Tag Archives: Addiction and fear

Polysubstance Abuse, You can fight Polysubstance Abuse

August 15, 2014

Fighting Polysubstance Abuse – Drug Addiction

Polysubstance abuse

Fighting polysubstance abuse- the war on drugs must be worn at all cost. Indulgence in polysubstance abuse is not helping fight the war.

We are living in a world where people want to explore all things even those things that are dangerous to their lives. Take for example drugs, there are substances which are not just harmful to one’s life but are life threatening and fatal. You would therefore wonder why someone would want to take this kind of adventure. I am not trying to confuse you here but I am talking about what is known as polysubstance abuse which is defined as the use of more than three groups of addictive substances over a period of one year. This normally happens when a person indulges in acts of abusing several substances within a short period of time, often in an attempt to enhance the effect of a single drug to create a more intense high. We can therefore conclude that polysubstance abuse is where no single substance is identified as the user’s drug of choice.

Some combination drug users have “patterned” use. These include:

  • Alcoholics who for example use will cocaine only after they’ve reached a certain state of intoxication meaning that they don’t overuse.
  • Addicts who speed ball that is to say that they are mixing cocaine and heroin for intravenous use and other combinations.
  • There is another polysubstance subgroup, consisting mostly of adults already addicted to alcohol. After an injury or surgery, they were placed on opiate medications and developed a pain syndrome over time. They then mixed substances or switched to opiates as their drug of choice.

Polysubstance Abuse among Different Populations

Adult polysubstance abuse, according to literature, is often associated with other mental health conditions. Homelessness, personality disorders, and psychiatric disorders such as major depression, psychosis, and bipolar disorder are common. The overlap of polysubstance dependence and psychiatric problems points to a lot of self-medication. Typically, among multiple substance users, individuals used alcohol or marijuana at an early age and then added other substances (or changed their drugs of choice) without quitting their original substances.

  • Among young people, polysubstance abuse is often the norm, and not the exception. The most commonly abused polysubstance by adolescents are marijuana, alcohol, and heroin. Other drugs used include MDMA (ecstasy), dextromethorphan, multiple forms of opiates, cocaine, hallucinogens, and inhalants.
  • A 2004 study of young people reported that one-half had used an illicit street drug by the end of their senior year. Two million young people need treatment for alcohol and drug addiction, but only 8 percent actually get it. Nearly one-third of young people addicted to psycho-stimulants also suffered from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and 20 percent said they gave their medications to others.
  • One treatment facility said that 33 percent of the adolescents currently in treatment had polysubstance addiction.
  • The elderly are another population that clearly has a problem with polysubstance abuse.
  • Older people have more medical conditions that often require prescriptions. Over time with debilitating illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease the tendency to over medicate (taking more of a drug, more often, forgetting when and if medication was already taken) increases the likelihood of polysubstance abuse. Combined with alcohol, the results can be devastating, even fatal.
  • Elderly women tend to keep their substance abuse and chemical dependency secret. Alcoholism occurs later in women’s lives, perhaps due to problems associated with divorce or separation. Women who are over 55 have less tolerance for alcohol and are therefore more prone to addiction. They are also less likely than men to seek treatment and also use prescribed psychoactive drugs.
  • Polysubstance abuse is increasingly prevalent among the street drug user population. Different substances abused include heroin, prescription opioids, benzodiazepines, cocaine, crack, alcohol, and marijuana.

Detoxification for Polysubstance Abuse and Addiction

Before treatment to address underlying causes of polysubstance addiction, detoxification must first be done. Detox is more complex and problematic with polysubstance addiction for several reasons. An accurate history of total substances abused must be obtained, and the patient may not be able or willing to provide complete details. Determination of the actual substance being used has to be made using screens for breath, urine, and/or blood.

