Domestic violence and substance abuse are usually tied together. Substance abuse leads to emotionally abuse as well as physical abuse. It puts individuals out of control and in bad situations where abuse can occur.
The article, “Domestic violence escalated by substance abuse” by KRISTI R. GARABRANDT states,
“Victims of domestic violence and sexual assault are 15 times more likely to abuse alcohol and nine times more likely to abuse drugs, while abusers who use drugs and alcohol can escalate an already dangerous domestic situation into something even more dangerous.”
Often, mental illness and drug addiction go hand in hand. This is because when people use drugs, it is typically due to an underlying mental issue, such as depression and anxiety. Also, using drugs can trigger various types of mental disorders. Therefore, it is important to take a comprehensive approach when treating patients in order to determine if they have a mental disorder that needs to be addressed along with their treatment for addiction. The following information will provide a closer look at ways you can help patients who are suffering from both conditions in order to ensure a full and lasting recovery:
Develop an Integrated Treatment Plan
An integrated treatment plan will help to effectively address both the mental illness and the addiction. Examples of helpful methods include starting off with a medical detox when necessary. This will allow the patient to come off of the drugs or alcohol in a safe way. Once this is completed, the patient should be thoroughly evaluated in order to determine a proper diagnosis as well as a proper recovery plan. From here, it can be helpful to provide the patient with various types of therapy, such as one-on-one sessions and group sessions. This will allow them to work through their underlying issues that lead to addiction in the first place and can also give them the opportunity to relate to and empathize with others in a similar situation, which will show them that they are not alone and that they can work through their problems with others, which can help to achieve more meaningful and lasting results. Overall, a dual diagnosis treatment program can allow the patient to focus on healing from both their mental illness as well as their addiction and develop effective coping mechanisms for both issues.
Create an Aftercare Plan
Both mental illness and addiction can be an ongoing issue. Therefore, you will need to ensure that you provide patients with the proper tools they need to succeed beyond just the recovery phase. It can be helpful to encourage patients to continue attending therapy sessions during their transition back into normal life. It can also be beneficial to ensure that the patient is able to build a strong support system and is able to successfully navigate conflict. By building a support system, this will ensure that they have people who are there to help them during difficult times, and learning to effectively navigate conflict will ensure that they don’t become too overwhelmed when things go wrong, which will ensure they are able to fight the temptation to use again.
Overall, dealing with both addiction and mental illness can be a difficult process. There are likely many underlying issues that will need to be addressed and worked through. The aforementioned information makes a great starting point in order to ensure that patients are able to fully recover and go on to live normal healthy lives. Reintegrating back into society can often be difficult. So, it is important that you take the proper steps to ensure that patients are well-prepared to return to independent living and that they have the proper tools and knowledge needed to be successful.
Substance abuse among underage adults is becoming a national trend. Data shows this rise in the teen population. As a society, we need to answer this call and see where to root out this addiction. It definitely starts at home but good substance abuse programs and counselors are also a need.
The article, “Data show underage substance abuse on the rise” by by Kenneth Anton states in regards the dates,
“The number of substance abuse related felony hearings tripled during the same period. It should be noted that most of the Substance abuse cases, whether pre-expulsion or felony hearing, were mostly at the high school level, yet the lower grades were not immune to the unfortunate effects”
The article and data clearly shows that multiple addictions are on the rise in the youth and next generation. Please also review our Substance Abuse Counseling Program and see if it meets your professional needs.
Great discussion on the dangers of the holidays for those suffering from substance abuse. Addicted individuals who are trying to stay away from drinking find it extra hard during the holidays not to drink. Parties, others drinking and sometimes depression can all lead to drinking scenarios or other drugs. It is important to be mindful of family who suffer from substance abuse in planning parties. Have alternative options available for them and try to avoid putting them in tempting situations if possible.
The article, “Holidays a dangerous time for those with substance abuse” by Pam Bordelin states,
“Alcohol remains the most abused substance, with more than 15 million Americans suffering from alcohol use disorder. But quickly gaining ground are opioids. Officials have declared an opioid epidemic, a statement backed up by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. According to CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield, it’s the “public health crisis of our time.”
