Substance abuse counselor training using cognitive behavioral approach

October 7, 2015

Substance abuse counselor training using cognitive behavioral approach: Treating cocaine addiction

Substance abuse counselor training using cognitive behavioral approach is quickly gaining roots in the delivery of addiction treatment among therapist

If we want to have any meaningful treatment of all kind of addiction, it is first important that we have a team of well-trained and competent professionals to handle the job. That is why doctor Dalal Akoury and her team of experts from the home of addiction solution (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) strongly believe in substance abuse counselor training using cognitive behavioral approach among other training modes available. It is also important for the qualified experts to appreciate that the integrating cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) and medication is very essential since it is highly compatible with pharmacotherapy. When applied in combination with medication, the range of CBT interventions expands to include a focus on enhancing medication compliance. Generally, medication response and compliance are monitored during the early part of each session and that is to say that the first third of each hour of the training session which then translate into a 20/20/20 session. And for a better understanding of these facts, the following are some specific strategies that have been found useful:

Substance abuse counselor training using cognitive behavioral approach: Inquire as to patients’ previous experience with medication

It is always very important that specialist attending to the needs of addicts should explore deeply about the previous experience with medication by asking questions as this will help in laying down the frame work of proper treatment. the following are some of the questions the therapist may consider asking:

Therapists should ask patients about their prior history with pharmacotherapy for any psychiatric disorder or condition.
Why was it prescribed?
Was it helpful?
Under what conditions was it terminated?
Did they take the medication as prescribed faithfully to the last dose?

From the results of such questions, the therapist should be able to point out areas of noncompliance and this should alert them into professionally establishing the patients’ view as to why they did not comply previously and also to attempt to address those issues proactively.

Substance abuse counselor training using cognitive behavioral approach: Address patients’ concerns about medication

Listening is very paramount in the treatment process. It is therefore important that therapist take time to listen to their clients carefully for any concerns, including any misunderstandings, or prejudices about taking medication and find ways of addressing them timely and assertively. These may include misconceptions about expected medication effects, time needed to experience the effect, side effects, dosing, and interactions with cocaine and other substances. It is important that therapists provide clarification in clear, familiar terms and frequently check back with patients to be sure that they have understood.

Besides that, sometimes the effects of medication may not come immediately apparent, it is important to inform patients that it may take several weeks before therapeutic effects emerge; thus, patients should be encouraged to expect gradual rather than all-or-nothing change. Explaining the gradual emergence of medication effects provides an opportunity for the therapist to emphasize that patients should not expect to benefit from an entirely passive stance regarding CBT treatment simply because they are taking medication. Mastery and implementation of coping skills remain an essential and important part of treatment; medication may be an additional, useful adjunct or tool.

Substance abuse counselor training using cognitive behavioral approach: Assess medication compliance since last session

Close, consistent, and careful monitoring is one of the most effective strategies for enhancing compliance with medications. Thus, a portion of each session should be devoted to evaluating medication compliance and working through any difficulties that might arise. In general, until the patients’ compliance pattern is clearly established, therapists should, in every meeting, inquire about medication compliance, day by day, since the last session. This should include asking when patients take the medication, how they take the medication, and a thorough discussion of any deviation from the prescribed dose and schedule.

In her many years of service in this discipline, doctor Akoury has noted that compliance and retention are most difficult to achieve early and late in treatment – early if the patient is not receiving obvious benefit, and later if the patient, after obtaining a partial or full therapeutic response, does not appreciate the need to continue treatment. Thus, therapists should be particularly attentive to compliance and motivation issues during early and late sessions.

Substance abuse counselor training using cognitive behavioral approach: Praise medication compliance

Therapists should also convey confidence in the medication and inform patients of the likely benefits. Therapists should be strongly on the side of compliance and praise patients’ compliance enthusiastically and genuinely. Like for instance you could appreciate your patient by saying that “I have seen you take your medication diligently since our last meeting and that’s really great. I know you may have had some doubts about whether the medication would work for you, and I’m glad you were willing to give it a try. And by the way have you noticed any positive changes you think might be related to the medication?” for better assessment, doctor Akoury suggest that the patient improvement should be related to compliance and lack of improvement and luck of it to noncompliance.

The other point of significance to the therapist is to establish and stress the connection between medication compliance, psychotherapy sessions, and improvement. Therapists should make explicit causal links between patients’ compliance and improvement in cocaine abuse and other appropriate target symptoms. Conversely, therapists might tie poor compliance to failure to improve. Therapist should continue appreciating the effort of their clients from time to time like for instance you could point out that “since you’ve been taking the medication, I can see a lot of positive changes in your life. And by the way you’ve cut down significantly on your cocaine use and it is impressing that you’ve been feeling a lot better. I think the changes indicate that the medication is helping you. What do you think?” engagements like that are very important for recovering addicts in every session you have with them. That way they will see some progress and put in more effort in their commitment to kicking out cocaine addiction out of their lives.

Finally we want to assure you that we are always very much available for you as professionals anytime of the day and therefore if you need help in any way, remember that at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care we focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. Take note that doctor Akoury is offering her exclusive NER Recovery Treatment to other physicians and health care professionals through training, clinical apprenticeships, webinars and seminars. Therefore any qualified professional can now be a part of this truly successful and fast addiction recovery treatment any time any day by scheduling for an appointment with doctor Akoury today.

