to prove myself in order to have simple human trust given to me. I think most people are generally good and want to help others. It is those few bad apples that always seem to stick out the most in our minds eye.

I am just wondering, if you plan to go back into the treatment field in the future? You seem to have a gift for talking with people. You have experienced a lot of things now that would be very helpful to others looking for help. I wish you luck with whatever you choose to do.

Take Care!
OldBrownDog
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