  • Some patients can be treated on an outpatient basis, but others, particularly those with alcohol, sedative, hypnotic, opioid, and anxiolytic abuse may require hospitalization or inpatient detox. Repeated abstinence failures or severe anxiety, depression, or psychotic symptoms lasting 1 to 3 days after abstinence may also require inpatient substance abuse treatment.
  • After patients admitted for detox for opioids began to show classic alcohol withdrawal symptoms, some treatment professionals opted to routinely treat their detox patients with thiamine until a determination could be made that there was no history of alcohol use.
  • Diagnosis and treatment of patients who have been on psychotropic medications while they were already addicted is more difficult.
  • If a patient doesn’t know, or is unable to discuss, use of opioid drugs and it’s been days since their last drug use, opiate withdrawal symptoms can lag. Urine screens my not be able to detect the drug.
  • Treatment for mixed addiction that also includes alcohol use may include benzodiazepines during the acute phase of alcohol withdrawal. Benzodiazepines can help decrease tremors and prevent or reduce increases in heart rate and blood pressure.
  • Medication to treat symptoms of diarrhea or muscle aches may also be prescribed. Folic acid, thiamine, and Vitamin B-12 may counteract vitamin deficiencies.

Evaluation Factors

The length of the treatment program is determined by how long and what type of substance dependence the patient has, whether or not organ damage exists, any underlying mental illness, the patient’s desire to change and willingness to undergo treatment, adequacy of the patient’s social support system, treatment choice, and plans for ongoing care.

Treatment after Detox

After drug use patterns and substances have been identified, a thorough psychological evaluation is necessary. There needs to be enough time for detox, history evaluation, and a thorough understanding of any psychiatric conditions that exist.

Although there are many different aspects of treatment, they generally include four phases.

The acute phase – this is where the focus is on alleviating symptoms or physiological withdrawal. This typically lasts 3 to 5 days, but is dependent on the number, type, and length of substances abused.

The abstinence period – this phase concentrates on changing the patient’s behavior which is usually about one month

The early remission phase – follows and can last up to 12 months. The sustained remission phase lasts as long as the patient refrains from alcohol or substance use and no longer exhibits any of the criteria for polysubstance abuse.

Treatment during early remission may involve education on the physical, emotional, and psychological aspects of addiction and recovery. The patient learns to identify stressors and triggers that cause drug use. They learn ways to manage those stressors and also build up coping skills. They can also undergo assertiveness training and relaxation techniques.

Polysubstance Addiction – Is There Hope?

Fighting polysubstance abuse is more difficult than abuse of a single substance, but it can be successful. The likelihood of success depends on the individual’s determination and discipline to follow through on the requirements to abstain completely from substance abuse. Such determination and discipline does not come easily, especially for hard-core or long-term abusers and addicts. There may be repeated relapses before stability becomes a part of the recovering addict’s life. After treatment, recovery from polysubstance abuse and addiction just like for any addiction requires ongoing diligence and participation in a support network. While understanding the difficulty involved in treatment and recovery of this nature doctor Dalal Akoury established AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center facility to help in the treatment of all kinds of addiction. Doctor Akoury cares for you and she is riding on more than two decades of experience. Calling on doctor Akoury will benefits you since she will attend to you in the most natural way by focusing on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE

Fighting Polysubstance Abuse – Drug Addiction

 

 

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Denial, Fear and Addiction Recovery

March 6, 2014

Denial, Fear and Addiction Recovery-Its Possible

addiction

to overcome addiction you must face it fear and denial are obstacles

The phenomenon of addiction recovery may not be properly understood without the clear acceptance of the two adjectives (denial and fear). Let’s then try to make known of these facts about addiction recovery.

Denial

Addictions don’t happen overnight. Instead, recreational drug or alcohol use, over time, can lead to an addiction. Many times the user may not even be aware that this line (addiction) has been crossed. As well, some users who think they might be addicted believe it is only when they are hurting. The first step of beating addiction is admitting that you are addicted.

Fear

Admitting that you have an addiction means facing it, and that can be very difficult. Many addicts will experience various fears including fear of judgment when others find out, fear of letting down their loved ones, fear of losing their job, and fear of change. No one said that beating addiction would be easy, but it will be worth it.

When addiction set in the family many times your family members often don’t knows what to do. Their lives have been turned upside down. Every waking moment becomes weighed down with serious concerns. You may have promised many times to end your addiction and get help. As they look back, the explanations for the hours lost, the money spent and the emotional trauma, are now clearer. These losses are the many sad faces of addiction. You’re not yet ready to stop you may only be capable of empty promises and guilt-ridden apologies. What can they do? What can you do?

