The Benefits of Seeking Family Addiction Therapy

Addiction affects entire families. These days, addiction therapy and treatment can not only extend to the individual struggling with substance abuse but to family and friends too.

Family addiction therapy is an option for anyone close to someone that is abusing alcohol or substances. Addiction is often a disease of the family. It can put family members through a lot of stress, emotionally, physically, financially, and more. It can cause experiences that are sad, damaging, or frightening.

Family members usually come up with unhealthy strategies to cope with the addiction. As the family becomes more dysfunctional and fragile, younger members may be especially susceptible to being traumatized or negatively influenced by being exposed to addiction.


How Families Cope

Abuse of substances can have different effects depending on the situation, but no one can deny that they affect the dynamics of the family in a lot of unhealthy ways. These can include:

• Safety The family may be put at risk in many ways

• Negative emotions- Others may feel anger, guilt, anxiety, resentment, and more

• Responsibility- Certain members of the family may have responsibilities that aren't appropriate for their age

• Communication- Family communication may become negative, with positive interaction being limited. Concerns and needs of others may not be met

• Boundaries and structure- Structure may be lacking in the home, with limited parental involvement and boundaries that are loose or do not exist. This results in children having confusion over what behaviors are negative or inappropriate

• Denial- A family member may not face the issue and deny that it exists, not wanting to face it or because of fear
• Relationships- Abuse can result in damaged relationships, that continue through generations due to behavioral modeling that is negative. Abusers often isolate, spending social time mostly with other abusers

Coping with Unhealthy Behaviors

Families may often have unhealthy ways of dealing with addiction, such as denial or enabling. However, they can feed the addiction and get in the way of a successful recovery or path to treatment.


Codependency

This happens when an individual must adapt to a dysfunctional family. Behaviors that qualify as codependent can be learned attitudes, behaviors, and thoughts that have you neglecting your desires/needs for the problem of a loved one.

These include constantly worrying about the addiction and abuse, denial or isolation, reacting in an irrational or violent way in events regarding an addiction, having low self esteem, aiming your misplaced anger at children or the pets, engaging in unhealthy behaviors to cope, and having to base your mood around theirs.

Enabling is also supporting abuse by taking away consequences. This makes it possible for the person to continue their addiction and the unhealthy cycle continues. These include using with them, ignoring or repressing your feelings, accepting excuses, protecting their image, making everything appear normal, and feeling guilty whenever you can't stop consequences.

Family therapy may be able to help. It provides a space that is safe where people can learn things about how they can assist someone's recovery. It also allows the family to heal as well as recover collectively and make positive changes that can improve their home and relationships.

Involvement in recovery and treatment with the family may prevent relapse, but it is always a risk. Know the stages of what relapse involves and the signs it may be happening. Get in touch with us  today to find out about what family programs are available to help.

Are Substance Abuse and Depression Linked?

Mood disorders and substance abuse have a term when they are combined as coexisting, and it's called dual diagnosis. Is there a link between using substances and depression?

It's true that one issue can often make another worse. It's estimated that currently twenty percent of Americans that have an anxiety/mood disorder also have a problem with substances and vice versa. Those on drugs are twice as likely as the average person to have disorders of mood and anxiety, and the reverse is true, according to NIDA.


Shared Triggers of Using Substances and Depression

Which comes first, depression or abusing substances? Depression may be a predictor of dependence on alcohol for the first time. They both share triggers as well. Connections between the two may include the following.


The brain.


Parts of a brain can be affected by depression or by substances. Abusing substances has an effect on the areas of the brain that respond to stress and those areas can also be affected by mental disorders.


Genetics.


It turns out that DNA could increase your likelihood of having an addiction or mental disorder. Disease Markers published research in 2012 that indicated this fact. NIDA also reports that genetic factors may increase the odds that one of the conditions will show up once another has appeared.


Developmental problems. 


Drug use early in life can alter brain development, making later mental illness all the more likely to
occur. The opposite is also true, that early mental health issues could up the chances of abusing drugs or alcohol.


Environmental Factors

Trauma, stress, or an unhealthy household early in life can cause depression as well as turning to substances. Dual diagnoses can go back to early life experiences. Children are always in a state of discovery and gratification. An interruption of this process can manifest in a clinical way. Denial or interruption can influence individuals, letting them believe that what they think or feel is wrong generally across the board.


Those who have a dual diagnosis may not be trying to medicate themselves or their depression and may be doing the opposite, according to Dr. MacIsaac. Those who are depressed may choose to drink in order to feed into the negativity. It can be soothing at first, but then make the individuals feel worse than before.

