Addictions Page PowerPoint

1. Addictions Page PowerPoint By: Bria Riley Live and Let Live Share

2. What is an Addiction? • An addiction is a dependence on a particular substance or activity to be able to feel “normal” (not go through withdrawal). It is both psychological and physiological It is psychological by using that substance or behavior of choice to “numb” or “escape” from negative feelings, thoughts, and/or memories. It is physiological because the body develops a dependence on the substance to behave normally. If it does not get that substance it starts to cause withdrawal symptoms to the individual, some that can be fatal. Denial and loss of control: the two main hallmarks of the disease Denial: Addiction is a disease that tells you that you don’t have a disease. The reason begin is that the addict doesn’t want to admit that they are powerless and that their life has become unmanageable. Loss of control: the addict does not have control over his/her actions. They do not consider the consequences or how it hurts themselves and the people they love. All they care about and ponder about is how are they going to get their fix today, and they will do whatever it takes: stealing, prostitution, drug dealing, deception, and any other illegal/unethical activity. • A family disorder • Addiction affects the entire family as a whole unit. Family member and other loved ones easily get caught up into the addict’s life style and how to control them and keep them alive, this is called co-dependency (addicted to the addict) • The whole family lives in fear, anxiety, worry, and wonder. • It can also cause a drastic change in the family system such as a divorce, a major feud, a new child that is born out of wedlock due to the addict’s careless promiscuity, another family member becoming addicted to cope (co-dependency is the most common), or major tension which affects the family dynamic leading to events such as a divorce or feud.

3. Is Addiction A Choice? • NO WAY! The individual may have chosen to use in the beginning, but addiction is a loss of choice, powerlessness. It is a legitimate disease that requires proper medical and psychological treatment. It is a serious, fatal disease, but it is very treatable. However, in order for it to be treatable, the addict must WANT it. The desire to seek help MUST be more than the desire to use. The addict must SURRENDER control and ADMITT to their problem. For the physical aspect, it is CRITCAL that the addict gets properly detoxed in a professional medical environment (especially alcohol which can lead to death) to make withdrawal safe and comfortable because some symptoms are fatal if left untreated.

4. What Factors Contribute to a Person Becoming Addicted? A variety of factors contribute to whether an individual becomes addicted. On the physiological side of it, addiction is proven to be hereditary. That is why it is very common to see addictions, especially when it is the same substance with alcohol being a very common example, run in generations. On the psychological aspect, it can be anything from life events or feelings of low self-worth and self-esteem. It is typically traced back to childhood. Things such as child abuse or harsh parents may be an explanation and a factor, but they are NEVER an excuse.

5. Why Do Some Become Addicted and Others Do Not? • Some people can have a social drink at a party, gamble occasionally, use recreational drugs (though illegal and frowned upon) socially, and be natural beings by engaging in healthy sexual activity with a partner, and view pornography and lingerie magazines for arousal. But for others, they can not do it without falling into a deep pit because of it. The best analogy for an addiction is an allergy because just like a person who is allergic to peanuts can’t have peanut products, a person who is addicted to alcohol can’t have alcohol or be around anything that is related to alcohol. They can not have a particular substance or engage in certain activities because it makes them sick by them not being able to handle it in moderation and without it affecting every part of their life. It depends why the person wants to do it and what feeling they get from it. If they are doing it to escape certain feelings, memories, issues and/or feel physically well, then that is the sign of a problem. With the correct combination of genes, life events, feelings, and sensitivity with life’s challenge, a person becomes addicted to that substance due to the highs it offers that specific person. When a person tries their substance of choice for the first time, they describe it with words such as “what I was always looking for”.

6. Does Addiction make a Person a “Bad Person”, “Failure”, “Weak Person”, Or a Persona with A Flaw of Character”? • ABSOLOUTLY NOT! Addiction is a disease in which a person has literally no control of what they do. It does not label them “bad”, “weak”, “failure”, nor is it a “flaw of character”.

7. Are Addicts Still Accountable for what They Do Due to Their Addiction? • Yes! In the eight and ninth step, that is where making amends comes into play. It may be painful, humiliating, and might even make a person feel disgruntled, but they must be held accountable for their actions. Addiction is never an excuse with the justice system. They will take this mental pain and guilt with to their grave because of the despicable acts they did in the name of their drug or compulsive behavior or choice. Making amends alleviates some of that pain which makes a relapse less likely. NEVER let them use their addiction as an excuse for violence, abuse, stealing, lying, and manipulating. • Note: Alcohol and drugs are NEVER an excuse for violent, abusive, and inappropriate behavior because how you behave when you’re under the influenced comes from how you feel deep down inside. In other words, the beast of human nature that lives inside all of us come out because alcohol and drugs decrease our inhibitions.

