Recovery

Gestalt therapy is a client-centered approach to psychotherapy that helps the client focus on the present and what is really happening in their lives right now instead of what they perceive to be happening based on experience. Clients may be asked to re-enact past experiences rather than simply talk about them and through this, may become more aware of how their negative thought patterns are blocking their way to true happiness. Psychology Today notes that gestalt therapy has been proven effective for depression, self-esteem, relationship difficulties, and even small physical ailments such as headaches and back spasms. Gestalt therapy aims to bring people into awareness; the belief is that once a person is made aware of their problem, they can learn to deal with it effectively. California State University states that therapists often ask “what” and “how” instead of “why” because they want to promote present awareness. Becoming aware means making connections with emotional and physical needs – activities often help us recognize our true feelings regarding a situation or may help us understand others. A 2016 study explored gestalt therapy’s effectiveness on a client with substance use and bipolar disorder. This person was a part of an in-patient program and was facing an open criminal charge, was regarded as having antisocial personality disorder and he stated that he also had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). After 18 sessions of gestalt therapy, the researcher found that the patient could more closely connect with himself and his environment. This ultimately contributed to his success in rehabilitation, reintegration with society and decreased his relapses, both with drugs and criminal activities. Gestalt therapy helps people become more connected to themselves and their feelings, and gestalt practitioners heighten and illuminate each person’s experience of life, self and others. A variety of techniques are used in gestalt therapy. Good Therapy, an online therapist directory, notes the “empty chair technique” as a way for the client to engage in dialogue and explore their thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Exaggeration exercise is another common technique, where the person is asked to physically exaggerate their emotions so that they can recognize how they feel a little more clearly.

According to News Week, about 42.5 million Americans experience mental illness, which ranges from depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and more. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration noted in 2014 that more than half of those people are seeking treatment, but only 2.6 million of the 22.5 million Americans struggling with drug and alcohol abuse and addiction received treatment. Many people who do not seek treatment choose to self-medicate, and here’s why:

We’ve all heard it – sober living can be great. For those of us who have already been down the path of addiction, most of our friends and family have said it. “You should just stop drinking so much – life is so much better,” they’ve said. Maybe you’ve scowled at these phrases before. While most of our loved ones sound cliché when saying it, there truly are some benefits to sober living. Maybe you’re just beginning your road to recovery, or perhaps you’re contemplating it. We won’t just provide you with simple reasons, though. Here are some real, honest, pure reasons from individuals who have already gone through addiction and have found sobriety through their recovery:

Programs with proven results provide peace of mind and clarity to any given treatment center program. Addiction and mental illness both require experts who care about the individual person, and are willing to individualize each component of the program to best suit the client’s needs. By exploring the four strongest evidence-based programs for addiction and mental illness recovery, you can have a better working knowing of what is most effective and what may be a good fit for you. With evidence-based programs, there are 3 primary components that determine what makes the list:

Recovery can be a transformative journey that requires dedication, patience, a learning perspective, and so much more. For people that embark on this journey, so much growth occurs. There are many aspects to recovery, such as learning more about addiction and its effects, becoming closer in mind and body, learning more about oneself, and so much more. Another component of recovery that everyone must go through is learning one’s triggers and how to combat them. For some, this may mean simply saying “no” to someone – for others, this may mean leaving a place that is triggering them to engage in their previous addiction. When someone is recovering, many things can influence someone to engage in their addiction. The ways in which a person can tell if something is triggering them, as explained by The Recovery Village, are: physical symptoms such as tightness of the stomach, feeling nervous or “jumpy” and psychological symptoms such as increase thoughts of how good it would feel to use the drug again, remembering times of using in the past, planning how to go about getting the drug or substance, and feeling like the person “needs” the drug. The following are common relapse triggers that people experience: emotions such as anger, loneliness, guilt, sadness, feeling stressed, feeling over-confident, social situations that remind the person of using, people that the person used to engage in addictive behaviors with, reminiscing about previous drug use, places where the drug or substance is available, isolating oneself, mental illness such as anxiety, depression, etc., and physical illness. This list is not exhaustive, but provides top relapse triggers for people in recovery. Television can also trigger someone if it brings up any of the previously mentioned emotions. Commercials and movies do not have to explicitly show the drug or substance – scenarios that make a person sad could also trigger them to want to use again. In a recent study found in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, rules are provided to help people stay successful in recovery:

Addiction and mental illness doesn’t just affect the person who has it – it effects all friends and loved ones, those who are close to the person. Treatment for recovery is critical, but many times friends and family need to be educated as well; in doing this, they can better assist their loved one and better maintain their own well-being. By understanding the benefits that family can add to a person’s recovery, more families can get involved and help themselves and their loved ones better understand the disease of addiction. In a book from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration titled, Substance Abuse Treatment and Family Therapy, family can be a source of help to the treatment process, but must also manage the consequences of their loved one’s addictive behavior. Many recovery programs offer family therapy, whose aim is to help meet the needs of all involved. Family therapy allows each person to address their concerns and hopes, and to work together to come up with creative solutions. This isn’t always the easiest task, however. Family effort in recovery requires mutual understanding, flexibility, and adjustments between the treatment provider, family therapist, and the family. Open communication is critical for family therapy to be successful. Steven Gifford, LPC and writer for Psychology Today, notes that each family is different and should be treated as such when it comes to recovery. Each family has a different form of communication, and any unhealthy patterns of communication should be addressed before the whole family can move forward. Many counselors at treatment centers are prepared to assist families with the adjustment of recovery and how to best help themselves and their loved ones. Family meetings can benefit in the following ways:

