The Addiction Navigator -

All The Dawgs In The House

2011-11-30T15:57:00.002-05:00

The video above is one of the many songs from The Gap Band - this is one of my favorites. The title of this post is a lyric taken from their CD (at that time, it was a cassette) entitled "Ain't Nuthin' But A Party".

The cassette I had of their music (originally) was given to me by a patient as a "thanks" for taking care of him. "I want you to have it" he told me back in 1994. His illness was in the end stages and it was only a few months later that he died. My other patient, William, died while he was in our program when he developed an opportunistic infection and was admitted to the local hospital.

While he was in the hospital, he had that burst of energy and motivation that is sometimes seen in patients right before their die. He told me "I want to be an AIDS educator, I want to be able to visit high schools and talk to students and tell them 'don't ever think that this can't happen to you'." I was inspired by our discussion and the interactions I had with both of "my guys" (I always think of them as 'my guys') when they were in the outpatient program that we had developed for patients with addictions and psychiatric illnesses.

On the evening he was admitted to the hospital, William called to 'check in' and tell me he wouldn't be in group the next day. As we talked he told me about an interview he had had with the local newspaper in New Haven CT where he was from. He said that, initially, he wasn't interested in speaking with them but then changed his mind when he realized he would have the ability to share some of the things he had learned as a result of his illness and the powerful addiction he had developed to cocaine. He went on sharing some of his insights into his illness before he had to end the conversation when the nurse came into his room to give him medications. He said 'good night' and told me he would contact me when he felt better to let me know when he would be returning to the program.

The following morning I arrived to my office and received a message from the hospital that he had died at 4:00am.

My other patient had successfully completed our program and had left his Gap Band tape with me before leaving for Hartford to stay in a halfway house. He was much quieter then William was, choosing to keep his tapes playing in the walkman clipped to his belt before group started and whenever we were on break from groups. The Gap Band was his favorite, he told me, because the energy in their music motivated him to keep going.

On the day he left, he handed me the cassette saying that he wanted me to have it as he felt he wouldn't need it and had "all of their music in my head anyway". I told him I thought he should keep it but a day or so later when I returned to my office (after he had left the program), I found the tape sitting on my desk under a pad of paper with a note on top of it that just said "thanks".

Both of my guys inspired me when I had the opportunity to help them almost 18 years ago.

18 years ago.

Here's the thing about my guys: at least four days out of every week, I drive an hour to and from our hospital in WV. On at least 3 of those 4 days, while driving and listening to XM radio, I hear a song by The Gap band. It never fails - and it is at once, haunting, sad, inspiring and comforting.

Hi guys.

They Tried to Make Me Go To Rehab

2011-07-25T08:46:00.001-05:00

If there is a lesson from Amy Winehouse's death, it is this:

When someone tries to make you go to rehab, you should go, go, go.

And when you finally get there, you should stay, stay, stay.

I think the thing that is the worst about this, in addition to the tragic loss of life so young, is the loss of a person with immense talent and potential.

The poem above (in the video) is one I made for a close friend and colleague of mine. At the time, we both were addiction clinicians who worked in hospitals in New York. She was extremely talented and one of the most compassionate clinicians I have ever had the honor to meet - and let me tell you, she taught me more about addictions and the art of trying to help others then anyone I had ever met previously.

My colleague had been clean and sober for years but then relapsed as a result of stress on her life and family and an adverse reaction to medication she had been prescribed. In a short amount of time, she lost everything. Her death a few months later, was tragic.

She, like Amy Winehouse, had great talent and potential and not a day goes by that I don't miss her and think of her and the help she gave the several patients in her care.

Personally and professionally, I will never understand why the song "rehab" skyrocketed the way it did - whether it was because many of us could relate to it, or the defiance involved in holding on to your life when others try to make you do something that you don't want to do - like get help for an addiction. But I can tell you, it's better to listen to people who may have a clearer perspective then we do about life (especially when we are clouded by the fog and turbulence of an addiction) then it is die so young, especially when there were a few hands reaching out for you.

