Treatment

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), an estimated 1.5 million Americans aged 12 or older were using cocaine in 2014. Annual surveys suggest that cocaine use has been quite stable since 2009 – with nearly 505,224 emergency room visits involving cocaine in 2011 and similar numbers to date, recovery is one major topic of discussion. By understanding the various treatment options available, more information can be shared with loved ones ready to recover. Furthermore, we can seek help for ourselves by knowing what options are available to us. Cocaine dependency has been treated with several medications, which have shown to reduce harm in withdrawal and detoxification, counter the effects of overdose, and more. However, treatment should always be more than medication, as addiction directly effects the mind, body, and spirit. Psychosocial treatment involves a variety of components: structured counseling, motivational enhancement, case management and coordination, psychotherapy, and relapse prevention may all be involved. Those with cocaine dependency may have needs different from other substance users, making customized treatment very important. A study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry found that individual drug counseling plus group drug counseling were very effective for those with cocaine addiction. What can you expect with each of these? Individual drug counseling: a mental health clinician will work with you one-on-one to uncover, explore, and conquer issues with discussion, observation, analysis, and intervention. With this, you can develop a professional relationship with someone whom you will speak with regularly. Group drug counseling: with others in recovery, you will obtain information on addiction and how it effects the brain as well as coping strategies and topic discussions. Relapse prevention, interpersonal communication and social relationships, and other areas of interest will likely be explored. When addiction is involved, recovery should focus on every aspect of life because addiction affects every aspect. Holistic recovery places emphasis on rebalancing and restoring a person’s mind, body, and spirit. If you’ve been struggling with cocaine addiction, speak with a professional from a reputable treatment center today to learn more about treatment options to best fit your needs.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy (also known as talk therapy) that helps clients replace old, unproductive and negative thought patterns into newer, more productive ones. Much of CBT is based on the idea that our thoughts either hinder or support us living in the present moment and our success in the future – if we’re constantly feeding our minds with self-doubt and negative talk, we will likely carry this negativity into our present moments. Many studies have shown that CBT is greatly effective in helping treat a variety of conditions, including: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety, depression, and more. If you’ve recently started CBT with your therapist, that’s great! You will likely gain invaluable skills that you can put directly towards your mental health, which will trickle into many other areas of your life in the most beautiful of ways. CBT is more hands-on, which means you may have some “homework” or take-home exercises to complete. Since CBT focuses on changing your thinking patterns, it will be quite an adjustment. Here are 3 challenges you can expect to work through while embracing this transformative, therapeutic technique:

With mobile apps and gaming becoming the center of focus for many adolescents and teenagers today, it’s become challenging for parents to monitor their child’s usage on technology. “They’re just kids – they’ll grow out of it”, is likely a common thought process many parents go through and, while it may seem this way, the reality is that your child’s physical health is directly connected to their mental health – both of which are very important to their long-term health and happiness in life. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS), only 1 in 3 children are physically active each day – and more than 80% of adolescents do not do enough aerobic activity to meet the physical activity requirements for their age bracket. As a parent, one of the best things you can do is encourage outside activity with your children, preferably by engaging in sports and recreational activities with them. According to Dr. Nandini Mani, Hospitalist and Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School, exercise has been shown to boost mood in adults, and could potentially help abate symptoms of depression experienced by teens. Ultimately, there are many great reasons why exercise should be implemented in your teen’s daily routine, as outlined by U.S. News:

Previous research has shown that when mental illness is involved in romantic relationships, one partner may need to take on an additional role of support while the other attempts to manage their symptoms. Mental illness affects around 450 million people all over the world (that’s 1 in 4 people), according to the World Health Organization (WHO) – making it extremely common for couples to experience mental illness by either one partner or both. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) highlights the benefit of open communication in a relationship – if you feel safe and comfortable, telling your significant other about your disorder can help both of you work together to move forward. Talk to them when you’re ready. Ultimately, it’s important that you work together for compassion, love, respect, and support. Couple’s therapy provides a safe, structured environment with which to talk about issues that may be difficult to discuss or understand. If you and your partner are open to couple’s therapy, there are many benefits you could each get from this experience:

Our society is certainly one that embraces medication, and it makes sense – if we can take something that will immediately (or very quickly) attenuate our symptoms, why wouldn’t we? The biggest concern with relying on medication for minor ailments too heavily is that it can lead to dependency, such as what is found with the opioid epidemic. Medication can certainly be beneficial, but it’s best to consider what natural, holistic approaches you can take to minor issues such as stress headaches. Pressure points are derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine and have been used for thousands of years to help soothe a variety of ailments. Pressure points are sensitive areas of the body (such as in the hands, elbows, and feet) that can respond very well to pressure that would often be used in massage.

