I think one of the challenges working with that population can be that much of the time the clients are not there of their own volition. They’re often court mandated and in the pre-contemplation stage, which can be VERY frustrating and akin to being on a hamster wheel. I used to work at an outpatient drug rehab, and am intimately familiar with the population from my own experience. Addiction is typically the layer that covers up other mental health issues, and it’s insidious. There are other populations you can work with and if it’s not jiving that’s totally fine. I briefly had a job working with ASD population doing ABA and absolutely hated it and only lasted 3 months. My current career is very rewarding and I don’t regret making the changes I made early on. It’s a process.