If you need help, get help.

Don't lose hope.

www.nida.nih.gov

www.AA.org

When the orchestra's ready.....

2010-12-18T10:57:00.003-05:00

22 years ago today (actually it's this evening), my friend Folly and I were sitting at the picnic table in our kitchen discussing addiction. She suggested I stop drinking.

At the time, it was a novel idea that I would like to say I had not considered. But I actually had thought about it but had usually come up with an excuse or a defense on why this was not a good idea. But the space between thinking and taking action was getting shorter and extremely stressful. I had been drinking - but on this day, the planets were aligned and the message was received.

I had no clue about the very long ahead.

It's funny now, but at that time, it was weird. I had somehow managed to make it through most of grad school - it was the end of the first semester of my last year. And I'm not sure what you call it but I had a "mini freak out" where I just started thinking about the path my life had taken and how I had ended up "here". I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life, no clue where I wanted to be, no clue how I would ever be a good counselor.

The days of classes, labs, video-taped sessions of "tell me how you feel" or "why do you think that is?" had just gotten to me. The perpetual "looking inward" that was demanded of all of us had forced me to take a long hard stare at the way my life was going and I couldn't handle what I saw.

I had no idea what to do.

So at 6:00am on a cold december morning in western Massachusetts, I picked up the phone and made the call. I had no idea how to communicate how I was feeling - which having completed most of my counseling courses was a little ironic; but I knew someone who did.

My lifeline was a 30-something year old clinical nurse specialist and friend whom I had once overheard telling her boyfriend exactly how she felt about him when they were speaking on the phone. I remembered thinking that I wish I was that articulate and could express my feelings the way she had at the time. - So as I picked up the phone to call her, I knew that if I couldn't tell her exactly how I was feeling, at least she would probably be able to understand.

She understood completely and connected me to Rorry Zahourek, another clinical specialist nurse who helped me navigate the very difficult early stages of recovery.

I remember that day (and the dark night before) like it was yesterday; more vivid in the emotional turbulence of fear, vulnerability and concern about the days ahead but at least being glad to have finally made the decision.

For me, mastering the art of recovery has been a lot like sailing. There have been "close-hauled" days - like those spent sailing upwind with the sail over the center of boat as it plows through the water at breakneck speed while each wave hits the side of the boat and sprays cold saltwater over us as the boat moves forward. And then there are the "downwind" days as the wind and warmth of the sun comes from behind you captured by a huge, beautifully colored spinnaker. Like tides, these are the ebb and flow of life which has become a whole lot better without alcohol.

Today I am abundantly blessed with an "inner circle" of great friends and colleagues who have helped me achieve things I never thought possible. Several of them have endured similar obstacles and I think we are all better having navigated (and learned from) the experiences we've had.

Ready for Spring Break? Here's information to help!

2010-02-19T06:42:00.001-05:00

One of the greatest things about the National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse is that they do not just provide research and insights in Alcoholism, they also provide great information for patients and families to assist in addressing alcoholism issues as they arise.

The term "Spring Break" has a lot associated with it - mostly vacations to warm, sunny places and the opportunity to get some much needed relaxation in the middle of a busy school year.

And while there's partying and room for things to go wrong, there's also an opportunity to have a discussion with our family members and friends about the importance of staying safe and taking care of yourself.

The National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse has a brochure (in pdf format) about college drinking and the effects of alcohol as well as the importance of staying safe which can befound by clicking here.

Message from the Coroner: Prescription Pain Medication is Killing Our Young

2009-07-05T11:26:00.003-05:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

There are many important messages in this video - the most important of which is that fact that addiction does not discriminate. - Don't ever think that this can't happen to you.

