Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Putting a HALT to Readdiction and Relapse
Recently we have heard from parents who have gone through divorce and who have secondary custody to a drug addict and/or an alcoholic. Those who have shared their story with us have acknowledged that at times their ex spouse have made the attempt at sobriety with some success but the probability of relapse is extremely high for these individuals.
When a recovering addict has pain and/or sleep issues, medical professionals need to be careful on what it is that the recovering addict can or cannot be prescribed.
Authorities on addiction, like AA and Alanon say that an alcoholic/addict has a sometimes fatal illness that can be arrested but NEVER “cured”. The disease is “incurable”. However, with help, it can go into “remission” (or recovery) and remain in “remission”, if the alcoholic/addict stops drinking/drugging and continuously works a recovery program, such as AA or Alanon, etc
These programs also speak to life dangers that signal a risk of recurrence of the active illness, using the acronym: HALT, as a collection of generic warning signals:
H = HUNGRY A= ANGRY L= LONELY T= TIRED
A recovering addict/alcoholic is at greater risk of a “slip” into addictive activities when any one or more of these single symptoms is present, is unrecognized (denial) and un-dealt with by the recovering addict/alcoholic. There is also the risk of re-addiction by medical persons who don’t fully understand addictions and the terrible risk for a recovering addict when they prescribe sleeping pills, sedatives, tranquilizers, etc. AA/Alanon call it “taking one’s booze in pill form.” Addicts are particularly sensitive to these medications that sedate their brain and make their resolve to live soberly less strong. A “slip” is very common in recovery.
Addiction is one of the toughest diseases to combat. Recovery programs say, stop feeling guilty/ashamed, start going to meetings, stop drugging/drinking and start to live soberly again with AA/Alanon program support.
It isn’t easy to cope with these illnesses, but it is vitally important to the addict and his/her family.
Additional credit to Dr. Jerome Collins
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Addiction [which includes addiction to the drug alcohol] was declared to be a "disease" [in much the same way as obesity is now being declared to be a disease] so that the insurance companies would be forced to pay for treatment. Addiction is a condition with multiple etiologies.
ReplyDeleteThere is no current evidence for addiction or for alcoholic addiction being a "disease" or a "brain disease. Addiction is a condition with multiple etiologies that has a disease process in much the same manner as diabetes is technically also a condition with a disease process.
Unfortunately, your post reflects the domination of 12-step philosophy in the addictions treatment industry. 77 percent of people who quit drinking and stay quit do not participate in any form of treatment or self-help/mutual aid groups. 12 step groups have helped a number of people to get abstinent, however they have also failed to help a number of people. It is unfortunate that the addictions treatment industry does not yet recognize that there are alternatives to 12 step groups available to those for whom such a group is not a good fit.
Some alternatives to A.A. are SMART recovery, Women for Sobriety, Celebrate Recovery groups, harm reduction treatment groups, Double Trouble and Dual Recovery Anonymous groups, HAMS, secular sobriety [SOS groups], Moderation Management, Rational Recovery, and Life Ring.
Some alternatives to Alanon are CODA, HARM LESS, and Craft.
Your omission of Narcotics Anonymous is equally telling. N.A. is a 12 step program which addresses addiction rather than any specific drug. It may be more suitable for folks who have used other drugs as well as for some alcoholics who prefer N.A. meetings.
The addict [which includes alcoholics] must take responsibility for his or her own actions and life. Responsibility of self refers to interactions with medical personnel and being an informed medical consumer as well as any past or present bad behavior in respect to marital and divorce situations. To excuse bad behavior on the basis of the presence of an addiction problem or even being in recovery is to enable the addict to continue to act as an irresponsible child.
And yes, while it is true that relapses do happen, it is also true that long-term, continuous abstinence and productive lives do happen as well.
Thank-you for posting a bit about addiction. I would gently caution you against oversimplification of the issues surrounding addiction.