Blog

Recovering from an addiction, whether it be substance or drug addiction, can be scary. When we take the courageous leap towards recovery, the future may seem unpredictable, and we may feel very vulnerable. One major fear of many who enter recovery is relapsing. Relapse is defined as the recurrence of a condition that was previously overcome. Relapses are a quite normal part of recovery, and do not mean that the person has failed. However, relapse prevention therapy is often used to help decrease the chances of a person relapsing. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, relapse prevention therapy (RPT) is based on cognitive-behavioral principles and seeks to address the problem of relapse through the development of self-control strategies.  Here are several aspects of RPT:

Although the industry of addiction treatment and recovery has made progressive leaps and bounds over the past few decades, the field still faces a large hurdle of outdated ideologies that prevent innovative and evidence-based practices from being implemented. This restrictive force is known as stigma, and it is continually strengthened by how everyday people are presented information about substance abuse and dependency. The major culprits of misinformation include the Internet, television, and other sources of media.

According to NBC News, approximately 1 in 5 young Americans suffers from a personality disorder. Personality disorders are often characterized by rigid and unhealthy patterns of thinking, functioning, and behaving. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, bipolar personality disorder, and borderline personality disorder are just a few disorders that many have heard of. Understanding the diverse types of personality disorders and getting an official diagnosis from a licensed health professional is the best way to determine if you suffer from borderline personality disorder. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by the following:

Taking action against addiction is best accomplished by having a sense of structure to rely on. Although treatment professionals and providers typically build a foundation with their patients, some people may need an extra level of support. The hardiness model of resilience proposes three factors that create a strong and sturdy self: commitment, control, and challenge. Each characteristic is important to have in day-to-day life, but all are particularly powerful throughout the recovery process. Established by Salvatore R. Maddi, Ph.D., the concept of hardiness was developed from a landmark study on Illinois Bell Telephone (IBT) staff. After comparing the wellness of 400 employees before, during, and after a massive company restructuring, Maddi and his research team noticed a significant subset of employees that reacted positively to the change. As a result of further analysis, Maddi identified a trio of personality traits that contributed to this resilience:

A person’s teenage years are a primetime of potential influences. A supportive teacher can inspire students to achieve their dreams. Participating in a sport or extracurricular program can foster a needed sense of teamwork. A life-changing experience could occur at any moment. Unfortunately, this significant situation could be the invitation to experiment with drinking or using drugs.

Although more treatment providers and health care organizations have begun to view addiction as a chronic and progressive disorder, many admitted patients leave early after the detoxification process. In order to match theory with practice, two modern studies have demonstrated that continued treatment after detox is correlated with more successful recoveries.

When addictions become too severe and ingrained within people’s lives, professionals often have to wean patients off their dependencies through the use of clinical medication. A number of different treatments are utilized depending on the type of substance use disorder. While some like Suboxone have been criticized for their regulation and potential for abuse, others like naloxone have saved countless lives from overdose.

Addiction and recovery can be viewed as opposing cyclical systems. There are a number of parallels between these transformative experiences, but the two are also in constant conflict. Whereas addictive behavior spirals a person’s life into distress and turmoil, beginning a recovery program gradually rebuilds a needed sense of stability. Understanding how these mirrored processes are related can help people reduce destructive behaviors and transform them into productive ones.

Although mental health and addiction both require recovery, their attitudes toward using medication are strictly distinct. While addressing addiction calls for an element of abstinence, more severe psychological conditions require pharmaceutical practices in order to ensure stability. However, if people struggling with mental illness become too reliant on their prescription use, treating their disorder can unintentionally lead to a substance use disorder.

Canada isn’t crossing any T’s or dotting any I’s on legalizing marijuana quite yet. According to CBC News, the government recently deployed a task force to investigate best way to plan and execute legalization of marijuana. Legalization was one of the liberal promises made by the young and popular Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Right now the legalization movement is in nothing more than a preliminary research phase. However, legislation is expected any moment. The task force has been working and creating a plan since November of last year. They recently stated legislation would be announced April 20. In the article on CBC News, many questions are answered. Some of the questions missing from CBC include concerns regarding addiction, increased substance abuse, and mental health. Canada has led the way on the medical use of marijuana and progressive treatments for illnesses. Currently, Canada is struggling to keep up with addiction and alcoholism issues. Marijuana has many medical properties, but it is still a psychoactive drug which produces mind altering effects. Though research has found that alcohol is more of a “gateway” drug than marijuana is, the use of marijuana can inspire experimentation. Problematically, legalized marijuana will mean it is available in investment-backed and government regulated strengths, which can be incredibly potent. Abuse and misuse of marijuana is a concern. The Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders added “marijuana use disorder” to the category of substance use disorders, which is the list of diagnosable addictions. Previously, marijuana wasn’t thought to be dependency forming or addictive. Despite a growing medicalization and legalization movement, there is a growing amount of people becoming dependent upon the drug. Marijuana can cause an intense physical and psychological dependency in which people are unable to function, eat, or sleep, without use of the drug. Without it, they experience symptoms of withdrawal which includes obsessive thinking, compulsive cravings, and many effects similar to withdrawal of other more “serious” drugs.

We all know that energy is transferable – that’s why it’s typically easy for us to tell when someone is upset or very agitated with us – their energy shifts. When we feel an energy shift, we can either ward off the energy or take it on as our own and become upset or agitated as well. The same can happen with anxiety - Dr. Jim Harter and Sangeeta Agrawal from Gallup News, a website aimed at providing businesses and organizations with analytics and advice, found distinct links between the well-being among team members and amongst their managers. In their study, they evaluated 105 teams with 1,740 people whose well-being was measured among three 6-month intervals. With this, they found that the well-being levels among team members were significantly connected to and dependent on the well-being of others on the team. Although the study conducted was in a workplace situation, anxiety can be transferred from anyone within any context. The key is to remember not to allow yourself to take on others’ anxiety. Anxiety.org, a website that provides information on the several types of anxiety disorders, states that unlike anxiety disorders, natural responses of anxiety and stress can easily be taken on by others simply due to exposure. By remaining actively aware of the stress responses of others, we can better manage our own energy levels to ensure that we don’t adopt a response that isn’t beneficial for us. Judith Orloff, MD and author of a book titled The Empath’s Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People, wrote in a 2011 article for The Huffington Post provided a compelling step-by-step guide to avoid absorbing negative energy and anxiety from others:

Personality disorders are more common than you might think. When someone develops an issue with substance abuse, they are likely living with an undiagnosed personality disorder, mood disorder, or psychiatric disorder. Living with a mental illness increases the chances of developing a substance use problem. Prone to thrill seeking, maladaptive behaviors, and a skewed sense of reward, there is a heightened vulnerability to the powerful effects of substances.