Need Help? - Contact us by clicking here

2009-07-04T21:15:00.001-05:00

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"If at first you don't succeed": Negating the 'chronic relapse' issue with addictions

2009-06-30T08:36:00.002-05:00

This is the quote that gets me:

“After the first couple of times I went through, they basically told me that there was nothing they could do,” said Angella, a 17-year-old from the central Oregon city of Bend, who by freshman year in high school was drinking hard liquor every day, smoking pot and sampling a variety of harder drugs. “They were like, ‘Uh, I don’t think so.’ ”

The quote is from an article in the New York Times written by Benedict Carey in December of 2008 entitled "Drug Rehabilitation or Revolving Door" which explores evidenced based addiction treatment in different states throughout the country. It's a great article that explores how addiction treatment has evolved in the wake of the recent passage of the mental health parity laws which cover addiction treatment.

Oregon is one of the states that has ramped up practices to make treatment programs more accountable; others include Delaware and North Carolina.

Having worked in addictions, I can tell you that I cringe when hear quotes like the one above and also when I hear the term "chronic relapser". Sometimes patients will refer to themselves as chronic relapsers, other times it will come from the mouths of the professionals responsible for caring for them.

I struggle with this issue because there seems to be (or better yet - I interpret there to be) a finality to it. Like 'we've done everything we can' from the treatment providers perspective and a 'I've tried everything' from the patient's perspective. I always wonder about this - whether we've tried everything or whether we're missing something as well as how to reinforce the hope for the patient. Overcoming an addiction is not easy, overcoming a failed addiction treatment program just makes all of the emotions and symptoms underneath the addiction worse.

And is it a "treatment failure"? - I don't think so because even when patients leave programs and relapse, you can't take away information that they've learned. What you can do is look at where things went wrong and build on that knowledge. - Which is what you should also do when the dark cloud of "chronic relapser" hovers around your treatment center.

Ask your team 'what haven't we tried' or 'is there something underlying this addiction that maybe we're missing?' which is often the case with a traumatogenic addiction.
If you are a patient / addict struggling with an addiction, ask yourself 'what haven't I tried'? Don't give up, keep going. And if the issue is with a provider, see if you can explore that issue further. I frequently remind people that a counselor is only as good as what you feel comfortable telling them. If you feel like you do not have a good rapport with them, see if you can talk to them about that or ask them for a referral to another counselor.

I know that seeking treatment for an addiction requires a lot of inner strength as does trying to work through a relationship with a counselor so that you can get the support you need; in the end however, the life lessons you can gain from all of these experiences will support not only your recovery but also your relationships with those closest to you.
Keep going and remember the quote from Thomas H. Palmer:

"'Tis a lesson you should heed,
Try, try again.
If at first you don't succeed,
Try, try again."

Stay strong,

Speed Writing on the Whiteboard

2009-05-09T10:45:00.003-05:00

If I have a complaint about all of the addiction clinics where I have ever worked, it is this: why is it so difficult to have a large whiteboard? (like 3' by 4' if not bigger)

Normally I would think this is me - just being a little too neurotic. But yesterday I had the opportunity to talk with someone (who is presently at one of the best rehab places in the country) who spoke of how hard it was to listen to a lecture because the counselor was going so fast. "I was trying to write everything down" my friend said "and the next thing I knew, the board was erased and there was something completely different up there."

I could relate because I do this too.
Talk really fast - write - connect - make diagram after diagram about the progression of addiction, triggers, relapse, psych symptoms, reasons to stay clean, negative effects of feelings, emotions, symptoms, and then swoosh - in a second it's all gone because I need more space.

"Okay, everyone have this memorized?" I usually say (right before I erase).
(This is where everyone laughs as they realize this challenge as well).
If I hear "wait" then I stop. and we review. If I don't then I leave whatever is related to my next subject in the hopes that this small transition will help.

I've had my colleagues walk into my group room after a group and say: "wow, what just happened here" after looking at all of the writing and diagrams.
It is one of the reasons this blog exists - because I wanted to make sure there was additional information - or more information if needed.