These types of people get a form of oxygen through this negativity. Even signs that treatment may be working may end up triggering a drive or need to return to negative discovery through substances like alcohol. According to Dr. MacIsaac, substances such as alcohol may only make their depression worse.


The Importance of Simultaneous Treatment

In order to recover, individuals dealing with abusing substances and going through depression may need to be treated for both of these conditions. They may not want to accept treatment, clinging to the way that they feed the negativity.

Those that have a dual diagnosis must ultimately see the root of all of their issues and understand them. Then they have the chance to change. It may involve therapy, rehab, antidepressants, meetings, a support group, and more.

The APA recommends that people ask for a referral from their primary care provider, discover whether the psychological association in your state has a service when it comes to referring people to licensed professionals of mental health, or ask relatives/close friends if they have psychologist, psychiatrist, or mental health counselor recommendations.

How to Address Addiction As Family and Friends

Many individuals struggle with addiction, and so do many of their friends and the family members. Some continually try to help the individual seek addiction treatment, while others have reached a

breaking point so many times that they don't know what to do anymore or have given up.

The pervasive nature of addiction means that relationships are disrupted. They become unreliable, even untrustworthy. They may have stolen from you. You may not even recognize the person anymore.

Addiction is something that can not only affect the person with the substance abuse problem but the people that are closest to them as well. Family members often should be involved in the treatment process. Getting additional information, education, and resources can be helpful.

Friends and family may not always understand addiction or the need to set boundaries. They enable the addict by excusing behavior, covering up, casting blame, doing things for them, and even taking their word at face value. This can be precisely what an addict wants you to do and has even pressured or manipulated you into doing. However, all it does is allow addiction to continue. The family can become reactive as a result. Successful recovery can involve the following.



Give up the old ways.

If it's not working, it's not working. To embrace recovery, family and friends must give up on the old way of doing things. Only with new strategies can they start working to make healthy existence, at least for themselves, a reality.



Get rid of your urge to fix it.

Only the addict can fix it. The family cannot be the answer to addiction or many addictions would be solved already. It is too large of a burden and an individual must choose to take on recovery themselves. The individual in the middle of addiction must be the primary person to take control and say yes to getting clean and sober.


Be on the same page.

When family members are working together to be supportive and everyone is on the same page, it's easier for an addict to embrace recovery and gives them less room to capitalize on any rifts or weaknesses in family dynamics.



Hold them accountable.

Instead of blame, accountability must be the action pursued. Holding an addict accountable for what they do is important. Have boundaries set, have certain expectations, and maintain structure.



Be aware of where your energy goes. 

Energy can often be redirected in a family to go toward the addict. Families must take care into guarding the relationships that they have outside of the addict.

Family treatment and professional guidance or attending meetings can inform families on what is and is not healthy behavior. Support and guidance may be necessary and many family and friends do not even realize that they needed an outlet for their emotions.



Try healing with family therapy.

Effective therapy in families should be inclusive of all the family and friends' needs and take into account their dynamic. Clear goal setting and prioritizing therapy for the family could be healing. It can be done without the person suffering from addiction as well if that is more comfortable or productive.


Recovery may mean walking away from the loved one with a problem and going in another direction. It also could be working on yourself and your own quality of life. Family healing is important. Don't allow addiction to rule your life through another.

The Connection Between Depression and Substance Abuse

When it comes to using substances and mental illness, is there a connection between the two?Individuals that have been professionally diagnosed as having mental illness during their life have been found to make up a significant percentage of substance users. Mental illness and substance

abuse together form what is known as a co-occurring disorder or dual diagnosis.

What is depression? A mental illness that can often occur with using substances such as drugs or alcohol. Those who use substances (or abuse them) are more likely to suffer depression, whereas the opposite is also true in what is a bi-directional relationship.

When someone is depressed, they may abuse substances to change their mood or get rid of negative feelings. However, some substances act as depressants or in other ways and can actually contribute to depression, after the effects wear off or as they deal with emotions about addiction.

Signs Of Depression

About one third of adult individuals that abuse substances may also deal with depression. Symptoms of drug use can be the same as depressive symptoms, so it makes it tough to actively diagnose an individual with depression when they are using at the same time.

Depression can also manifest in different ways, depending on the individual. Some people may show signs of being in a low mood or overly fatigued. Some may be angry or irritable.

