Quantcast

Search our Archives!


Advertisement


Addicted to Redemption

Email | Print | Text - Text +

January 30, 2013 | 4:37 pm

Can You Judge Someone Else’s Sobriety?

Posted by Beit T'shuvah


Photo

By Ben Spielberg


I've touched briefly on this issue in the past, but it's something that I see very often today. As treatment professionals, we are forced to indulge ourselves in judgement by picking apart the pieces of our client's sobriety.

It's controversial because there is a value in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous: “Don't take other people's inventories.” As recovering people devoted to Living Well, we cannot judge the actions that other people take; our resentments are our own. However, when working in a treatment center, the staff is forced to do the opposite. We analyze confrontations, engage in other people's problems and consume ourselves in eight hour intervals with the stresses of new sobriety.

Sometimes, I wonder if it's justified. No matter the amount of letters after one's name, there are still no qualifications that can accurately portray the plight of addiction into recovery. Even people engaged in their own recovery often forget the perils of withdrawal like clockwork, remembering only glimpses of euphoric recall. In addition, recovering individuals are not “supposed” to take note of the smaller issues in the lives of other people. We are not “supposed” to invest time into the recovery of other people, and we are not “supposed” to confront the newcomers in sobriety.

But we do—and it works. So how do we deal with these conflicting values—the values of saving lives, and the values of protecting AA principles? Maybe we can set up boundaries in order to protect our personal lives from our professional lives. Maybe, we can remember that everyone has a different path in their sobriety. After all, there is no one road to recovery. Right?

Tracker Pixel for Entry
The Jewish Journal believes that great community depends on great conversation. So, jewishjournal.com provides a forum for insightful voices across the political and religious spectrum. Most bloggers are not employees of The Jewish Journal, and their opinions are their own. Our entire blog policy is here. Please alert us to any violations of our policy by clicking here. (editor@jewishjournal.com). If you'd like to join our blogging community, email us. (webmaster@jewishjournal.com).

  • Genius at Work

    By Beit T'shuvah

    6.17.13 at 2:15 pm | I usually think of genius as a burst of insight,. . .

  • The Lies of Perception

    By Beit T'shuvah

    6.14.13 at 11:42 am | I have come to believe that while we love stories. . .

  • Picking a Path

    By Beit T'shuvah

    6.12.13 at 1:12 pm | One of the most repetitive questions that I’ve. . .

  • Enlightening Television

    By Beit T'shuvah

    6.11.13 at 1:07 pm | I watch a good amount of TV, probably more than I. . .

  • Transparency in Government

    By Beit T'shuvah

    6.7.13 at 11:21 am | This is not the shouting of the Republicans who. . .

  • Fighting the Monotony

    By Beit T'shuvah

    6.4.13 at 1:37 pm | It’s all too convenient to get seduced into the. . .

  • The Lies of Perception

    By Beit T'shuvah

    6.14.13 at 11:42 am | I have come to believe that while we love stories. . . (85)

  • Picking a Path

    By Beit T'shuvah

    6.12.13 at 1:12 pm | One of the most repetitive questions that I’ve. . . (65)

  • Enlightening Television

    By Beit T'shuvah

    6.11.13 at 1:07 pm | I watch a good amount of TV, probably more than I. . . (51)

More from JewishJournal.com

COMMENTS

We welcome your feedback.

Privacy Policy

Your information will not be shared or sold without your consent. Get all the details.

Terms of Service

JewishJournal.com has rules for its commenting community.Get all the details.

Publication

JewishJournal.com reserves the right to use your comment in our weekly print publication.



About this Blog

Blog Home
About the Blogger(s)
Contact

RSS


Blog Archive