The bottom line is that a 26 day intensive outpatient program (like a 28 day inpatient rehab program) always seems like a long time when in fact, it really isn't. Not when compared to years and years of drinking and drug use.

And the hard part is there's also a 'race against time' factor happening - as each new addict / alcoholic struggles with recovery and the challenges of being newly sober, here come the triggers, the challenges, the relationship struggles, the feelings that are frequently too difficult to manage alone when you're not sure how yet to ask for help, support, ideas, coping strategies or where the best meeting is.

"Which number is bigger?" I ask
(on a whiteboard, it looks like this)

24 days < or > 10 years

"10 years" is the response. It's not a difficult question. But more importantly are the ideas of time that are underneath the question - "when you are angry, sad, hurt, frustrated.... where does your head go?" - to the coping skill which has helped manage these feelings for the last 10 years because this is more familiar then the information presented rapidly over a 24 day period that has not yet sunk in.

There's so little time - and so much to do / discuss / feel / develop insight.
My goal would be to have more clinicians blog.

"Dennis has a drinking problem..."

2009-03-30T22:43:00.001-05:00

This is a video from Sunday's celebrity apprentice when West Coast Choppers owner Jesse James confronts NBA star Dennis Rodman on his addiction to alcohol. Gentle - but firm.

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

"They are us in crisis..."

2008-07-04T22:18:00.000-05:00

This week I had the opportunity to meet a small group of patients who were interested in talking about their addictions but whom had not yet decided where to seek help.

As the group ended, one of the patients sat in a chair by the door and just started talking about her length of time sober and that she had relapsed after years of sobriety. On this day, she looked tired and defeated and looked sad as she said "I'm tired of helping everyone else....I'm a nurse".
"What kind of a Nurse?" I asked - I already knew what the answer was - not specifically, but I could tell it was something in acute care just by looking at how tired she seemed.

"Cardiac care" she said, "I'm retired now, but I worked in cardiac care for years".

I don't know why this affects me the way it does; probably because my mom was a nurse, my grandmother was a nurse, many of our friends were (or still are) nurses or physicians. We all have spent many years working in hospitals at all hours of the day and night.

Most of us have holidays off, vacation hours, extra time to spend with our families and friends. Some of my nursing friends in healthcare have an abundance of time to take off that just sits accumulating because there isn't coverage for them to leave or because they feel guilty leaving team members if they do - so they don't. I find that, in my present job, it's nice to not have to work on Christmas, but I remember those days when I did - when I was called in to meet with a patient at 2:00am because the ER was too busy or over-crowded. I know what it's like to leave a warm turkey dinner and throw on khakis and a shirt after the pager has gone off wondering why I even thought that I had the time to sit with my family and enjoy dinner. The turkey would sit and grow cold along with the mashed potatoes and veggies only to be reheated later around 8:00 am when I finally got relieved by the day shift.

I have never (ever) lost sight of the times I have spent sitting across from a homeless, suicidal patient who has no place to live, no where to go while I have left food on our table at home. And while I am grateful to have a place of my own, a roof over my head and food on the table, I am often more amazed at the immense amount of inner strength some of the patients I have seen have utilized to conquer the challenges they have faced.

Once I was at a meeting where a colleague of mine and I were trying to figure out how to explain the wide range of behavioral health symptoms and illnesses to our clinical teams. We wanted to stress the fact that there was often only a very fine line between the challenges faced by our patients and those faced by our colleagues or ourselves.

"They are us in crisis" she said; "we are them without a support system or a job".

I will never forget her words, and while I don't understand cardiac care, on Wednesday, I understood the look of pain - of giving so much and having nothing to show for it. I know that lifestyle and the immense amount of stress that goes with helping others. I know how easy it is to get lost in the problems, relationships and maladaptive coping skills that keep us so busy that we eventually get lost in ourselves.

I took the extra time to explain the importance of getting help to my new nurse friend, hoping she has the inner strength to reconnect with those who have supported her in the past.

