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Seeking Drug Abuse Treatment

Mar 13th, 2012
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Know What To Ask

The goal of drug abuse treatment is to stop drug use and allow people to lead active lives in the family, workplace, and community. One continual challenge, however, is keeping patients in treatment long enough for them to achieve this goal. That is why finding the right treatment for a person’s specific needs is critical. Drug abuse treatment is not “one size fits all.” Treatment outcomes depend on the:

  • extent and nature of the person’s problems;
  • appropriateness of treatment;
  • availability of additional services; and
  • quality of interaction between the person and his or her treatment providers.

Family and friends can play important roles in motivating people with drug problems to enter and remain in treatment. However, trying to identify the right treatment programs for a loved one can be a difficult process.

To help, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) created this brief guide containing five questions to ask when searching for a treatment program:

Full PDF document – Seeking Drug Abuse Treatment: Know What to Ask

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Online Community for People in Recovery

Mar 13th, 2012
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s24-logo Hazelden: New ‘Sober24′ Online Community for People in Recovery.

See full details at Recovery Is Sexy

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AA and Alcoholism

Mar 13th, 2012
by Coach.
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AA slogan; Think, Think, Think A.A. is concerned solely with the personal recovery and continued sobriety of individual alcoholics who turn to the Fellowship for help.

Alcoholics Anonymous does not engage in the fields of alcoholism research, medical or psychiatric treatment, education, or propaganda in any form, although members may participate in such activities as individuals.

The Fellowship has adopted a policy of “cooperation but not affiliation” with other organizations concerned with the problem of alcoholism.

Traditionally, Alcoholics Anonymous does not accept or seek financial support from outside sources, and members preserve personal anonymity in print and broadcast media and otherwise at the public level.

A.A. experience has always been made available freely to all who sought it — business people, spiritual leaders, civic groups, law enforcement officers, health and welfare personnel, educators, representatives of military establishments, institutional authorities, representatives of organized labor, and many others. But A.A. never endorses, supports, becomes affiliated with, or expresses an opinion on the programs of others in the field of alcoholism, since such actions would be beyond the scope of the Fellowship’s primary purpose.

A.A.’s relations with professional groups, agencies, facilities, and individuals involved with the problems of alcoholism are handled by the trustees’ Committee on Cooperation with the Professional Community/Treatment Facilities. Mutual understanding and cooperation between A.A. members and others who work with alcoholics are the concerns of this standing committee of the General Service Board.

A.A. FACT FILE; PREPARED BY GENERAL SERVICE OFFICE OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS at www.aa.org

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Partner Enabling of Alcoholism

Mar 13th, 2012
by Coach.
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Alcoholic partner Enabling is the ideas, feelings, attitudes, and behaviors that unintentionally continue to foster drinking, alcohol related problems or make matters worse by not allowing the alcoholic to deal with the consequences of their alcoholism.

Enabling is part of the set of behaviors practiced by co-dependents of alcoholism.

Researchers report that the majority of partners took over chores or duties from the alcoholic client at some point during the relationship, drank or used other drugs with the client, and lied or made excuses to others to cover for the drinker. Moreover, particular relationship beliefs were associated with higher behavioral enabling scores.

Enabling Behaviors are practiced in four forms;

Direct Enabling

The behavior that acts upon the alcoholic’s actual drinking behavior.

  • promotion of drinking – i.e. stating its okay to drink, attending social functions with the alcoholic where drinking will occur or offering an alcoholic a drink, buying alcohol for the alcoholic.
  • demotion of potential deterrents to drinking – i.e. cleaning up the alcoholics alcohol related messes, avoiding social contact, calling in sick for the alcoholic.

Indirect Enabling

The behavior that acts upon the alcoholic’s non-drinking behavior.

  • demotion of recovery and non-drinking behavior – i.e. spouse persuades alcoholic to go to the movie instead of an AA meeting or interferes with a hobby the drinker only does when sober.
  • promotion of potential stressors to non-drinking behavior – partner increases the level of stress, anxiety, frustration, and conflict in the alcoholics life, which may precipitate the alcoholics return to drinking.

Enabling is one of the behaviors addressed by Al-anon, Alateen, ACOA and Naranon.

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Fear of Change

Mar 13th, 2012
by Coach.
1 comment

Fear of Change

As a practicing alcoholic for many years, I had no desire to try to better myself in any way, physically, mentally or spiritually. It was all about getting my next drink – my life revolved around booze, and anything else be it work, friendships or my health were an inconvenience. I also frowned upon anyone else who might be trying to better themselves, people who went to the gym, people who studied hard, people who said they lived a spiritual life, people who were sober, people in general – the list went on ad nauseum. I know now that I was jealous of anyone who had their lives together and I dealt with that by putting them down. Even while I was looking up from the gutter, my alcoholic mind still told me I was better than the people standing on the sidewalk.

Full story at; Early Recovery From Addiction Blog.

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Mommy’s Gone to Treatment

Mar 13th, 2012
by Coach.
1 comment

Mommy’s Gone to Treatment

Addiction is a devastating and all-embracing disease. Family members are often as profoundly affected by the illness as the person who suffers from it. Imagine what a child must think watching a parent descend deep into addiction, changing from a loving and nurturing mother into a hostile, screaming stranger.

But there is hope for addicts and their families. This book is about Janey, a young girl whose mother has entered a center for addiction treatment.

