Sober Living

As we know, substance abuse is not something that forms over night. Often, it is a long process in which a person has been living with the disease for a very long time. Most commonly it is not until after the drug/alcohol has had a large negative impact on all aspects of the users life that they decide or are forced to seek help. A user may have been using for years until people have noticed and it has approached the point of being a severe problem.

Essentially this abuse overtakes a persons entire life, and it directly effects all fuctions of the person physically, mentally, and socially. Drug rehab and therapy is the first step in becoming clean, often rehab centers are used as more of a detox center, a person's stay is usually limited and gives them enough time to get the drug out of their systems and go through inital withdrawals however, that is only the start of the process of becoming sober. Being sober is a persons choice however after a short stay at rehab they are not fully prepared to get back into their normal lives that were previously ruled by substance abuse.


Sober living facilities also known as "halfway houses" make it easier for a user to transition back into their normal lifestyles. A sober house provides users with support and shelter but still certain limitations. Users are able to go out in the world and be productive however, they are still drug tested and kept (hopefully) sober by the limitations house leaders set them to. The purpose of sober living is to make the transition back into the real world easier, but being able to sustain sobereity and set future goals. Most importantly, sober living provides a safe enviorment and social support system for those who want to remain sober but may not have the tools that are needed to do it on their own after leaving rehab.


for more information on sober living : http://www.treatment-centers.net/sober-living.html

Substance Abuse Treatment

Substance Abuse Treatment

Substance abuse is a disease that can devastate the lives of all of the people involved. An addiction not only affects the person that is taking part in the use of the substance, but it affects the families. They are the ones that are usually emotionally, verbally, or physically abused when a person that they love choose to lead a life with drugs. When a person becomes addicted to a substance such as drugs or alcohol, they often do not believe that they need help, or they believe that they can change on their own. It is common for users to refuse help, and become unsuccessful when trying to get off the substance on their own.

The professionals at www.emedicinehealth.com believe that even when substance abuse stops, the long-term use may modify the brain’s ability to function. Brain function alterations makes it more likely for someone to be exposed to drug cravings. The control of drug cravings is the most important aspect of maintaining sobriety and avoiding relapse.

Treating substance abuse is dependant on the substance abuser and the substance in which they are addicted to. Each person will have unique needs when battling their addiction, therefore they will need specific treatment.

Professionals believe that behavioral treatment is one of the most significant features in the treatment process. Counseling is often used when the behavior of an addict is questioned. Addiction counseling is a way for the addict and the counselors to find the reason behind the addiction, and why it usually used as a coping method. Counseling will allow addicts to express themselves and what they think about their lives as addicts. The goal is to work through all of the feelings that have been pushed away throughout the time that the individuals were using and the feelings that they generated while engrossed by their chosen substances.

In certain instances, a person may have been using drugs or alcohol for so long, that they literally cannot physically function without the substance. It is in these situations that closely monitored medications may be used during the recovery process. These medications are often used to avoid any medical illness or emergency that can occur when the addictive behavior has been stopped.

It is also common for drug and alcohol abusers to have a variety of mental disorders such has depression or anxiety. Often, it is because of mental illness that drug and alcohol abuse begins. It is vital for addicts that have a mental illness to receive treatment for their condition along with their condition or the addiction will have a higher chance of recurring.

Treatment is not always a voluntary. Addicts often need to be pushed or motivated to receive help when fighting their disease. Motivation is often helpful when an addict is either debating on entering or continuing treatment. Interventions are common when dealing with people that are substance abusers. They often need outside sources to open their eyes to what the addiction is doing to them, and the people that care about them.
The A&E television channel began production of a show called Intervention. This show allows everyone around the country to watch people confront their addictions with the help of their loved ones. The show varies when it comes to the substances and disorder that are illustrated on screen.




Questions
Do you find one treatment method more effective than the others? Or do you think a combination of all of the methods is best?


Are there any treatments that were not mentioned that you feel would be useful?


What are your feelings about Interventions? They are not always successful, are they worth trying?



The first link is part one to an episode of Intervention about leslie, a mother of three who is also an alcoholic.





The second and third links are parts 2 and 3 of Leslie's episode where her drinking has gotten to the worst point, and the family is getting ready for the intervention.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weZgOewO5QY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoB1wSatqs8&feature=related

The fourth and fifth links deal with Leslie's intervention and her decision regarding treatment.


Sources: youtube.com,emedicine.com

Posted by: Shannon

Substance Abuse and the Family Environment

Substance abuse not only substantially affects the person who has the addiction, but also the environment his/her family grows up in. Families that grow up in a substance abuse household are more likely to have financial problems, behavioral problems, and incidences of domestic violence.