When you seek professional help, you and your family are scared. You may be more frightened than ever before. Your secrets will be exposed. You may find yourself willing to do anything at this point to avoid getting help. Lying (best with a straight face and indignation) is typical. You may promise anything to take the pressure off. If that doesn’t work, you lash back: “What right do you have to tell me what to do? If you don’t stop questioning me, our relationship is over.” The fear and hostility may be palpable.

Family members will find no easy ways to guide you into care. You’re in a cycle of denial and fear, fueled by shame, resentment, and deep inner pain. You feel so alone that you become hardened to the emotional outbursts and rage of loved ones. Professional help is strongly recommended if you’re at this point.

Denial, Fear and Addiction Recovery-How an intervention works

An intervention is an objective, caring, nonjudgmental process. You’re confronted with the reality of your actions by those adversely affected. The objective is to motivate you to accept help. Although your family is definitely involved, a professional interventionist guides the process.

The purpose of any intervention method is to help you confront your denial of problems and your fear of change, and to help you get into care. The interventionist is trained to communicate supportively, helping you accept your need for help and educating you and your family about addiction. She provides a link to treatment, ensuring that the right treatment center is found and contacted and that background preparation for your entry is completed. You’re invited to a meeting but you may not be told much about the purpose of the meeting. At the meeting, which is carefully planned and structured, concerned persons express love and caring while describing, in behavioral terms, how you’re affecting them. They express their wishes and needs for you to enter treatment.

Concerned persons need to state concerns clearly, without lapsing into accusations and anger. One simple skill is to communicate with an “I” message versus a “you” message. For example, “I feel sad” versus “You make me feel sad.” Describing behavior versus voicing feelings, opinions, and judgments is a learned skill. It is based on making references to the actions that are clearly observable, like those that could be captured on video or audiotape, for example.

During the intervention, the realistic consequences of not entering treatment are described, matter-of-factly. The consequences may include separation or divorce, the refusal of adult children to attend family functions, job loss, and loss of friendships. Other people can’t control your decisions and behavior. They can only control their responses to your decisions and behavior.

The intervention process often exposes weaknesses in the family system. Families who have long suffered from a member’s addictive behavior may be angry and punitive. Or they may be numbed into temporary or chronic states of no longer caring about what happens to you. Conversely, they may fear reprisals for breaking your secrets and the codes of silence that have helped you maintain your addictive behavior. The denial of problems and disbelief in the potential for change often add up to turning a blind eye to your addictive behavior. The interventionist has to balance the goal (getting you into treatment) with the complex communications of family members who may have old and new issues to settle.

Most interventionists and experienced clinicians are specialists in helping you move past your denial and increasing your motivation for treatment. To achieve this goal, they use a motivational interview.

The motivational interview has become one of the more powerful interventions to help you. Such an interview is conducted by a trained professional and is designed to help you go beyond your guilt, fear, and anger to participate in healthy decision-making. The interventionist helps you consider your decisions practically, in terms of what you stand to gain by change and what you stand to lose by change — and what you gain and lose by not changing. The goal is to help you make an informed decision about treatment.

Denial, Fear and Addiction Recovery-Intervention principles

There are ten general principles that influence the decision to intervene and that guide the intervention process. They include:

  • Your behavior is causing significant damage in your life.
  • Denial is preventing you from fully appreciating the damage the addiction is doing to you and your life.
  • You’re unlikely to seek help on your own.
  • The people involved with you can change the environment by changing the enabling system — making it more likely that you will seek help.
  • The sense of genuine concern and understanding conveyed by the interventionist is one of the most important factors in influencing you to seek help.
  • Anger and punitive measures have no place in interventions, because they increase your defenses, making it less likely you’ll seek help.
  • The consequences for not going into treatment should not be designed to punish but rather to protect your health and well-being.
  • You require an initial period of intensive treatment such as a 28-day residential program or an intensive outpatient program to address your denial.
  • The intervention may be useful even if you aren’t likely to go to treatment.
  • The intervention isn’t a confrontation. Rather, it is a well-organized expression of genuine concern for you, given a chronic and serious addiction problem.

Denial, Fear and Addiction Recovery-Its Possible

 

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