Written in easy-to-understand language with brightly colored illustrations, Mommy’s Gone to Treatment addresses issues children often face when an addicted parent seeks help.

Included is a parent’s guide with important talking points on easing a child’s apprehension when someone they love confronts their illness.

Mommy’s Gone to Treatment

Mommy’s Gone to Treatment

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Alcohol Tolerance Linked to Gene

Mar 13th, 2012
by Coach.
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Some typical alcoholic beverages.

Image via Wikipedia

Low Alcohol Tolerance Linked to Gene

Researchers say they’ve identified a gene that makes some people more sensitive to the effects of alcohol, the BBC News reported Oct. 19.

University of North Carolina investigators conducted a genome analysis of 200 sibling pairs who had one parent with alcohol dependence but no alcohol problems themselves. Participants were then given the equivalent of three alcoholic drinks and asked to describe the effects. Their descriptions were compared with their genetic test results.

The researchers found that participants with the gene CYP2E1 on chromosome 10 were less able to “hold their liquor” than participants without it. The CYP2E1 gene is known to affect the way alcohol is metabolized in the brain.

“Alcoholism is a very complex disease, and there are lots of complicated reasons why people drink. This may be just one of the reasons,” said Kirk Wilhelmsen, MD, PhD, lead author of the study.

Still, the researchers see the potential for developing a synthetic version of the gene to increase alcohol sensitivity — and thus decrease consumption — in the future.

“Obviously we are a long way off having a treatment,” concluded Wilhelmsen. “But the gene we have found tells us a lot.”

The study was published online Oct. 19 in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

From; Join Together.

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Saddleback Church’s ‘Celebrate Recovery’ Now in 17,000 Churches Worldwide

Mar 13th, 2012
by Coach.
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More than 3,000 people from churches around the world attended Saddleback Church’s Celebrate Recovery Summit and helped commemorate the 20th year of the Christ-centered program for addictions, which originated at the Southern California church.
The program incorporates Biblical principles into the 12 steps of recovery found in Alcoholics Anonymous and specifies the belief that Jesus Christ is the “higher power” who heals chemical addictions as well as other social problems.

FULL STORY AT; Saddleback Church’s ‘Celebrate Recovery’ Now in 17,000 Churches Worldwide, Christian News.

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Friends Can & Do Help

Mar 13th, 2012
by Coach.
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Friend helping friend Mental health study shows friends can help

The study by the Mental Health Foundation discovered almost 80% of people know at least two friends who have experienced mental distress, yet many don’t want to admit their problems for fear of what their friends might think.

The charity surveyed people across the UK looking at the experiences of both people with mental health problems and those of people who have supported friends during a period of mental illness.

Half of all people who did not want friends to know about their mental health problem said it was because they felt ashamed and two in three were worried their friends would not understand.

A total of 49% of those who responded said they did not feel able to talk to their friends about their mental health problem.

Reassuringly, 60% of people with mental health problems reported that when their friends did find out, they were concerned and 47% offered support.

Two in three people said their friend’s mental health problem did not put their friendship under strain, and almost half (41%) declared that it actually made their friendship stronger.

A total of 62% of people with mental health problems said it helped to have friends around and 41% revealed they received more help from their friends than their GP or own family.

Almost half of the respondents who knew a friend with a mental health problem felt that they did not know enough about mental health to give advice and a further 48% said better information would have helped them to support their friends.

Nearly three quarters of people admitted feeling frustrated because there was no simple solution to their friend’s mental health problem.

Dr Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said: "Friendships are very important for good mental well-being, yet people can feel ashamed or embarrassed to tell their friends about how they feel.

"We know it can be hard for a person who feels depressed or anxious to discuss how they’re feeling but it is often friends who can provide the most support."

Based on the findings of the new survey the Mental Health Foundation has developed a number of recommendations for people to support a friend.

Included in the suggestions are for friends to:

  • keep in contact through regular phone calls, visits or emails;
  • give emotional support through listening and talking;
  • try to provide practical support, such as offering to accompany them shopping or on a visit to their GP;
  • just be around; and
  • try and understand your friend’s mental health problem.

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Mouthwash Could get you Drunk

Mar 13th, 2012
by Coach.
1 comment

Double image of clock uid 1460723 Alcoholic Mouthwash Could get you Drunk

People are drinking alcohol-based mouthwash because it’s now cheaper than regular alcoholic drinks in some parts of Australia.

Health workers have warned that they risk serious consequences, even death.

Street cleaners lately have been stumbling on scores of empty bottles of a popular mouthwash, which is nearly 30 per cent pure alcohol.

And in the space of a few weeks, supermarkets and pharmacists have seen mouth wash sales suddenly go through the roof.

“This particular mouthwash has eucalyptus oil in it, which is an essential oil, and it doesn’t take much eucalyptus oil to cause damage, it can cause fits, it can even cause death.” A health worker said in response to the question, “How dangerous is it to drink?”

Public health advocate, Doctor John Boffa, says it’s hardly surprising that drinkers are looking for alcoholic substitutes. “A 500ml bottle, which is what’s being sold in the supermarkets, you’re talking about 15 standard drinks. So it’s a very large volume of alcohol. It’s enough to get to an intoxication level of 0.05 three times over.”

Government health authorities are looking into the growing problem.

Recovering alcoholics should take this a warning that mouth wash may get them drunk.

Adapted from a transcript of radio show ‘AM’ of the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC).

See also;

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