Signs include:

Sleep changes
Appetite changes
Losing interest in hobbies or activities
Feeling despair or guilt
Low energy
Difficulty concentrating
Thoughts of suicide

If you do not know whether you abuse substances, these questions might help:

Do you attempt to stop your habit but can't?
Does your life revolve around your addiction?
Do you have substance cravings?
Is your life being affected negatively by your using?
Do you continue to use even you're aware of the risk to personal relationships?
Do you use substances to a dangerous point?
Do you have to do more to get the effect you want?

Seek Treatment:

Treatment is important for those suffering with depression or a substance problem, or both. Medications or antidepressants may help with symptoms and treatment and counseling may provide emotional and behavioral support necessary to have a healthy lifestyle.

When seeking treatment, you may want first to get medical attention to deal with any withdrawal symptoms. This may require abstinence for some time to get an accurate diagnosis from a clinician. You may want to speak to a doctor regarding programs specially designed to deal with a dual diagnosis. Just ending substance use may cause the depression to get worse, risking a possible relapse.

Individuals sometimes find that support through counseling and medical attention as well as their peers is helpful when it comes to addiction. You may find that outpatient or inpatient treatment programs are appealing to you. Treatment programs that work usually have peer support, pharmacotherapy, treatment plans individualized to the person, medical assistance on site, involve the family, and have support programs as a follow up to address relapse.

Treating depression in the end may be key to treating substance issues, and vice versa. If you abuse substances, you may be struggling with depression or making it worse. Seek treatment to really address what's going on with you and be the healthiest and happiest version of yourself.

Report Shows Suicide Rates at Highest Levels in Decades

A report from the CDC is confirming that levels of suicide in the United States are at the highest rate seen in decades. Many are taking it as the latest sign that public health issues in America may be getting worse.

A new report put out by the CDC estimates that in 2017, up to 47,000 American citizens passed away due to suicide. That is fourteen people out of every 100,000. The figure is a huge jump up from rates in 1999, a 33% increase from a year where the average was 10.5 suicide deaths for every 100,000 people.

The AP estimates that the current rates of suicide are the highest in fifty years. Data shows that 2017 saw at least two thousand more deaths than the year before. That was 2016, which saw suicide leap to the second primary cause of death for American from ages ten to thirty-four years old. It also became the fourth leading cause of death for Americans of middle age.

Suicide being on the rise has contributed in part to a drop when it comes to American life expectancy. If you live in the United States, you may be looking at 78.5 years of life on average. The expectancy levels have consistently fallen every year since 2016.

Even though suicide rates are rising, it isn't very common. Overall, when it comes to leading causes of death, suicide places tenth. Even though it could be classified as somewhat rare, the fact remains that it is still more prevalent than perhaps it ought to be.

What is causing the rise is not yet certain. The CDC has found that it may not necessarily be associated with general mental health. Over half of the individuals that committed suicide back in 2016 did not have any known problems with their mental health.

Researchers have discovered that the majority of the suicides that happen are instead linked to direct problems in their lives on a variety of topics. These could include relationships, health, substance use, finances, legal problems, family issues, or jobs.

This ties in to drug overdoses, another cause of falling life expectancy levels. In 2017, America saw over 70,000 deaths caused by drug overdose. It set records for the highest amount of any year in United States history. Overdoses and suicide combined have led to a significant increase in mortality among the population, in particular for Americans that belong to the so-called lower and middle classes.

The decline has been partly explained by what researchers term deaths caused by despair. That includes alcoholism, suicides, and overdoses from drugs. Some states with higher gun ownership do have suicide rates higher than other states. While more laws could lower suicide, the CDC also promotes the concept of social connection in addition to potential policy updates as being potentially helpful.

In USA Today, N.A.A.S. member Bob Turner said that suicide prevention ultimately needs to be tackled with the "same vigor" that is given to other issues of public health. If this is not done, he says that the amount of people that have suicidal thoughts or dying from suicide may only increase.

Suicide is rising, but can this trend be changed? Being aware of the risk factors and what's going on may help. If you are struggling with mental illness or feel that you have warning signs or see them in others, reach out and find resources that may be able to help you out.

What Do I Do If My Parents Are Addicted to Drugs?

Being the child of a drug and substance addicted parent, it is likely you are dealing with neglect, abuse, and stigma from other children. It is also possible that you are frequently found in harm’s way because alcoholism and general addiction alter your parents’ perception and realities.

If you find yourself in danger of abuse and neglect, it is very important that you know what to do to help your parents and yourself remain safe.

-If you think you are facing the danger of abuse your addicted parent, call emergency services immediately for help. This can be the child helpline or even 911.
-Go to a neighbor, friend or relative for safety.
-Call an ambulance or 911 for medical assistance if your parents are in medical danger as a result of drug abuse.

