Thought for the day: Is alcoholism and addiction a disease?

First of all, I do not believe that alcoholism and addiction are different conditions. Disease, disorder, malady, whatever we call it, it exists, it's a problem and it's not the fault of the addict. If it were the result of using, any of us who ever experimented with a substance would be stricken. Many studies of the brain have empirically shown that it is a disease and that certain people will develop the disease if they use substances. Furthermore, the vast majority of trained physicians define addiction as a disease. There is a genetic predisposition that is powerful and clear.

Thought of the day: What role does trauma play in addiction?

Based on personal observation, it seems as though addiction and trauma of some sort go hand in hand. Whether the trauma is before the use and abuse begins, or if it is a consequence of active using, there will be traumas great or small that each addict must deal with. As for it's impact on recovery, I would say it is a fundamental issue in recovery. The correlation between PTSD and substance abuse/addiction has been shown time and again. Who can we best address trauma in treatment?

Today's quick thought: Giving unconditional positive regard to our clients

When we can see our clients as intrinsically healthy, but afraid to come out of comfort zones and frightened of leaving their faulty core beliefs behind, we can give them the unconditional positive regard that I believe is at the root of all successful treatment. I strongly believe that the greatest key to being able to help others in healthy ways is to consistently be doing our own inner work. We need to do this work in able to offer unconditional care, concern, compassion and be able to instill hope.

Shall we talk about Chronic Relapsers?

I always wonder what they are getting from using that they are not getting from recovery and what would make recovery worth maintaining. I think we sometimes overlook the needs that drugs fulfill. We offer to take away their major form of coping and offer them a vague promise of a better life. Taking away a major coping tool only causes a vacuum. Seems to me that trauma resolution and a truly thorough understanding of powerlessness and unmanageability, along with a spiritual connection and constant work on oneself, can help to fill this vacuum.

If the addict truly wants recovery, they must put that desire to get and stay clean first. An intervention is what gets an addict clean. Keeping the addict clean has to come from the addict's own strength and desire. Change happens with a willingness to have a better life. An intervention can faciliate the removal of enables, detoxification, motivational tools and talk therapy. The key to recovery is surrender. When an addict witnesses other clean addicts whom are/were just as bad as they were/are the vision of hope gives the addict seeking recovery a signal that they too are no different and have the ability to find sustainable recovery.

People start to get sober and change their lives when they get some strength and have support to do so. And some addicts don't quit at bottom, they quit when they have something they don't want to lose.

Wanted to expound on Myth #2

MYTH: Addicts have to hit rock bottom before they can get better. Recovery can begin at any point in the addiction process - and the earlier, the better. The longer drug abuse continues, the stronger the addiction becomes and the harder it is to treat. Don't wait to intervene until the addict has lost it all. This is a view that is espoused in some circles and is dangerous. What is accurate is that there is no formula for determining when addicts as a group should begin treatment. They can begin recovery at any stage of addiction. Because some individuals do not have insight into their disease and cannot be physically forced to enter treatment, they do need to reach rock bottom first. However, many addicts realize that they have a problem, and it is best for family and friends to intervene as early as possible and offer them an alternative to dependence on the substance - before the substance becomes increasingly more of a priority and replaces people and activities that they once valued. This whole idea of "hitting bottom" is out of date. Some people will wait years - even decades- for their friend to reach this mythical point in their alcohol and drug use. But why wait for them to"hit bottom"? Why not help them by raising their bottom? There are ways to encourage someone to reach for help much earlier and by doing so, we can avoid a lot of unnecessary pain and heartache - and maybe even save their life. For some people, hitting bottom will be six feet underground.

When I am asked "Does everyone have to hit rock bottom?" I would say no. Tough love and setting bottom lines can prevent a substance abuser from prolonging their usage. There are loving ways to refuse to rescue someone that in the long run will help him or her to choose recovery. Loving means doing the right thing to help. This can take all of our strength and energy at times. We all hate to see someone suffer - even when the suffering is a consequence of his or her bad choices. This approach, or some form of it, is something you might consider; Raise the bottom. The next time this person you care about appeals to you to get them out of a bind (loan them money, pay their electric bill, buy them gas, pay for a lawyer), think twice. You might just be prolonging their disease and robbing them of the natural consequences that they need to experience in order to seek help and begin to connect the dots.

4 myths about Drug Addiction

MYTH 1: Overcoming addiction is simply a matter of willpower. You can stop using drugs if you really want to. Prolonged exposure to drugs alters the brains in ways that result in powerful cravings and a compulsion to use. These brain changes make it extremely difficult to quit by sheer force of will.

MYTH 2: Addicts have to hit rock bottom before they can get better. Recovery can begin at any point in the addiction process - the earlier, the better. The longer drug abuse continues, the stronger the addiction becomes and the harder it is to treat. Don't wait to intervene until the addict has lost it all.

MYTH 3: You can't force someone into treatment; they have to want help. Treatment doesn't have to be voluntary to be successful. People who are pressured into treatment by their family, employer or the legal system are just as likely to benefit as those who choose to enter treatment on their own. As they sober up and their thinking clears, many formerly resistant addicts decide they want to change.

MYTH 4: Treatment didn't work before, so there's no point trying again; some cases are hopeless. Recovery from drug addiction is a long process that often involves setbacks. Relapse doesn't mean that treatment has failed or that you're a lost cause. Rather, it's a signal to get back on track either by going back to treatment or adjusting the treatment approach.

The importance of interventions

Have you heard these words many times before? "Today I'll stop. I promise." "This is my last drink." "I don't have a problem." "I'm in control of it." "I know what I 'm doing." "Leave me alone I'm fine!"

Drink by drink, your loved one is slipping away...but you have the power to bring them back before it's too late! Many people suffering from alcoholism are convinced they have the power to stop...if they want to. And they persuade you to think the same. But unfortunately, not only are they harboring delusional thoughts regarding their capabilities, if they do actually attempt self-detoxification, it can have severe consequences: seizure, heart failure and death.

Professional alcohol intervention is not a luxury. You may view your loved one as a person who just can't control their drinking habit. But in reality, they are a loaded gun, ready to go off at any point in time. Alcoholics commit drunk driving and commit suicide. Alcoholics can kill people: family members, friends and themselves. Professional alcohol intervention is necessary to delicately raise awareness in the mind of the alcoholic that he or she has a problem, one that is too overwhelming for them to control, and that they need to accept medical help.

Many family members attempt to perform alcohol interventions themselves, but without the key knowledge and proper approach, they do more harm than good. These well-intentioned meetings often result in violence and irreparable damage to the chances of ever helping their loved ones to recover. A professional alcohol intervention is always implemented in a loving, caring, and non-judgmental manner, gently coaxing the alcoholic along the path towards acknowledgment of the problem and agreement to rehabilitation.