When someone we love is battling addiction, the impact on our life can be immeasurable. An approach to treating an addicted person that includes family education and support is a pathway to full family healing—a goal we can all get behind.
Utilizing evidence-based models of therapy for both the individual with substance use disorder and the people who love them can bring everyone into the world of recovery. In active addiction we often reference that all who sit at our kitchen table are impacted. Our goal in recovery is for everyone at that table to move toward a healthier place.
At times there can be resistance to this from various members of the family, which is understandable due to the pain experienced in active addiction. There is no singular path for each loved one, which challenges treatment providers to have a patient, multi-faceted approach to working with families.
The team at Ethos Treatment has committed to continued focus on the family. We believe that when the family grows and heals, the pathway to recovery for our addicted person can become clearer.
Shame can be one of the largest barriers to recovery for everyone involved. For the person battling addiction, sharing with family members what we are going through takes courage, as does building a support system. Meaningful recovery is obtained through many moments of exhibiting courage we never knew we owned.
The Ethos team encourages all involved to join us in the work of reducing the stigma and shame so often associated with addiction, one family at a time.
For those entering their first summer in recovery this time of year brings about challenges that are not necessarily unique, but require attention. Picnics, time spent poolside, summer vacations, weddings, and even yard work are some of the items that fill our calendars for the next couple of months. Navigating these for the first time has been daunting for everyone in recovery.
The adage of “people, places, and things” gets ramped up in the summer months as nice weather avails for more social occasions on our calendar. In early recovery we face these with the pressure of owning our story of recovery appropriately with those we see, understanding potential situations that induce cravings, creating a safety net in our planning, all while balancing our fear of missing out. Understanding our new reality in recovery is a key to our ability to not only make it through, but to thrive in our new life. While this is daunting, there are millions who have paved the way, and the most successful lived this out loud. Sharing their fears, concerns, and excitement with their support system through it all.
If this is your first summer in recovery—what’s the plan? Who are you connected to in terms of professional care and support in your community? Strength through this period of your recovery comes in numbers—numbers of appointments on your calendar with your therapist, number of meetings you plan to make, number of sober supports you have in your phone, and number of times you execute the courage to let all of these things work for you.
The summertime is known for vacations, family gatherings, warm weather and just feeling happy overall; at least that can often be our expectation. The “blues” can happen to anyone anytime and is quite normal – even in the summertime known for fun. The “summer blues” is usually short lived and can include mild feelings of sadness, lower energy and maybe some brief moments of anxiety. With some time and patience, the blues will usually disappear.
But what if that is not your experience? What if you are doing all the things expected of the summer: vacations, parties, family gatherings, and you do not feel like yourself? What if you are missing loved ones? Still recuperating and dealing with our on-going battle with Covid 19? The list can go on and on. What if your symptoms are lasting longer than a few days and become more intense and severe? Perhaps your summer blues have turned into something more significant?
Sadly, summertime does not always mean we will be happy. Life keeps presenting us with challenges no matter the time of year. Your summer blues may actually be depression or anxiety to name a few. Here are some symptoms and changes to be aware of that may indicate mental health concerns or diagnosis’ and that it’s time to seek professional help; increased and daily depression or sadness, tearfulness, loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, isolation from loved ones and friends, changes in sleep and eating patterns, increased worry, fears about one’s future, increased agitation, physical symptoms that have not resolved after medical intervention like heart racing, sweating, chronic headaches etc… Some people even begin to feel hopeless about their lives and have suicidal thoughts. If you have any or some of these changes in mood, consider seeking mental health treatment. ETHOS Treatment can offer you a comprehensive assessment and make recommendations for appropriate mental health treatment and services. Certainly, if you’re having hopeless thoughts, thoughts of not wanting to wake up in the morning, or suicidal thoughts please go to your closest emergency room/ crisis center or call National Suicide Prevention Line at 988.
If you are struggling with something beyond “the summer blues” help is only a phone call away.