Needless to say, parents can affect and influence your behaviors. When they are dealing with problems like addiction, what you want to do is try to help them overcome and recover from addiction.

Drug and substance addiction can be very hard to break. It is, however, possible to get rid of it, so there’s hope that your parents will be free from its shackles again with the right efforts and help.
As their child, it is important to understand that their love for you is still there even though (sometimes) their actions may make you believe otherwise.

Alcohol and other drugs are known to alter the behavior of an individual, making them inconsistent and even erratic. Knowing this will help you understand what your parents are going through a difficult “disease” and that they need help to overcome it.

While most children will imagine that there is nothing they can do to fix the problem, the contrary is true. Here’s how you can help resolve the problem.

Show compassion
Stopping and recovering from drug addiction can be a painful process. Most people who start the process end up sliding back to their old habits especially when they face the challenges of life.
Even though your parents are not at their best at the moment, try as much as you can to show them love, compassion and that you believe they will overcome their addiction. This is the kind of support they need right now. Hating and disrespecting them does not help them on the path of recovery.

Talk about it
Depending on the level of addiction, it can be difficult to find calm moments when you can have a good conversation with your parents. However, try to consistently look for those moments and talk to them about the problem. Let them know how it is affecting you, but do it in a calm, loving way.
Remember, if you fight with drug-addicted parents over their problem, you are likely to make them angry and resistant to your views. It also jeopardizes the chance of them listening to you again.

Reach out to people you trust
Sometimes speaking with your mom and dad about addiction is not enough to make them even try to stop. You should also know that this problem is not yours alone to deal with.
Reach out to someone you trust, preferably a close family member to help both you and your parents resolve the problem.

Get professional help
Sometimes your efforts may go in vain and the addiction problem can easily affect your life and development as a child. If all other efforts fail, it is important that you seek professional help.
Speak to a counselor at your school, or community about your parents’ addiction problem. They will get help for both you and your parents.

Remember, when your parents are addicted to drugs, they can become irresponsible in many ways. Your performance in school may drop and you run other risks such as physical and emotional abuse. Know that you can do something about it as a child to fix the problem.

Electronic Cigarettes: All About Vaping

Do you know what an e-cigarette is? An e-cig is an electronic cigarette. Vaping is short for vaporizing, the process of taking in vapor (also referred to as aerosol) through an inhale and exhaling it out. The vapor is put forth from a device, most often an e-cigarette, that puts forth a fine aerosol that is sometimes flavored. It looks similar to water vapor but isn't just water in composition.

These products hit the market a little while ago and grew in popularity. Today, you've likely heard of them through a news release, advertisement, someone you know trying them, or having checked them out yourself. Some people view it as a way to help them tobacco products. Younger people are trying these products as a way to look cool or for the novelty of vaping.

With research and news about the health benefits of vaping varying, what are you to believe? Is vaporizing healthier for you than using tobacco products? The jury is still out, but the answer is starting to come out as a flat no.

The particles that come out when you inhale and exhale are not water, even though they look like it. They are the 'juice' of the e-cigs, and it's essentially a liquid compound. Tobacco products such as an organic tobacco cigarette contain actual plants. What does this fine mist consist of?

The answer is: flavor and some chemicals, among other things. The ingredients in these liquids have even been linked to such ailments such as cancer, respiratory disease, and other bad things you don't want-- such as heart disease.

Vaping is more popular than ever. Vape pens, cigarettes, and personal vaporizers have all been available for sale in the United States since around 2007. Vaping has only increased in use since that debut date, with many young people and adults even having a self-described vaping addiction (unclear whether minute nicotine levels could influence this).

These devices usually have a battery, e-liquid cartridge, heating component, and a mouthpiece. The heating component turns the liquid into an aerosol that can be then taken in. This liquid usually uses a propylene glycol liquid or else a vegetable glycerin-based one.

It can include other chemicals, flavors, and varying nicotine levels as well-- maybe not the benign entity that an innocent consumer might think that it is. With so many ways to buy a way to vape in the real world or online if not, there may be a limited amount of information that consumers are getting about the health risks of this activity.

Whether used as a hobby, a recreational fun thing to do, a way to quit tobacco usage, or a number of other reasons, vaping may not be as wholesome as the marketing intends to make you believe it is.

A number of health advocates are now advising that if you can avoid doing it, you can avoid the risks that come with this new novelty. What to take away from all of this? Better to be safe than sorry, and for now, avoid picking the habit up in the first place.