Good article on the dangers of teen substance abuse and five critical tips parents can use in order to protect their teens from dangerous and life altering decisions regarding substance abuse. Please also review our Substance Abuse Counseling Certification and see if it matches your academic and professional needs. Click here to review
The article, 5 Tips for Parents Dealing With Teen Substance Abuse, states
“Catching substance abuse early can help guide a teen back on track and potentially avoid years of physical, emotional, financial and legal repercussions.
Teen substance abuse is serious. According a survey conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), more than 7,800 people in the US begin using illicit drugs every day and more than half are under the age of 18. Finding out a teen is using drugs can be a scary and stressful experience for a parent.“
To read the entire article and learn the five tips to help your teen then please click here
Please also review our program in Substance Abuse Counseling and see if it matches your academic and professional needs
The article, “Prescription Drug Abuse Epidemic: Are Doctors to Blame?” source; Recovery First states
“Blaming doctors for America’s prescription drug addiction epidemic is popular lately even among many physicians & psychiatrists. But affixing blame is not easy”
American Institute Health Care Professionals‘s insight:
Substance abuse has risen with prescription abuse. Is it our fault or the doctors who write them without thinking of how they are working on the patient. There is a rise in malpractice over prescriptions that should not be given to patients. So should doctors in some, not all cases also share some responsibility? This article explores that question. What are your thoughts on the subject? Do you think doctors are to blame? Or do you think the patients share some of the responsibility?
If you are looking for an excellent substance abuse program then you should give ours a quick peek. Everything is self-paced and available online. You basically study at your own time and can move as fast or as slow as you like. Once you complete all of the courses you can apply for and earn your certification in substance abuse counseling. This certificate is good for 3 years and can be renewed by taking our re-certification courses and by gaining on the job experience. For more questions please feel free to contact us.
Substance Abuse counselors no doubt encounter common themes with their patients. One common denominator would probably be bad family life. While not always the case, undoubtedly, it is probably usually the case.
The sad plight of the American family since the cultural revolution of the 60s has led to a decay of the traditional family and its values. Values that held strongly to a moral code, interfamily communication, order, and support. These values have been become weakened with the infusion of moral subjectivism and materialism.
The case of materialism is especially striking. Potentially due to worse economic times, families strive for the dollar over quality time. Without a home maker, children are less and less supervised by the parents and fall victim to idle time and lack of guidance, falling prey to various social “isms”. In this idle time, replacing the dinner table, family board games, and a close emotional tie is the rise of video games and the internet. Regular social norms that take place in the real world are now replaced with artifical ways of communicaton. These artifical ways of communication also open the children to a wave of information previously unattainable. A simple click of the mouse and the teen or child is flooded with information that may not be suitable. Of course, if the parents are too busy to find time, despite their own schedule, then these ideals from television and the internet become more of an influence over their child.
The situation is even worse is split homes. Divorce destroys the family structure and leaves children vulnerable to other sources. Furthermore, depression and unresolved grief may affect the child. These situations are breeding grounds for substance abuse.
What Can Be Done?
Regardless if a family is still married or divorce, parents must find time for their child. The simple gesture of love and its ability to help a child grow is the difference. Listening to your child, partaking in his or her interests, doing things outside, and just giving them a hug when they are sad can make the biggest difference. The question is how broken is this generation’s parenting skills? Do parents wish to take time and realize that their child is their primary vocation before “me” time at the bar or if divorced, dating. No matter how tired after work, a parent needs to make sure their child does what he or she is supposed to do, but beyond that, let them know you care and love them. Let them know that their concerns matter and let them know that you want to do things with them and be part of their life.
While some parents may form a friendship partnership with their children, it is sitll important that while being part of their life, there is a line between parent and child. If done in love, this line will serve as an important basis for serving discipline with love and forming of character. The child needs to see the parent as someone he or she can talk to and have fun with but also hold for the parent that revered sense of respect.
Ultimately, the solution is simple in preventing substance abuse, yet are we, as parents, willing to sacrifice the “time”.
the article, “What Doesn’t Kill You Can Only Make You Stronger”, by George Heymont states
“With nice supporting work from Mitchell Lewis and Gustav von Seyffertitz (I just love the sound of that man’s name!), The Docks of New York proved to be a highly atmospheric surprise.”
