“Above It All was the most amazing place for recovery I’ve ever been too. The services were fantastic!”
Above It All Takes Part in ‘Intervention’ Television Program
In an episode titled Samantha, Above It All recently worked with the producers of the A&E television reality show “Intervention.” The show was an excellent opportunity to educate and inform the public about the hope and help offered by addiction intervention and treatment.
Working with Ken Seeley, a professional interventionist from Intervention911, and A&E productions, we are helping to get the word out about the help that is available to families and friends of addicts who want to encourage their loved ones to seek treatment. We understand the desperation that families and friends feel when they love someone who is suffering from the disease of addiction. We understand the feelings of shame and guilt causes by the chaos of an addict’s behavior. We are here to reach out when they believe they have exhausted every possible method to encourage their loved ones seek help. We connect families with a license professional who will work with them in approaching the addict with compassionate caring. The interventionist listens to each family’s individual needs and then helps to devise a plan for a face-to-face meeting to address the facts of the addict’s behavior.
Family Treatment Helps Increase Success of Recovery
When an alcoholic or addict agrees to enter a treatment program, the first step is detox. Detox provides a time for medical and psychiatric evaluation. The time spent in detox varies from individual to individual, depending on the substances used and the duration of use. When clients have achieved enough physical and emotional balance to move on, residential treatment helps them address underlying issues that have contributed to their addiction. Family members join the treatment process to learn about the disease of addiction and their role in it. We help clients and their families develop new, more effective methods of communication as they all work together toward a new chance at life free from the chains of alcohol or drug addiction.
Letting the Sinner & Saint Go During Addiction Recovery
There are a many ways to express a healthy mindset during addiction recovery: cut yourself some slack, stop self-judgment and start self-acceptance. But Irish poet and novelist Oscar Wilde said it most pristinely when he said that, “Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.”
It’s a simple mantra for those in drug and alcohol addiction recovery, it would be difficult to find a better one. While it may seem so to someone struggling with personal and social issues, there really isn’t anyone who is all perfect or free from pain or doubt.
Drop the Dualities
Accept the fact that the past and the future can co-exist. Self-acceptance during addiction recovery means letting go of saint or sinner and just learning to be fully, complexly human. One day at a time. It also means that society must stop categorizing individuals with pasts that include addictions or mental health issues.
Life was no picnic for Oscar Wilde. But even through personal challenges, tragedies and imprisonment, he was adamant about two particular things: it is better to live than merely exist, and no-one is more qualified to be oneself than…oneself! Neither totally good or completely bad, humans can’t be defined merely by their pasts or in comparison to others.
Above it All wants to hear your comments and experiences! Share your thoughts on how you’ve let go of the idea of all-saints and only-sinners during addiction recovery.
More Federal Resources Dedicated to America’s Opiate Epidemic
The opiate epidemic in the United States continues to grow with not just heroin, but prescription pain killers too. In years past, the federal government hefted a single-pronged spear by focusing primarily on drug trafficking. However, the FY 2016 budget proposes a much more comprehensive line of attack towards the opiate epidemic.
This broader (and deeper-pocketed) three-prong approach covers:
- Prevention
- Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Programs
- Addressing domestic and transnational drug trafficking
Sad Stats
Each day more people die from drug overdoses than car accidents. The majority of these overdoses aren’t from cocaine or designer drugs but heroin and prescription painkillers. The escalation of the opiate epidemic isn’t modest. Even with an intense focus on this problem in the media over the last few years, the disturbing fact is deaths related to prescription painkillers is up 300% since 1999. This is a critical public health issue.
Earmarks of New Federal Funding
Whether you are someone struggling with addiction, a family member, treatment professional or a concerned citizen, this funding will provide significant resources. Prevention funding includes education, technical assistance, treatment and training based on evidence-based practices and acute needs. Medication assisted treatment, and other clinical services will be beefed up with grants and funding for both state-level public programs, as well as those in the criminal justice systems. Long term recovery support is integrated into the funding umbrella.
Tamping the opiate epidemic also means eliminating drug trafficking at the point of origin, as well as via local suppliers. This has proven challenging in the past, but federal and more local law enforcement offices will be able to collaborate more seamlessly, sharing hard and soft resources.
A&E – Intervention – Samantha D.
Samantha’s addiction to heroin and Xanax has served to further fracture her relationship with her dad in this collection of scenes from “Samantha D.”