My thoughts remain with her and the hundreds of thousands of healthcare professionals who spend hours in ER's, ICU's and acute care units in any one of the 6000 hospitals across the country who continue to work like nuts saving lives while I am home asleep.

The "M" Word

2008-06-01T07:39:00.001-05:00

The "M" Word: "Meetings"

One of the toughest tasks in recovery involves gathering the courage to attend AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), NA (Narcotics Anonymous) or any support group that can assist you with maintaining support.

I think there are a few reasons for this resistance - here are my 5 favorites:

1. You may be clinging to the thought that you can still do it all yourself - that you don't really need anyone elses' help - you're just missing something and it will come with time.
2. You don't like meeting new people or walking into a room filled with people you don't know (although - you have to admit, you may see someone you know and maybe this is a problem too).
3. There's the "God" thing
4. There's the "holding hands" thing
5. There's the "trust" thing

By attending a meeting you have to walk into a room of total strangers and accept that they may be able to help you. - This concept blows the lid on the extensive secretiveness we often use when trying to hide an addiction. While this may be an uncomfortable thought - the action of learning to trust others and let them help you is something that will be extremely beneficial for you in the days ahead. Here are 3 steps to consider in attempting to gather the courage to attend an alcoholics anonymous meeting or a narcotics anonymous meeting (keeping in mind there are other options available to you - see the list of support groups in the right hand column):

Step 1: Engage in an AA or NA "drive by". This is when you go to where you know an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting or Narcotics Anonymous meeting is being held. Watch the people going into (or standing outside of) the meeting. Watch their 'energy' and their presence. This practice enables you to gain more of a familiarity with who attends meetings and where the meeting is actually held which helps reduce the anxiety affiliated with actually walking into the meeting. The rule about AA or NA "drive by's" however is that you have to actually walk into the meeting the 3rd time.

Step 2: Attend a meeting with someone you know (if they are in recovery). Should you decide to attend a meeting with a friend or family member who is not in recovery, you can attend an "open" meeting which is a meeting for people interested in recovery and / or those seeking additional information about Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. (And yes, these meetings are also attended by recovering alcoholics and addicts as well).

Step 3: "Just get your body in the door" - this is what I was told several years ago when resisting suggestions to attend a meeting. I had all of the 'resistance' factors listed above and in the end, the woman whom I credit with saving my life, made that comment to me and I knew it was time to jump in and 'engage'. I did two AA "drive by's" at a meeting in Springfield MA. (Mercy Hospital - Sunday afternoon). There was an older guy (70's) in a pink shirt who looked like he had just stepped off the "back 9". I got out of my car, walked in and sat in the back of the room right next to him. And then when I got a little more courage, I got up, walked over to the table, poured myself a cup of coffee (the real stuff) and grabbed some cookies and went back to my chair and sat down. When I got a little more courage, I introduced myself to a few people and actually shook the hand of the 'greeter' who stood inside the door when the meeting began.

Mostly (and most importantly) I listened.

As this was a "Speaker" meeting. I paid attention to what was being said and looked for things (yes, emotions and feelings) I could relate to. I attended this meeting on a regular basis and eventually made it my home group.

It was from this experience that I learned the importance of letting people get to know me and that by trusting them and listening to their "experience, strength and hope", they could help me maintain sobriety - just for today.

Craig Ferguson speaks from the heart...

2008-04-27T17:16:00.000-05:00

Alcohol: A Womens' Health Issue

2008-03-16T22:39:00.000-05:00

Communication strategies: how to talk to someone about an addiction.

2008-01-23T06:56:00.000-05:00

Do you know someone who is struggling with an addiction? Interested in telling them how you feel about it? You may want to consider the following:

1. If the person has been drinking, (and is presently intoxicated), s/he may not be able to 'hear' your message as much as if they were sober. Consider approaching them when they have not been drinking or when the alcohol they have consumed has worn off.

