Monday, June 18, 2007

Betty Ford Center - Day 1

Today was an amazing day!!!

I feel like I am not here as an observer....I am here as a participant. Although I am "Brooke the Medical Student," I am not here to give advice or judge people...I am here to get an inside-out view of addiction and use this experience to later help me in my career.

As I was writing my required journal entry this evening, I was posed with the question "What have you learned today?"

Today, I learned that alcohol and drug addiction is only a symptom of another underlying issue. Every story that was shared during small group was something I could see in myself. The emotions, the feelings, and the experiences were all ones that I had had myself. Although I don't turn to alcohol or drugs to cope, I am no different and no better than any of the patients in the Betty Ford Rehabilitation program.

Tomorrow we do it all over again. I expect that the patients will continue to open up a little more as they get to know and trust me. For as intense as today was, I expect that each of the next few days will be even more so. I feel truly blessed to be a part of this program and to be a part of the recovery of each of these women.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I really dig your heart and how you see others.

Though circumstances may differ, at ground level, we're on equal footing.

And you're right...sometimes the problem isn't the problem.

Be contagious (and stay cool), Doc.