8. When Is an Addict Ready to Get Help? • An addict is ready when they have hit bottom. That is why co-dependency or the more you enable, makes them sicker and sicker. They MUST suffer the consequences of their addiction to hit bottom and realize that they are powerless and need help. Even if that consequence is death.

9. All About Recovery • Recovery is the life-long process of learning to live without using that substance. Recovery is never an “end”, it is a life-long process. The addict must take it ONE DAY AT A TIME; they can never say that they will never use again. • Recovery in order: • Medical detox (sometimes within the residential rehab) • Residential treatment • After-care plan (sober-living, living in a new place, intensive outpatient (IOP) ) • Continued life-long support (AA and/or NA meetings with a sponsor)

10. What Are Other Aspects of Recovery? • Recovery is not just about abstinence from that substance or particular destructive activity. That is why addiction is not just about detox; it’s also about emotional support through meetings and intensive out-patient. Recovery is about changing your perspective to make you realize that life is possible and able to be lived without having to put anything in your body. This can be done through meetings, IOP (intensive outpatient), yoga, spirituality, prayer, meditation, relaxation methods, and on a physical aspect, nutrition and fitness to help with the cravings. You must give up the defects of character and attitude that you had while you were using. You can’t be clean and live dirty. A person who is not using, but has behavior like they are using is called a “dry drunk” in the case of alcohol or a “dry junkie” in drugs.

11. What Things Can an Addict do to Stay Sober? • Avoiding environments with alcohol and drugs (clubs, parties, bad neighborhoods) • Avoiding environment where they used to use and people they used with (that is why sober-living is definitely a highly-recommended option after residential-treatment). • Taking in the emotional aspects of recovery through wisdom, meditation, prayer, spirituality, and meetings. • Assuring all underlying issues are being worked on to avoid falling into a new addiction (common example: gambling and then alcohol) • Take on a new diet and physical lifestyle (exercising on a regular basis) which helps with cravings. • Avoiding unnecessary stress to avoid emotional cravings early on in recovery

12. Can A Recovering Drug Addict Have Alcohol? • ABSOLOUTLY NOT! Alcohol IS a drug.A drug is a drug. If you are addicted to just one drug, you are addicted to ALL of them including alcohol and other mind altering-mood altering substance. The reason for this is the person became addicted to the drugs because of their addictive personality, and since alcohol IS a drug, they are also addicted to that. Alcohol also decreases a person’s inhibitions making it harder to make positive, rational decisions; therefore, it is easier to get into bad situations.

13. What is Co-dependency? • Co-dependency is essentially being addicted to the addict. It is a buzz for you to help them by doing things such as keeping them in your home, giving them money, cars, shelter, food, and chasing them down or “rescuing them” from drug houses, certain people, and places. You do this because you think you are going to get them better, but it is just making them worse. An addict MUST hit bottom before getting better, and the only way that can happen is they MUST suffer the consequences of their addiction to confront their problem. Even if the consequence is death. In reality, the co-dependent individual does this for their own gratification by feeling “secure "that their loved one is “safe”. For example, if you give them money even though you don’t agree how they spend the money, you are trying to avoid guilt. In reality, it’s selfish, and it isn’t health for you or the addict.

14. What Help is Available for my Co-dependency? • Al-anon, Nar-anon, rehab family programs, and even counseling. Addiction is a family disorder, therefore, you need help to deal with it just as much as the addict. It is about getting yourself better and healthy despite that your loved one is self-destructing. It has to be about you; you can’t be sacrificing your happiness, health, serenity, and well-being just because your loved one has a disease that ONLY THEMSELVES can fix. In these programs, you relate to others going through the same situation and have the opportunity to connect to help yourself. In addition to that, you also learn to apply the twelve steps and recovery principals into your life for YOUR benefit, not the addicts.

15. Thank You! • Thank You for view this presentation. I wish you all the best and that you benefit from this section of my website. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the information presented or about your own life, feel free to contact me under “Need Someone to Talk To?”