2. A little bit about communication: Whenever you start a sentence with "you" (ie: "you drink to much"), they usually become defensive quite quickly. A way to counteract this is for you to use "I" statements (ie: "I'm concerned about how much you have been drinking").

3. One of the best ways to approach a friend or family member is to use the "Assertiveness formula" which is:

"When you (insert the action that is bothering you here)"
"I feel (insert one - and only one - feeling word here)"
"I need (insert the resolution of your concern here)"

For example, the results may sound like:

"When you come home intoxicated"
"I feel sad (or 'disappointed', 'concerned', 'hurt' - just don't use all of these terms at once as the person you are talking to may become quite defensive and feel barraged by your emotions / feelings).
"I need you to know that I love you and would like to assist you with getting help for your addiction".
"I need you to make sure you are with a designated driver who can bring you home if you have been drinking".

The 'feeling' part is important as, whenever you use a sentence like "I feel hurt" or "I feel disappointed", it carries more weight then saying something like "I think you drink too much". Additionally, if you're angry, you may want to give a quick check to whether you are really angry or if your anger is covering up a different feeling or emotion which may be more difficult for you to talk about like 'hurt', 'disappointed', 'sad' or 'fearful'.

Interventions sometimes have a "strength in numbers" dynamic which is beneficial as it's not only you, your spouse or family confronting the person but also, friends, teammates or colleagues who may also share your concerns.

Another approach you may consider is from a family legacy perspective. Many families have developed a 'mission' or a set of values that are communicated across generations. Should you have the opportunity to revisit the values and expectations that you have of yourself and each other as a family, you may want to consider bringing that into the discussion as well just to let him / her know that, as s/he is a member of your family, you love them, but with that love comes a responsibility for respecting the relationships s/he has with you, your family and friends.

Lastly, if s/he doesn't want to get help, see if you can at least encourage them to get a physical or see their physician and then talk to his / her doctor about how much they have been using (or drinking). The physician may not be able to release information back to you but you will have the opportunity to express your concerns.

Need additional assistance regarding this? Contact our healthcare consulting firm, Critical Success Strategies LLC or visit our website at http://www.criticalS2.us .

Anger emotions

2007-12-11T00:18:00.000-05:00

There's nothing like a little anger emotions to challenge your recovery

But this is the thing: I always wonder if the emotions are really anger emotions or if the anger is covering up something that is tougher to talk about - like fear, frustration, resentment...or other emotions or feelings that have been buried a little longer: abandoment or vulnerability.

What's underneath the anger?

I think that it's always easier to tell someone you're feeling angry, or pissed off, or rageful - because most folks can identify with those feelings as they've probably felt them before (and more often). They'll be able to relate - "yeah, that would piss me off too.." or "I've felt that way before...".

But when words like "abandonment" or "vulnerability" are brought up, the conversation goes to a whole new level and often requires a lot more trust. To me, these are the conversations where you learn who your friends are and who will be there to support you when the going gets really tough.

You can go all the way to the bottom....but you don't have to.

2007-12-10T23:43:00.000-05:00

Many years ago (I think it was 1965 ish), E.M. Jellinek wrote a book called "The Disease Concept of Alcoholism" in which (along with other definitions) he defined alcoholism as "when one's drinking causes any damage to the individual, to society or both". I love this definition because of the subjective nature of it (which is also why some may criticize it). What is 'damage'? For some it may be a DWI, for others it may be the loss of a marriage, medical stressors, career, financial stressors or even a life. What fascinates me about this illness is that, for the most part, you never really know what is enough to make someone get the help they need to stop.

One of the metaphors used in the HBO series on Addiction likened alcoholism to "being on a down elevator", you don't have to go all the way to the bottom, you can step off at any time - just hit the button.

Here's a few really good resources for stress management should you be in a relationship with someone who has an addiction.
Stress and Coping with Stress

Need more help? Contact us:
Critical Success Strategies, LLC
The Addiction Navigator

Our Company: Critical Success Strategies, LLC

2007-07-09T09:11:00.000-05:00

Are you concerned about someone with an addiction? Here's 7 points to consider.