According to research, most of the children involved in the welfare system have parents that are substance abusers. Many factors play into this research. Money that would be used for food, clothing, and education for the children would be put towards the addiction. Money that would be put towards rent or mortgages on the home would also be used for buying the substance of choice. This obviously would have a huge affect on how the family lives and the environment the family is surrounded by.

The relationship between other family members, like the children, and the substance abuser, as we see in studies, is poor. There is a strong sense of neglect and disconnect between them. Children with drug addicted parents often have a higher level of aggression, delinquency, hyperactivity, impulsivity, anxiety, less differentiation of self. These affects on the child psyche affects not only how they are in school, but how they develop into an adolescent and then an adult.

Lastly, violence within the family is highly linked with substance abuse. Alcohol abuse is the most apparent in domestic violence. Studies in the United States show that 30 to 40 percent of men and 27 to 34 percent of women who are responsible for the violence were drinking around the same time it started. The addition of violence in the home with the substance abuse lead to a negative environment that have long lasting effects on the family and its structure.

Posted by Heather Saide

Introduction on substance abuse and it's affect on families.

As many of us discovered in class today through our genealogy projects, substance abuse is not uncommon to have in your family. It used to be a very taboo subject, but now, with the growing popularity of rehabilitation programs and the subject of alcohol and drug abuse all over the media, it has become a more common thing to talk about. TV shows such as Sober House with Dr. Drew and Intervention are showing the world that substance dependence can be dangerous to your own personal health and wellbeing as well as damaging to your whole family system.

If you think back to the 1920’s when alcohol was illegal, and if you wanted to drink at all you had to hide it, have it smuggled into the country, or make it yourself, you can see how much our culture has changed. Now it is the cool thing to do and a normal part of American culture. Being drunk in public is no longer something that is out of the ordinary. Our whole culture tells us through media and cultural norms that it is normal to want to drink and if you don’t drink you are missing out.

But the issue is that people rely on the fun and good feeling that alcohol, and also drugs, give you. And they self medicate with these lethal substances to get through the problems that life throws at them. Good fun turns into a habit and that turns into a serious substance abuse problem. This problem is affecting not only Americans but the whole world. Popular culture such as advertising, rock bands, and many TV shows, for example, are not doing anything to change that.

Even though addicts and alcoholics are hurting themselves and their lives greatly, they are also affecting their family’s lives. When someone with a substance abuse problem is in a family system, this can change everything

Some questions to think about when thinking about substance abuse and the affect it has on families:

• Does the abuser know that her/she is affecting everyone?

• How does substance abuse affect everyone else around the abuser?

• What are some family systems that could be affected by substance abuse?

• What kind of affect do you think the media has on this issue?

Posted by Casandra Colby

Closing on Gay Issues

Recently America has started to become much more supportive of civil rights for the gay and lesbian community then they have been in the past. Despite this recent change attitudes of homophobia are still very prevalent among individuals in the United States. Homophobia is not only prevalent on the individual micro basis but as well on the macro basis. On the federal level homosexuals are still not protected from hate crime legislation and work place discrimination. Under federal law they are also prohibited from marrying and openly serving in the military. Although gays are usually better protected at the state the level that in not always the case. 30 states still have nondiscrimination laws that do not include sexual orientation. As well statesstill prohibit gay couples from adopting, as well as some states have state or constitutional amendments that prohibit same sex marriage.

Homophobia on a Regional Basis

Cities such as Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco are known to have the highest amount of partnered gay populations as of the year 2000. There are many myths that homosexuals are gravitated to big cities because they are known to be more tolerant than small towns or rural areas. Although it is true that there is a higher concentration of gays living in large cities, as well as it is true that areas such as the Northeast and the west coast are known to more accepting then that South or Midwest it is still true that homophobia is everywhere. Even though people from areas such as the west coast describe that by living in such an accepting area with many gay rights movements has made them more accepting to gays people in these liberal areas still do report seeing homosexuality as well as hearing school yard terms such as “gay” or “faggot”.
What homophobia means for families

Homophobia still being prevalent in many different areas even more liberal ones can be a devastating thing for families. One example of how it can affect families is if a child who is gay has homophobic parents. The parent’s homophobia could cause a rift between the child and their parents if the parents are never able to accept their child. Homophobia can also have a negative affect on a child who has two same sex parents. With several states having laws against gay couples adopting it can be difficult for each of the same sex partner to have equal parental rights over the child. That can become very difficult in the event of a parents hospitalization or death.

The following YouTube clip shows an example on how homophobia can negatively affect a family.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuyIMWUTp88

The next YouTube clip explores how parents who are uncomfortable with their child’s sexuality can deal with meeting their child’s same sex partner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7_UQL5OktA&feature=related


Closing Thoughts

1. What do you believe are some ways to end homophobia on a micro level?

2. Can you think of any examples you know of a family being personally affected negatively by homophobia.