American Institute Health Care Professionals‘s insight:
How Modern Substance Abuse Got Its Start.
This article takes a good look at the history of substance abuse and how AA was founded. It goes into detail about how even in the past social networking turned into a great way for support. We are social animals by nature. We learn as a group. We live as a group. We thrive in a group setting. Why would addiction counseling be any different? When in a group, support becomes stronger and we learn that we do not have to go it alone. This is why organizations like AA are so successful.
Understanding the Signs and Symptoms of Substance Abuse
Substance abuse is a big problem. A surprising number of people use narcotics for recreation . While heroin is the most popular illicit narcotic drug, there are a number of legal narcotic drugs that people experiment with. Here are some signs and symptoms of narcotic drug abuse:
When someone becomes addicted to a prescription narcotic drug, he or she often starts “doctor shopping” in order to increase his or her supply of the drug. The term “doctor shopping” refers to looking for doctors that are willing to prescribe more of a given drug. Doctor shopping is a sign that something is seriously wrong. It is not normal behavior and almost always indicates that some kind of drug addiction is involved.
A lot of narcotics abusers engage in doctor shopping. When they discover that their primary doctor is no longer willing to prescribe as much of their drugs as they want, they resort to looking for doctors willing to prescribe them what they want. Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous doctors out there that take advantage of this behavior. Many are not trained and have not had any type of substance abuse counseling education.
Craving the Narcotic
Often the first sign that someone is starting to abuse their prescribed narcotic medication is that he or she starts to crave it. Craving indicates that the person prescribed narcotics needs to talk to his or her doctor immediately in order to change his or her medication.
Almost always, a different (non-addictive) drug can be substituted in place of the currently prescribed drug. If this is not enough to deal with the problem, some kind of professional counseling may be needed.
Feeling a Need to Take the Narcotic to Feel Normal
Narcotics are powerful drugs that do play a useful role in pain management. Problems develop when people prescribed narcotics inadvertently become addicted to them. One of the earliest signs of this is feeling a strong need to take the narcotic in order to feel normal.
As dependence on the narcotic develops, addicts feel the need to take the narcotic drug more and more frequently. At first, escalating the dose brings relief. Then, inevitably, after a period of time addicts feel like they need to escalate the dose again. This leads to a never-ending cycle of increasing the dose, feeling comfortable with the new increased dose, and then feeling the need to increase the dose yet again.
Narcotics abusers often feel unusually euphoric. They may appear to be exceptionally elated (or “high”) much of the time. Ultimately, the persistent euphoria a lot of narcotics users experience greatly interferes with their ability to function well in everyday life. They find that they can no longer hold down a job, and they are incapable of functioning well in society. Of course, some narcotics abusers are able to hide their euphoria and more or less blend into society. But these abusers are the exception, not the rule.
Ultimately, narcotics abuse often leads to respiratory problems because narcotics sedate the muscles involved in breathing. A narcotics overdose often leads to death through this mechanism. Persistently shallow respiration is a very worrisome symptom of narcotics abuse. Narcotics abusers that develop it are often quite close to dying as a result of their drug abuse habit.
The overuse of narcotics tends to mess with normal elimination. Narcotics abusers typically become constipated as a result. The degree of constipation is usually tied to the degree of narcotics abuse. The more the narcotics abuser abuses narcotics, the more constipated he or she becomes.
Narcotics abusers sometimes exhibit slurred speech, which may cause people to assume they are drunk. Slurred speech frequently occurs in narcotics abusers because heavy narcotics use tends to interfere with normal thinking and the ability to communicate clearly.
While a lot of drugs tend to dilate pupils when they are abused, narcotics are unusual in that they contract pupils. This sometimes gives narcotics abusers the appearance of having “beady” eyes. (Of course, lots of other things besides narcotics abuse can temporarily diminish pupil size.) Narcotics abuse is a big problem in many industrialized countries. Abusers often start abusing narcotics after accidentally becoming addicted to narcotics prescription medication. Doctors who prescribe narcotics need to be especially careful to look for signs and symptoms of narcotic drug abuse in the patients they have prescribed narcotics.
If you want to learn how to stop substance abuse or if you are interested in becoming a certified substance abuse counselor then you might want to visit our webpage.