Watch the video at A&E
Families Dealing With Addiction Sing “If Only . . .” Theme Song
When a loved one suffers from abuse of drugs or alcohol, the family suffers, too. On one hand, addiction is a disease of isolation, but at the same time, it affects families, friends, neighbors and employers. The No. 1 symptom affecting substance abusers and the people who love them is denial. One result of denying the reality of drug and alcohol addiction is learning to sing an “if only” theme song. The lyrics go something like this for the substance abuser:
- “If only I didn’t have such a lousy job, I would be able to quit drinking.”
- “If only my wife hadn’t left me, I wouldn’t have to drown my loneliness in alcohol.”
- “If only my mother hadn’t died of cancer, I would have a chance to show her I could sober up.”
- “If only I had let my designated driver take me home, I wouldn’t be sitting in jail with a DUI.”
The verses go like this for families:
- “If only I had been home when he called, I could have picked him up.”
- “If only we could move to a better neighborhood, she would make different friends.”
- ‘If only my husband didn’t have to work so late, he would be here to see what I see.”
- “If only we had enough money, we could put her through rehab.”
All of these scenarios have elements of denial. They all wish for a different reality.
Acceptance Of Reality Gives Recovery A Chance
In order for substance abusers and their families to recover from addiction, the first step is accepting reality by living in the present. Regrets over the past cannot change the past. The best hopes for the future cannot be created by wishes. The only time for action is the present, and the only control we have is over ourselves. Reality involves facing shame, guilt, anger and a host of other emotions. It is not an easy process. Treatment centers and support programs have experience in helping substance abusers and their families recognize and face the realities of addiction, often through people who have experienced the realities of addiction themselves. Reaching out to companions on the journey of recovery can make all the difference.
The Dangers of Mixing Street Drugs with Psychiatric Drugs
According to recent studies, more than seventy percent of adolescents who abuse psychoactive substances also have one or more psychiatric disorders. Many of them continue to use illicit substances while on a regimen of prescribed medication, and there is clear potential for dangerous interactions.
Although there is a prevailing theory that teen substance abuse is actually an attempt to self-medicate underlying psychiatric issues, a recent meta-analysis contradicts this, concluding, however, that use of street drugs can in fact exacerbate the issues being treated. Therefore, even in the absence of problematic interaction, adding street drugs to a prescribed regimen is a bad strategy.
A clinically significant interaction between two drugs is defined as an event in which the therapeutic and/or toxic effects of one drug are altered as a consequence of the ingestion of another. Unintended drug reactions are a significant cause of death, and drug interactions are a major contributor. One review of deaths in the US between 1983 and 2004 reported a marked increase in deaths due to medications mixed with street drugs and/or alcohol. As new drugs are developed, more adverse interactions are expected, as there is now way to test for dangerous combinations prior to FDA approval (testing would be dangerous, illegal, and unethical).
Among the potential adverse consequences of mixing medications with street drugs are:
- Drugs of abuse can interfere with the mechanisms of prescribed medications, leaving the individual’s underlying condition under-treated while complicating the issue with the cumulative and separate effects of drug abuse
- Street drugs can increase the risk of potential side effects of prescribed medications, which in turn can enhance the toxicity of the street drugs
- Use of street drugs can distort the outcomes of professional attempts to manage depression, anxiety, etc., such that appropriate medication and dosage can be more difficult to determine.
In one instance, earlier this year in East Bridgewater, MA, a 15-year-old girl died as a result of a relatively obscure drug called 251–NBOMe, or “N-Bomb.” This psychedelic drug, sometimes substituted for LSD, affects serotonin levels in the brain—the same neurotransmitters affected by medication the teen had been taking for a diagnosed psychiatric condition. The drug isn’t controlled in Massachusetts and is difficult to detect. Although the death was not attributed to a drug interaction, the compounding of mechanisms affecting delicate serotonin balances is clearly problematic.
More commonly, interactions between tranquilizers—especially in the benzodiazepine class—and alcohol are potentially fatal. The combination impairs judgment, leading to automobile accidents and other mishaps, and it can depress the central nervous system to the point of respiratory arrest, including choking on one’s own vomit. There is a current trend among teens to mix alcohol and Xanax. Also, prescription medications like Adderall and Ritalin, when combined with alcohol, cannabis, or especially with other stimulants like cocaine, can lead to adverse effects, hospitalization, or even death.
Most addicts suffer from co-existing mental disorders, and the effort to manage dosages, mood swings, and the accumulating difficulties of everyday living becomes increasingly burdensome. Treatment for addiction should include a medical approach to co-morbid issues: at the very least, freedom from addiction can optimize the outcome of treatment for other mental health issues.
