Oldal 39 [39]
2. THE THERAPEUTIC JOURNEYS OF RECOVERING HELPERS a 37
Hitting Bottom
This turning point appears as a concrete and traumatic event, which is more
tangible than the previous turning points. Hitting bottom is linked to a well¬
defined period or event, and it leads to the beginning of the recovering self.
“Thad cardiac arrest... I, or my brain, or my soul, or I don’t know what became
clear... somehow I felt all feelings for one second”.
“Thad one or two... my daughter was born, she was born with withdrawal symp¬
toms... I thought that was really not ok”.
Becoming a Helper
Several interviewees said that recovery was a continuous, lifelong work and a
learning process, something that helpers do to themselves along with the clients.
Work and learning, therefore, are not separate at all. Four themes related to
being a helper were identified: 1. the recovering self and the helping self, 2. the
wounded helper, 3. the skilled helper and 4. the experience of helping.
The Recovering Self and the Helping Self
The recovering self was described as a very important period in participants’
lives. In this period, they reassess the past and absorb the events around and
reasons for drug use. This period often coincides with time spent at a rehabilita¬
tion institute. The appearance of the helping self does not lead to the disappear¬
ance of the recovering self. On the contrary, the presence of the recovering self
is the prerequisite of the appearance of the helping self. The recovering self and
the helping self are present together: they complement each other. Which comes
to the foreground depends on the situation. The helper goes along the road of
recovery with the client, but he/she sees further than the client.
"I felt it there (in rehab) that this feels good, it feels good to talk to other people
about their little problems, and if I give them a little from my experience, it may
help them?
The Wounded Helper
According to most participants, addiction is a prereguisite to becoming an
empirical expert. Helpers with previous addiction experience and their clients
are members of the same community, and this previous addiction is important