For someone in recovery, relapse is a common fear. While relapse is the main concern by many people, relapses occur due to triggers. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, relapse triggers are events or circumstances that can lead to uncomfortable feelings such as anxiety, panic, or despair. Relapse triggers can include people, places, or things. The following is a brief description of the types of triggers one may experience:

A personality disorder is a form of mental illness that can affect nearly every aspect of someone’ s life and can cause them hardships in family relations, intimate relationships, friendships, work responsibilities, financial aspects, and more. Many people who suffer from a personality disorder may show symptoms but may not recognize what they suffer from. Understanding the characteristics of several types of personality disorders can help someone to note if they or a loved one suffers from this:

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy states that introspection is a means of learning about own’s own currently ongoing, or very recently past, mental states or processes. Reading psychology texts, observing one’s own facial expressions, and examining patterns of brain activity are just a few ways to understand oneself better; but is this process of introspection always easy? Not exactly. Sophia Dembling, author of Introverts in Love: The Quiet Way to Live Happily Ever After, noted for Psychology Today that introspection can be beneficial, but when it turns to rumination, you’ve gone wrong. She stated specifically, “There is an important difference between introspection and rumination. Time spent alone in thought can be positive – a rich environment for personal growth and creativity, but it can also be dangerous when we are negatively turned against ourselves. Introspection can be a process of health self-reflection, examination, and exploration, which is good for your well-being and your brain.” TED talk speaker Tasha Eurich points out that rumination is based on the question “why?”. When we focus solely on this question trying to achieve deeper meaning of who we are and why we act a certain way, we set ourselves up for negativity and shame. A study of students from a British University were told they failed an intelligence test, and were then asked why they felt the way they did afterwards. Compared to a control group, the students were more depressed immediately afterwards and the negative effects persisted for 12 hours later. If introspection involving “why” doesn’t help, that what does? Exactly that – “what”. Asking ourselves what is happening rather than why it’s happening gives us more of a sense of positivity and productiveness. When we ask ourselves “what” is happening, we give ourselves a chance to simply accept the present moment. We don’t have to force ourselves to think deeply about an answer that we are unsure of, and we don’t have to dwell on the fact that we don’t know why something happened. Simply examining what is currently happening may lead us to more awareness, which can help us deal with daily problems.

According to Dr. Courtney Warren, clinical psychologist, when we deceive ourselves and others, we aren’t taking full responsibility for who we are. This can be very damaging because we are perpetuating the very aspects of ourselves that are hurting us the most instead of acting to change them. A recent study called Self-deception as a mechanism for the maintenance of drug addiction found that individuals with substance dependence exhibited higher levels of self-deception, especially through active denial, selective amnesia, projection, and confabulation. These are several ways that people deceive themselves and others, as explained by the researchers mentioned above:

When you make the decision to seek help for your mental illness, addiction, or dual diagnosis, you are taking a courageous step. Recovery is multi-faceted and incorporates all aspects of daily life, primarily because it forces us to change for the better. Our typical routine may have been different when we were engaged in actively-addictive behaviors, but once we enter recovery, our mornings change. The people whom we spend our time with may change, and the way in which we handle situations may improve. The Substance Abuse and Mental Services Administration notes four main components that support a life in recovery:

“Instead, it’s transformative. The trauma becomes a dividing line in survivor’s lives. They are different after the event. Sometimes that change is negative – the post-traumatic stress symptoms that have received so much attention. But the change doesn’t end there. Trauma survivors are often pushed by a brush with their own mortality, by the depth of their hardship or even the suffering of others, to find more meaningful and fulfilling ways of understanding who they are and how they want to live. They struggle, but they also change for the better.” Jim Rendon, author of an online book titled The New Science of Post-Traumatic Growth, provides a hopeful and encouraging aspect of post-trauma life. His book is focused on how post-traumatic growth propels us into self-improvement and success rather than destruction. While he addresses the pain and suffering caused by trauma, he aims to promote a more positive perspective for survivors to hold; one that can uplift and inspire. Lorna Collier, writer for The American Psychological Association, stated last year that resiliency and post-traumatic growth (PTG) are two separate entities. Resiliency is a person’s natural tendency or personal attribute to bounce back from challenging events. PTG, on the other hand, refers to someone who has difficulty bouncing back and experiencing a traumatic event that shakes their core psychologically and then ultimately finds a sense of personal growth. This process takes time, energy, and struggle – but it is possible and it’s worth it. The Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory, developed by Tedeschi and Calhoun in 1996, seeks positive responses in five principal areas: