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Therapist or addiction counselor — which one first?

Mental health1 answer · asked 13 days ago
MK
Marcus_K
asked 13 days ago
Budget for one, not both. Drinking is handled 60 days now but the stuff underneath it (old grief, honestly) is loud. Who do I call first?
SH
Sam_H
answered 13 days ago
Helpful answer
Honest answer: at 60 days with the drinking stable, a therapist who is COMFORTABLE WITH ADDICTION might be the better single hire — the grief is the engine and the drinking was the exhaust. The key is that phrase: when you call, ask 'do you have experience with clients in recovery?' A therapist who gets recovery will protect your sobriety while you dig; one who doesn't can accidentally dig too fast. And keep free supports around the edges — meetings, this place — so the one paid hour isn't carrying everything. If the drinking stops being stable, that's the signal to re-prioritize the addiction side. You're asking a genuinely good question.
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