This negativity expresses itself several ways. Sometimes negative clients won’t participate in group. Maybe they resist the counselors. Or they’ll complain about the housing, the food, or group topics. They might make negative comparisons of our program with others they've been in.
The danger of this behavior is that it affects the recovery of others in the program. It might cause others to leave and relapse or even worse – overdose.
We usually invite those spreading negativity to a group or individual session to learn what’s going on with them.
If the client agrees to stop undermining the program that’s the end of the discussion. But if there’s denial about what’s going on we will issue an ultimatum that it stop or they’ll be discharged.
And usually they stop.