Substance abuse counselor training using cognitive behavioral approach: Treating cocaine addiction

Drug use and Drug Addiction in Prisons

May 17, 2014

Drug use and Drug Addiction in Prisons-Possible Remedies

Drug use and addiction in prisons is a threat to the well being of the society. Efforts must be done to ensure drugs are not smuggled in prison.

Is it true that the correctional facilities world over is saturated with individuals convicted of drug related crimes? And are the authorities doing enough to ensure that those serving their terms come out completely changed and reformed citizens when their term is over? I have been wondering what life is like in the prison especially in relation to drug use and drug addiction. I believe you are also having the same feelings. Since we are sharing this common feeling I want to request you to stay on this site for a while and keep reading so that together we can unlock the truth about this. It is important to note that the problem of drug use is not affecting those convicts and their families only it is a problem for all of us irrespective of your position in the society. Have you ever thought of how you could be affected? If you haven’t then this article will be an eye opener for you as we continue in the discussion of the problem at hand.

Drug use and Drug Addiction in Prisons-We are all Victims of Drug Related Crime

Even though you may not be the person using alcohol or drugs, or violating the law and for sure you are not, you are surrounded by law breakers and drug abusers increasing your risks of being a victim of an alcohol or drug-related crime. As a matter of fact millions of people each year are victims of alcohol or drug related crime, including millions of young people. To illustrate this candidly it will be important that we have a look at some of the available statistics from the past studies done which include the following:

Each year, more than 600,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking.
95% of all violent crime on college campuses involves the use of alcohol by the assailant, victim or both.
90% of acquaintance rape and sexual assault on college campuses involves the use of alcohol by the assailant, victim or both.
Every day, 36 people die, and approximately 700 are injured, in motor vehicle crashes that involve in an alcohol-impaired driver. Drinking and drugged driving is the number one cause of death, injury and disability of young people under the age of 21.

Scrutinizing the connection between alcohol, drugs and crime is very clear and, so is the connection between alcohol and drug addiction and crime. We will therefore need to break the chain that links drug addiction and crime in our society by all means. Like-minded people must work closely with the authorities to ensure that drug addiction does not cause us this enormous pain. We must stand out and do something to impact positively on our children because having them locked up in prison is not rely the solution. The experience we have is that jail alone has had little effect on reduction of drug addiction or in promoting recovery. Holding someone in jail, without access to alcohol and drug addiction treatment, with no specific plans for treatment and recovery support upon release, is not only expensive but it is also very ineffective. The ineffectiveness of our recreational facilities has only succeeded in faulting the criminal justice system.

Drug use and Drug Addiction in Prisons-Drug supply in the prisons

Much as law breakers needs to be put behind bars there has been rising concern about the smuggling of drugs to inmates. This may not be to all the inmates but it doesn’t matter the number small or big the bottom line is that unwanted substances find their way in the prison. Bringing the question how and why? The authority must investigate and weed out the corrupt officers from the system to contain smuggling of illicit substances into the prisons. You can imagine an inmate in the correctional facility abusing drug. This inmate will soon complete his or her term and be welcomed back to the society who may want to believe that the time spent in the prison has been of help to him/her only to realize that the individual is worse than before. This is not only painful to the society which is expected to welcome former convicts back but also to the authorities and by extension to the tax pay who ultimately foot all the bills of keeping the wrong doers in the prisons.

Back to the supply of drugs in prison, apart from the corrupt officers colluding with the inmates to smuggle drugs in jails, it also believed that inmates have their criminal colleagues in the society who pay them visits during the official visiting hours in the prisons and smuggle drugs to their friends. It is because of these challenges that the prison authorities are seeking for the law to be amended to give them more powers to strip the inmate where necessary when making periodic impromptu search within their jurisdiction.

Drug use and Drug Addiction in Prisons-Solutions for drug use and drug addiction

Nonetheless having known that we are all victims of drug use and addiction it is very important that we focus on the solution oriented mechanism because for many in the criminal justice system, preventing future crime and re-arresting former convicts after release is impossible without treatment for and recovery from addiction to alcohol and drugs. Balancing accountability, treatment and recovery, emphasis should be made to the authorities and especial our judicial system to form special drug court programs across the country and states. These Drug Courts are judicially-supervised court dockets mandated to evaluate and strike the proper balance between the need to protect community safety and the need to improve public health and well-being; between the need for treatment and the need to hold people accountable for their actions between hope and redemption on the one hand and good citizenship on the other. Striking this balance will ensure only deserving cases end up in prisons while the bigger population are handled locally and immediate treatment is administered to them and when they are fully recovered they can be ushered back to the society.

Drug use and Drug Addiction in Prisons-Long Term Recovery

While appreciating the serious impact of alcohol and drug use on crime across the nation it is also important to note that many people who have been in the criminals justice system have broken the chain through long term recovery from alcohol and drug addiction which is why we must incorporate professionals with vast experience in handling matters of drug addiction. Dr. Dalal Akoury who is also the founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center will be an ideal candidate for this challenge. With over two decades of experience she is offering her exclusive NER Recovery Treatment to physicians and health care professionals through training, clinical apprenticeships, webinars and seminars globally, her services will come in handy for the long awaited break through id this set up.

Drug use and Drug Addiction in Prisons-Possible Remedies

Tag Archives: Drug court