2007-07-01T18:03:00.000-05:00

1. Be mindful of the amount of stress you are under (if you are a family member of the person with the addiction). Remember, you can't help anyone unless you are strong enough to take care of yourself first. Take the time you need to reduce the stress you may have from being in a tense situation (of note the meditation video found on Revolutionhealth.com is a great place to start).

2. When discussing the issue with your family member or friend, use "I" terms instead of "you" (ie: "you drink too much" etc..). Tell them how you feel: "I'm concerned about your drinking and it breaks my heart when I see you drink".

3. An intervention as a family (and with friends or other people who are concerned for the person who is addicted) may be more effective as this is a 'strength in numbers' thing. Again, if everyone writes or thinks about what they want to say beforehand, this is better as sharing their own specific experiences and feelings about the person's drinking or drug use may have a stronger impact then vague, unsubstantiated comments about the drinking / drug use that your loved one may be able to refute with defenses and rationalizations.

4. Interventions are always more effective if they are done when the person with the addiction is able to fully comprehend the feelings and concerns being expressed to them. Reconsider approaching them if they have already been drinking or using drugs.

5. The family approach is always better as, if your concerns are collaboratively, you will model 'healthy' communication styles that are often very difficult to utilize in early recovery. This is also important when modeling healthy (and age appropriate) communication for any younger children who are present in the family.

6. If the person remains reluctant to get help, see if they would at least consider getting a physical or seeing a counselor. You may also want to consider family therapy as going for counseling as a family may be easier in that the family counselor may be able to facilitate the intervention and assist your loved one with accessing help.

7. Addictions often progress over long periods of time - often years. Be patient and remember that it sometimes takes an immense amount of time to recover from an addiction but remember that family relationships often become stronger as a result of these challenges. Initially what may be "the light at the end of the tunnel" may be the "light of the oncoming train" for the person entering treatment as a result of the challenges they may have to face in early recovery.

Interested in obtaining further information or assistance, the team at Critical Success Strategies, LLC is able to assist you. Visit us on the web at www.criticalS2.us or call 1.800.531.0592. We're able to provide coaching for you if your are interested in discussing these issues further and look forward to hearing from you.

Alcoholism Addiction Treatment

2007-03-24T20:48:00.000-05:00

Alcoholism Addiction Treatment

HBO has been running a series on addiction which has an abundance of the most recent research and innovative treatment for patients with addictions.

When I think about the amount of money that addictions cost individuals, families and the health care system, I feel that this comprehensive series is long overdue. And money is just part of it - there's also an abundance of emotional pain, shame, guilt, fear and turbulance that takes quite a toll on patients and their families and friends.

In 1965, E.M. Jellinek (in his book on the Disease Concept of Alcoholism) defined alcoholism as "when one's drinking causes any damage to the individual, to society or both". I love this definition because places the consequences of one's addiction on the individual and those closest to them. It lets the individual decide when they have had enough. I've sometimes heard patients compare the extensiveness of their addictions with one another - but the definition of "damage" may consist of a wide range of challenges faced when using alcohol and / or drugs.

In teenagers, these challenges may consist of problems with friends (peer pressure, self-esteem and other relationship issues) as well as school work and the relationships with their family. In adults, the challenges may consist of relationship stressors, work stressors, financial, medical, spiritual or cultural issues - none of which become better as the progression of addiction continues.

Throughout my career as a healthcare professional, I have always been astounded by the answers I have received after asking patients what they have lost as a result of their addiction. The answers usually range from cars to jobs, marriages and money; but the tone in the room often becomes more quiet when the losses include children, families and identity. I am awed by the courage it takes to face those issues directly as well as seeing the emotional congruence which is present when having to ask for help.

The links on the left side of this blog offer some treatment options for those with addictions. Should you be experiencing some of these issues or challenges as well, please do not hesitate to e-mail us.