Most of us have experienced anxiety. The stress of a long workday; some unexpected life event; rumination over a conflict in a relationship; or basic “fight or flight” responses to external stimuli. For some folks anxiety can be crippling. A simple feeling of discomfort in the brain or body can quickly lead to shortness of breath, increased heart rate, fears of “something is terribly wrong with me”, and sheer panic. Scientists believe that a marble-sized area in the brain called the amygdala serves as the hub of fear and anxiety. In people with an anxiety disorder, inappropriate fear and anxiety are caused by a hyperactive or overly sensitive amygdala. More modern day researchers believe that “no one brain region drives anxiety on its own”, but that it is a combination of interactions among several brain areas – like the cognitive brain interacting or battling with our emotional brain. Understanding and resolving this interplay becomes key to managing our fears and anxieties. The first year of recovery can be especially taxing and demanding on our mental health. I can remember the first time I had a panic attack. I was driving in my car after a stressful day at work and an uneasy feeling crept over me, mostly in my head – a dizziness, then followed by a slight foggy sensation. After 30 seconds I could feel my heart racing, shortness of breath, and then a rapid cycle of negative thoughts with the theme of “Am I losing my mind? What’s wrong with me? Am I going crazy? “. I pulled to the side of the road, hyperventilating and praying desperately that this would end. The feeling eventually passed but I was left unsettled from the whole experience. Later, when home, I called my sober friend Walt and retold the whole event. He suggested that I talk to a professional and get an opinion. “It’s probably some anxiety, but it’s always better to get another opinion besides mine” he said. Later in the week I called a good psychologist in the area who not only specialized in anxiety but was familiar with people who suffered from addictions. After several sessions, we began to get to the root of my fears. Over time, my mood improved and I gained great insight into how my brain worked and what factors led to increased anxiety/fear. She also taught me how to meditate to reduce and manage daily stress. The biggest challenge moving forward was managing anxiety. It became important to have others in my life whom I could trust. To defeat anxiety a recipe of honestly appraising my stress, healthy venting with others, and removing negative self-talk became necessary. That, and practicing the new skill of meditation became valuable tools in my recovery journey.
Alcohol has been around forever. Its use is part of the fabric of many in America. It’s been called “The Social Lubricant” or “Liquid Courage” for as long as can be remembered. People use alcohol for many reasons but most agree that alcohol’s effects on the brain – to relax, to sedate, to unwind, or to get “a buzz”, is the primary reason to drink .
Alcohol’s pharmacological effects change with the amount drunk. In small quantities it acts as a stimulant. In larger amounts, alcohol behaves as a sedative. It also impacts our reward system like other addictive substances. When a person drinks, their dopamine levels (one of our feel good neurotransmitters) surge and impact the “pleasure or reward circuit” of the brain. Later, when the drug wears off, levels drop and they feel awful. And this is often what gets folks into trouble with alcohol. Other variables like genetics, environment, and how we cope with stress also play a role in whether or not someone develops a Substance Use Disorder. Either way, alcohol can be a dangerously deceptive substance.
Now imagine the first 18 months of recovery. A person who has experienced alcohol abuse or dependence now faces the challenges of re-entry into a world swimming in booze. Their newly sober brain is constantly exposed to ads on TV or social media; by situations in their living or home environment; by folks they know and/or meet socializing at weddings, BBQ’s, birthdays. Old memories from past drinking episodes trigger euphoric recall. The stress of new life experiences create the desire to escape or self medicate.
Clients often ask me “How do I cope?”. The key is timing and support. I often have them ask themselves: “Am I involved in support groups or therapy, or should I just avoid situations involving alcohol until my brain has healed more?” and “Do I have people I can rely on for help?”. Honestly assessing where they are and obtaining feedback from others that they trust becomes crucial. Recovery is an ongoing process. Remember, we don’t have to test ourselves. Wisdom comes from working through these situations and gaining true self worth and confidence in ourselves.