Dual diagnosis, also known as comorbidity (or co-occurring disorder), is experienced by approximately 7.9 million people each year, according to the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. If you have a dual diagnosis, it’s important that you seek out a reputable treatment center that specializes in this – if not, your recovery could be comprised, as programs that do not specialize in this may only treat one disorder or another, which could potentially exacerbate your symptoms. Dual diagnoses can involve a variety of symptoms which can make it difficult to actively participate in life activities relating to school, work, family life, social events, and more. Bipolar disorder and ADHD in particular present unique challenges to daily functioning, making it imperative that you seek help from a reputable treatment center. Bipolar disorder (BPD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are both often misdiagnosed or go untreated; bipolar disorder often involves symptoms of mania and/or depression, and ADHD symptoms of aggression, excitability, hyperactivity, impulsivity, absent-mindedness, and more. A 2015 review published in Current Psychiatry Reports emphasizes BPD and ADHD can present mood fluctuations, irritability, and uneven academic performances in young children, with adults experiencing much of these issues as well. Treatment for both disorders often involves several components:

Note: If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Your life matters. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that each year, nearly 1 million people die by suicide, which is equal to 1 in every 100,000 people. While many people don’t realize it, media does play a key role in the way suicide is perceived, discussed, and thought about. For example, shows like “13 Reasons Why” received a lot of backlash from the mental health community because the storyline of the show seemed to almost “glamorize” suicide – no preventative measures were provided until viewers spoke up. There are many ways in which media doesn’t take the right stance on suicide prevention:

When it comes to recovery, self-compassion can be challenging sometimes. Perhaps you’ve gotten into this never-ending reel of doubt, fear, and negativity; thoughts such as “I don’t think I can do this” may plague your mind as you try to determine whether or not recovery is truly for you. No matter what you’re thinking, the good news is that you’re here. You’ve arrived. Recovery is meant for you, and you have everything you need to move forward with it. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have been led to this path. There are many techniques and approaches that can be used in recovery, including medicine and therapy. These are the two most popular options – but holistic therapy activities such as music therapy or psychodrama don’t get discussed as often. Psychodrama gives people an opportunity to work through past or future issues and gain new perspectives from others’ experiences as well. As explained by the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama (ASGPP), psychodrama involves 3 stages: 1) the warm up, in which a theme is identified and characters are established, 2) the action, in which the problem is acted out in a dramatic way and the protagonist identifies ways of resolving the problem, and 3) the sharing, in which group members are allowed to explain their personal connection with the drama and the protagonist’s strategies. A 2017 study published in the journal Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process, and Outcome sought to explore how psychodrama could assist those with mental illness. Twenty-two females and eight males participated in the study, engaging in 40 psychodrama sessions total, with 1 session per week. Results from the study indicated a significant improvement in symptoms that participants were experiencing; what type of activities in psychodrama could promote self-compassion? A 2015 piece published in The Journal of Psychodrama, Sociometry, and Group Psychotherapy addresses 4 activities in psychodrama that enhance this:

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is one of the most commonly known self-help groups out there – with weekly meetings, individuals from all walks of life can come in and talk about their experiences while learning of new tools and resources to help them on their journey to recovery. Other self-help groups, such as Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and even non-12 step programs such as SMART Recovery and Women for Sobriety offer group support to those who need a community of people with similar problems or experiences. Self-help groups can provide much-needed support, but they are typically best when used in addition to a reputable treatment program. As stated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), self-help groups often provide an “added layer of community-level social support to help people achieve and maintain abstinence and other healthy lifestyle behaviors over the course of a lifetime.” When deciding on which self-help group to add to your treatment regime, it’s important to look at each group and determine which one most closely aligns with your beliefs, values, and attitudes towards recovery. Don’t disregard non-12 step self-help groups, however; a 2018 study published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment sought to explore whether or not non-12 step groups were just as successful as 12-step groups – 651 participants were involved, and the study showed that either one provides a number of benefits. Prominent levels of participation, satisfaction, and cohesion among members were found, making it ultimately a choice determined by you. At this point, you may be wondering, what are the differences? In your research, you’ll notice that some groups emphasize religion while others don’t – you’ll also find that some programs are more structured in agreed-upon ground rules or promises, while others are a bit more open. All in all, what truly matters is that you attend something that is conducive to your recovery – something that uplifts, motivates, inspires, and provides you with the support you need to get through challenging times. Some treatment centers host self-help groups at their location, meaning that you can talk to the coordinators at your treatment center to see about attending one of them in addition to your daily structure of therapy and activities.

One of the key phrases in recovery is that “each day is a new day”. Just as the sun sets and rises each day, you can rest assured that you will have yet another opportunity to tackle this thing called life. Addiction and mental illness recovery is comprised of the countless hours, practice, and self-care that individuals put in to make them who they are today; much of this starts with simply waking up in the morning. If you’ve recently started your day, make the decision to do something a little different. Try some writing therapy by selecting a prompt to get your creative juices flowing and your energy going. The American Psychological Association (APA) emphasizes that individuals who engage in therapeutic writing experience a variety of benefits, including improved immune system functioning, reduced stress, better control over diseases, reduced anxiety, and more. To get your day started off on a good note, pick one of the following writing prompts and get to work:

Whether you’ve been with your significant other for a few weeks or a few years, addiction can find a way to sneak into your lives. Perhaps it started off with a little bit of drinking or drugs here and there – you both may have thought to yourself that as long as you do it every now and then, it should be fine. Over time, though, your use becomes a little more frequent, and you both begin using substances a little more than you originally planned to because you weren’t achieving the “high” you once experienced. This turns into dependency, which can eventually become an addiction for either one or both of you. Before you even know it, addiction has control over you in a way that you can’t explain nor keep up with. Addiction does happen in many relationships; sometimes it occurs with one partner, other times both experience it. No matter the situation, it does affect the relationship in major ways. It changes the dynamic between both partners, which can change everything if the right steps aren’t taken. A 2016 study published in Frontier Psychology emphasized that romantic love in and of itself is an addiction with symptoms of euphoria, tolerance, emotional and physical dependence, and more. Both love and addiction have similarities, both of which can affect one another. The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) notes the following ways addiction can damage intimate relationships:

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may include symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, depression, confusion, irritability, and more. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a form of therapy in which a client is guided through various eye movements to help them reprocess traumatic memories in a way that allows the person to move past the event. EMDR has been used widely for symptoms of PTSD, but there are other conditions that it may treat as well. EMDR helps people focus on strengthening their positive beliefs that they wish to adopt rather than focusing heavily on thoughts or memories that are hurting them and preventing them from moving forward with their lives. A 2015 study published in the journal of Brain Behavior sought to explore EMDR’s success with the treatment of depression; a group of 16 patients diagnosed with depression were recruited for the study. Compared to another group of 16 individuals who served as a comparison group, 68% of individuals with depression no longer met the criteria for depression by the end of the study. A follow up period of longer than 1 year was conducted, and many participants still showed less signs of depression and relapses than their counterparts. It seems that EMDR can assist with more than just depression, however. Another study published in 2016 in the journal Psychological Medicine explored how EMDR could help treat psychosis, depression, and social functioning in those with varying levels of schizophrenia. One hundred and fifty-five participants in treatment for psychosis with either schizophrenic disorder or schizoaffective disorder were randomly placed in sessions of 8-week long EMDR treatment or a waiting list to serve as a comparison group. The researchers found that of the participants who completed EMDR sessions, significant reductions were experienced in paranoid thoughts and depression directly after treatment and even 6-months later. Hallucinations and social functioning did not improve nor worsen, however. Much research is still being conducted to find out all of the ways that EMDR can assist clients, but as you can see, it can treat more than just PTSD. If you believe you may be a suitable candidate for treatment and EMDR therapy, speak with a professional from a reputable treatment center today. It’s never too late to seek the help you need.