11 APR SUPPORTING A LOVED ONE IN RECOVERY
11 APR SUPPORTING A LOVED ONE IN RECOVERY
in Addiction by Mandi Harris
Recovery from substance addiction, though oftentimes challenging, is possible. Unfortunately, addiction doesn’t only affect the individual–it can affect his family and friends. A goal of treatment offered at The Blake House is to regenerate a man so he can be a functioning man in his family, work, and community. Here are some tips on how you can support a loved one in his/her recovery.
EDUCATE YOURSELF ON ADDICTION AND RECOVERY
Addiction and recovery can be complex and being close with someone who is abusing substances can be very challenging. Some good ways you can help your loved one is knowing potential triggers, health issues, the psychological changes that addiction causes, and the recovery process. The process of recovery is highly personal and occurs via many pathways. Recovery is characterized by continual growth and improvement in one’s health and wellness that may involve setbacks.
SET BOUNDARIES
The basis of healthy boundaries is respect — for one’s self and for others. Healthy boundaries include feeling safe to express feelings in a calm, assertive manner, and to stand firm even if others don’t agree. Family and friends often try to protect and coddle loved ones thinking they’re helping, when in actuality, it’s only making things worse. Remember, addicts are often master manipulators as that’s one way they support their habit. Remind your loved one often that you are willing to be his recovery support but not his enabler.
MAKE CHANGES AT HOMES
It is critical that you make any necessary changes, especially in the early stage of recovery, in your home and family. This may include removing all addictive substances from your home, avoiding socializing with certain friends, getting family therapy, and finding new activities to fill the time. Once your family member arrives home, he will continue to need your healthy support and the support of everyone in the home.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
As we mentioned above, addiction doesn’t only affect the individual, but it can take a toll on everyone around him. It is important to take care of your own physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental needs. Support groups are a great way to reach others who are going through similar difficulties. It’s a space that allows you to share your story or listen and learn. Having someone outside your friend or family group, such as a counselor, is very helpful as well. Whatever you choose, make it about you and forgive the addict and forgive yourself.
The reality is, the effects and consequences of addiction are hard. Some days it even seems unbearable. Just remember, you’re not alone. While there are no one-size-fits-all solutions, research shows that family support can play a major role in helping a loved one with substance abuse disorders. With dedication, love, hard work, and determination, there is hope.
James 5:16 – Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed.
Instead of recovery, at The Blake House, we focus on the regeneration of the man–“to restore to a former state.” We believe that the state of a man before addiction is filled with wounds of rejection and pain, and these wounds have led to a life of addiction. The process of regeneration, “to reform to a better state,” is the prescription for life-long freedom from addiction. Contact us today for more information about our 10-month long in-house regeneration program.
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family and addicts, supporting a loved one in recovery
11 APR EFFECTS OF DRUG & ALCOHOL ABUSE ON THE BRAIN
in Addiction by Andrew Spurlock
Every person who faces some kind of addiction has his own struggles and unique journey that ultimately lead to the addiction. But a major issue is more than the actual addiction–it’s the long-term effects on the person’s life. When drugs and alcohol are abused, various stresses and strains also arise. The longer the abuse or more serious the abuse, the more it will interfere with the addict’s physical and mental health, personal relationships, jobs, and finances, to name a few. Addiction can cause havoc in one’s life and unfortunately, the physical changes you see on the outside are just a glimpse of the destruction it’s causing on the inside of your loved one. There is an overwhelming number of long-term physical and emotional effects addiction can have.
PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS
Addiction and mental illness run hand in hand. It isn’t clear which issue is causing the other, but the relationship is strong nonetheless. Substance addiction and mental illness are disorders that develop due to many different factors, both genetic and environmental. For example, people who suffer from mood or anxiety disorders are almost twice as likely to also suffer from a substance use disorder. And people who suffer from substance use disorders are approximately twice as likely to also struggle with a mood or anxiety disorder. Depression, anxiety, and paranoia are among the most common long-term mental health issues associated with drug abuse and addiction.
PHYSICAL CHANGES
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), long-term drug abuse can affect various body parts.
Kidneys– Abusing certain substances can cause dehydration, muscle breakdown, and increased body temperature—all of which contribute to kidney damage over time. Kidney failure is not uncommon among long-time users of heroin and ketamine.
Liver – The liver is important for clearing toxins from the bloodstream, and chronic substance abuse can overwork this vital organ, leading to damage from chronic inflammation, scarring, and tissue necrosis.
Heart – Most illegal drugs can have adverse cardiovascular effects, ranging from abnormal heart rate to heart attacks. Injecting illegal drugs also can lead to cardiovascular problems, such as collapsed veins and bacterial infections of the blood vessels and heart valves.
Lungs – People who chronically use alcohol and other drugs are more susceptible to respiratory infections. This is because many substances can cause damage to the immune, respiratory and cardiovascular systems.
BEHAVIORAL ISSUES
Substance use disorders can lead to multiple behavioral problems, both in the short- and long-term. Such behavioral issues include:
Paranoia
Aggressiveness
Hallucinations
Impulsiveness
Loss of self-control
The effects of drug and alcohol abuse can lead to loss of employment, alienation from loved ones, punishable offenses, accidents, and injuries. In fact, alcohol and drugs are partly to blame in an estimated 80% of offenses leading to jail time in the U.S. These incidents include domestic violence, driving while intoxicated, theft, and offenses related to damaged property. Although initial drug use may be voluntary, drugs can alter brain chemistry. This can actually change how the brain performs and interfere with a person’s ability to make choices, ultimately affecting his overall behavior.
EFFECTS ON THE BRAIN
THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX
When a person uses drugs or alcohol for a long period of time, his body and brain have most likely suffered damage, specifically to the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex of the brain is responsible for:
Cognitive behavior
Personality
Decision making
Moderating social behavior
Because abuse can cause damage to the prefrontal cortex, individuals with an addiction issue may not make the same choices and decisions they would if they were sober. Oftentimes, they cannot determine good from bad, future consequences of activity, prediction of outcomes, and social control.
THE AMYGDALA
The amygdala is the emotional processing center. This part of the brain is responsible for feelings such as stress and anxiety. The amygdala may be best known as the part of the brain that drives the so-called “fight or flight” response. When someone is going through withdrawals, this part of the brain will go haywire causing much stress and anxiety. Sometimes, the addict is more drawn to the substance just to “calm his brain” more than chasing a high.
THE BASAL GANGLIA
The basal ganglia is the pleasure and reward center. Every substance has slightly different effects on the brain, but all addictive drugs, including alcohol, opioids, and cocaine produce a surge of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the basal ganglia. Dopamine plays a role in how we feel pleasure. As the use of addictive drugs increases, the neurotransmitters adapt, scaling back their sensitivity to dopamine. This leads to a reduction in euphoria or the “high” that comes with drug abuse. And after repeated use, the drugs will decrease pleasure for anything but the drug– “chasing the high.”
Prolonged drug abuse issues usually don’t emerge overnight. Many people can go for months or years without physical or psychological consequences. But the longer you abuse drugs and alcohol, the greater the risk of permanent, long-term damage to the brain. Don’t let drug or alcohol abuse affect your life or the life of a loved one. The negative effects on one’s body is not worth the “high.”