So 9 weeks later prac has come to an end but somehow it
doesn’t even feel like it. Extremely fast 9 weeks. Extremely full 9 weeks. So
much occurred in my time on prac that it’s kind of hard to think back and take
it all in…
I think one of the biggest realisations I have had this
semester due to being placed at a drug rehabilitation centre is that the PEOPLE
we work with are human beings. They are not patients. They are not clients.
They are not service users. They are simply people… and they need to be treated
that way. Maybe it’s because I was working with very high functioning people
and could form proper relationships with them all. But having a relationship
with the guys I was working with was so great. It helped to move away from the
stress and pressure of doing our treatment demonstrations and presentations and
whatever else and just sit down and have a conversation with them. And not only
that but upon leaving prac on our last day when they turned around and thanked
us for what we had done for them. It’s not often that you get that and for me
it made the last unbearably stressful 9 weeks worthwhile.
Going into prac I had a picture in my mind of a drug addict.
This low life, good for nothing person. A picture most of us go through our
entire lives carrying. But wow was I so wrong. Not only were these guys at NPC
PEOPLE, they were more intelligent, genuine, friendly and willing than 99% of
the people in our lives that we call ‘normal’. I found myself sitting up late
at night working on prac stuff not because I was worrying about my marks and
passing prac but because I wanted it to help and benefit my guys as much as
possible. I wanted desperately to help them as much as I could. And for me
that’s what I walk away from this prac with. The satisfaction of knowing I did
at least something, no matter how small that something may be, that helped to
change the lives of the guys I worked with…. The satisfaction of that….. Not
marks…
I knew going into this prac that it was going to be nothing
but tough. I knew I was going to be pulled and pushed in a thousand ways. So
yes it was hard, the hardest prac has ever been for me but weirdly enough
having said that it has been my favourite prac thus far. It has grown me and
moulded me and most of all it has humbled me. I am undoubtedly not the same
person I was when I arrived at NPC 9 weeks ago on the 13 August 2013.
About 4 weeks ago I was collecting sports equipment so that
we could take it to NPC for the guys to use and whilst doing this someone very
close to me turned and said “why would you want to get stuff and give it to
drug addicts”. I was so angry at the time I could not even give an answer to
that ignorant comment. But now I’ll tell you why. Because those drug addicts
are people, really great people. People who can teach you and make you realise
more about this life and yourself than anyone else.
uses their body to tell society
that something is wrong." ~
STELLA ADLER
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