“Mad Men” Actor Jon Hamm Completes 30-Day Rehab
Apparently, “Mad Men” actor Jon Hamm, who plays the hard-drinking Don Draper, has something in common with the character he portrays in the popular AMC television show. News of the actor’s rehab, supported by his life partner, actress and filmmaker Jennifer Westfeldt, comes just as the 1960’s advertising agency drama launches its final season starting April 5. Few details have been announced, as the couple has asked for privacy regarding the treatment. TMZ first broke the news about Hamm’s rehab, reporting that he checked himself into Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut, in February. Hamm’s publicist has issued a brief statement, which asks for “sensitivity going forward.” Hamm recently appeared on the “Today” show along with other stars of the series, but the topic of conversation had everything to do with Don Draper’s fate and nothing to do with Hamm’s treatment.
Hamm’s Role As Don Draper Prompted Celebrity Status
Although Hamm has appeared in numerous television shows over the years, his characterization of Draper solidified his reputation as an actor. He received a coveted Golden Globe award for the role in 2008. He has received repeated nominations for an Emmy, but has not yet won. On the show, Draper has an obscure past. Part of the show’s intrigue has involved unraveling the mystery of his true identity. He often displays erratic behavior and engages in numerous sexual escapades. As a result, his relationships are tenuous and complicated. On the job as an advertising executive, Draper is both talented and conflicted. Although highly successful in managing major advertising clients and intuitive regarding consumers and what they want, his personal life is filled with stress, often brought about by his own moodiness and troublesome behavior. He eventually develops signs of alcoholism, which threatens his job. He signs a sobriety stipulation in a business contract, but is unable to stop relying on alcohol to ease his emotional pain. As television viewers eagerly await developments in the new and final season, they no doubt also will be watching and listening for details of Hamm’s rehab treatment.
Why Alcohol Affects Women Differently Than Men
Although there is evidence that a higher percentage of men abuse alcohol and other substances, women encounter greater dangers because alcohol affects them differently. Did you know that the human body averages around 60% water? Women weigh less and average less water in their bodies than men. Since alcohol resides in body water, this means that women get a higher concentration of alcohol in their blood a lot faster. As a rule, women start to develop problems at lower drinking levels than men. What may appear as a small difference physiologically results in far greater dangers to women.
Besides the physical problems, women who drink are suffering from mental illnesses at a higher rate than men. It is frequently observed that women who are recovering from alcoholism are also in recovery from depression or another mental illness. There are support groups and materials available for each illness. There is also help available from dual diagnosis or co-occurring programs (for people suffering from an addiction and a mental illness). There are unseen ways that alcohol affects women more than men.
Alcoholism is a family disease with far reaching consequences. Effects on the family can be devastating. It is usually the woman who struggles to keep the family together if there are children. If that woman is drinking her children may be at risk because she has passed out or has left them home alone. When a female alcoholic is arrested her children may be left unattended with no other family to care for them. This situation is terrible and heart-wrenching. But there is help and it begins with admitting that your life is unmanageable. When writing about re-establishing relationships with children, Bill W. (Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 134) said “In time, they will see that he is a new man and in their own way they will let him know it….From that point on, progress will be rapid. Marvelous results often follow such a reunion.” Seek support and find the courage you need to grow physically, mentally and spiritually from your recovery program.
Why it’s Important to Cultivate Gratitude during Addiction Treatment
It can be difficult for someone new to recovery to find gratitude in addiction treatment. But it’s important that make an effort and from this practice we will understand how gratitude can help. Cultivating gratitude is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This type of thinking helps connect your behaviors with your thoughts and feelings. Recovering addicts or alcoholics can change their habitual negative patterns to help them better manage their recovery.
As we must make changes in our actions to replace bad habits we practiced during addiction (places we go, people we see) so we must change our attitudes. A person in recovery can become optimistic about life through self-empowering habits that include making positive life choices and decisions. An oft-heard phrase in recovery is to “practice an attitude of gratitude.” Even if you aren’t feeling like it, make time every morning while in addiction treatment to begin your day in the best possible way. Start with gratitude as a spiritual practice that you dedicate yourself to and it will create a new habit. By thinking of (for example) a list of 10 things in your life right you are grateful for, know this is a positive way to manage your recovery and you can take this habit home with you.
One suggestion for cultivating gratitude is to start a gratitude journal. Hand writing in your journal is more powerful because by moving your hand you activate your brain and you will get the thoughts flowing onto the page. Write I am grateful for … and think of what has happened to you in the last 24 hours. Who has supported you? Why have these events meant so much to you? Recovery begins with hope and gratitude. Cultivate your gratitude and find opportunities to be grateful each day that recovery brings.