Category: Articles

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How a Rehab Can Make You a Better Person

Articles, Australia, International, Understanding Addiction

Rehab has a lot to offer for most people, even those who are not addicted. Sometimes in a place with structure, peace, and discipline should be mandatory for everyone. There is little surprise then, that these facilities, their workers and various programs available there can do miracles for people who are struggling with their daily lives and often seek refuge in addictive things to cope with them.

Rehabs work, it is a statistical fact. Some better than others, due to their approach to healing, and inpatient better than outpatient, yet again statistically. What is better for one person does not necessarily work that great for others, but the general consensus is that an inpatient rehabilitation course has the best chances of an addict to recover from their addiction and become a better and more wholesome person. A person who can empathize, understand and solve issues. Let us have a look at few qualities and disciplines that are installed in the addict during his stay and how they make him a better person.

Detoxification.

For many, this is the most important step. To become physically clean of addiction to drugs or alcohol. Many find this step to be the hardest to endure as well. Most will agree, that being functional and responsible while high is nigh impossible. There are high-functioning addicts, but without a doubt, their judgment is impaired, nevermind their motor skills and ability to communicate. It is very hard to attend your child’s school play while high on meth, blackout drunk or out of it due to a particularly large dose of heroin. Being physiologically free of the addiction can be a very refreshing thing for an addict, it is a state he has not been in for a long time.

Confronting your demons.

An addiction is a symptom, but what is the cause? A rehab program can reveal and help you tackle it. Rarely an addicted person became addicted because he thought his life was perfect but he felt like taking some drugs. Usually, drugs are a tool to escape the reality, to escape the stress, bad relationships, responsibility and anything else that might be getting you down. Addicts are troubled people with deep-seated reasons why they began using and why it got out of hand. Facing your demons is part becoming sober. You may not even know these reasons or perhaps do not know that they existed.

Tackling problems.

As part of any self-respecting rehab program, the addict will learn how to cope with problems. How to identify the scope of the problem, how to avoid blowing it out of proportion, how to analyze it and how to tackle it head on, instead of hiding your head in the sand like an ostrich. These coping and self-control techniques help a recovering addict deal with daily problems and hardships. It may take something as simple as an argument with a friend or a late payment on their rent to send them into a blurry drug bender that can last days if not weeks. A rehab and its counselors will identify the root of this type of behavior and teach the recovering addict how to deal with issues without the need to throw yourself off the grid in a drug infused surrender.

Life skills.

Part of dealing with your problems, these valuable skills will allow an addict to be a fully functional and positive individual that can benefit the society. These skills could seem ordinary and self-explanatory to some, but there are plenty of people out there who have difficulty communicating, cleaning their living space, taking care of children or even planning finances. These and many more skills will allow the recovering addict to experience and enjoy life in a way they never could before. It may even enable them to try out new things and learn various new life changing revelations about themselves and the world around them. It is not unheard of to have a secluded and introvert addict to spearhead bake sales in their local community or rallying roadside cleanup parties. New horizons at your fingertips.

Self-worth.

Most addicts have been treated as a leper, persona non grata, an outcast. Considered to be dirty, disease-ridden garbage of humanity, people seldom look past the blood-shot eyes and think about the person behind them or what happened that made them end up the way they are. They have been told for years that they are rats, scavengers and lowest of the low. And they believe it. They have been told that they are scum so many times by passers by that they begin to believe it. Many even embrace it and begin acting like the person everyone says that they are, turning to crime or slip even deeper into depression and self-pity. A rehab reminds them that they are human first and foremost. That they stand on the same level as anyone else, have the same rights to be treated accordingly and have the right to have dreams, aspirations and life goals. Fight with addiction is hard fought in the psyche of the addict himself. He must first be shown, that he is as good and as bad as anyone else out there, no different from the people that look down on him. We are all human beings and deserve to be treated as such.

 

The list of benefits that come from a rehab course is a long one. The deeper you go, the more things you learn. The ones mentioned above are just a few. We at DARA Rehab believe, that everyone deserves a chance at normal life, free life. If you know a person who is in the shackles of addiction, do not be hesitant to reach out and help them.

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Binge Drinking And Brain Damage

Articles, Australia, International, Understanding Addiction

Binge drinking leaves you open to a whole host of problems that are far more damaging than a sore head and a lousy hangover.

What is binge drinking?

Different countries class binge drinking in different ways, but a general and accurate description is the practice of drinking excessive amounts of alcohol in a short space of time. It also applies to the many people who go out with the sole intention of getting drunk. Continue reading “Binge Drinking And Brain Damage” →

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What works – and what doesn’t!

Articles

 

JOCELYN MERCADO

PhD (Psychology), RGC, CCLP, CASP, CCOP

Officer In Charge & Senior Clinical Psychologist – DARA Koh Chang

CLASS DISCUSSION

One of the first questions I always ask my psychology students is “What’s the most important aspect of counselling and psychotherapy?”  Almost always my college students will say, “The counsellor’s skills and techniques”, but my graduate students will say “The Counsellor’s knowledge and experience…”  I guess they are both right in implying that the most important aspect of counselling and psychotherapy is the counsellor themselves!

Then the next question is, “What makes an effective counsellor or therapist?” Carl Rogers, one of the most seminal psychologists of the last century, postulated that, in order for therapeutic growth to take place three conditions are necessary:

  • First, an anxious or vulnerable client must come into contact with a congruent therapist who also possesses empathy and unconditional positive regard for that client. To be congruent, according to Rogers, means the counsellor is genuine and true to himself and his client.  Congruent counsellors are in touch with their feelings and are emotionally present.  They do not act as though they were something that they are not.
  • The second condition is unconditional positive regard. This means that they are “experiencing a warm, positive and accepting attitude toward what is the client” (Rogers, 1961).  Unconditional positive regard means that therapists accept and value their clients without any restrictions or reservations no matter who the client is or what they have done. The third necessary and sufficient condition for psychological growth is empathic listening.  To Rogers (1980), empathy means,  “temporarily living in the other’s life, moving about in it delicately without making judgments”.  Empathy suggests that a therapist sees things from the client’s perspective rather than the therapist’s perspective, and that the client feels safe and unthreatened.

 

Does ‘Person Centered’ therapy approach still postulated by Rogers
still works in the modern era?

A huge body of research on the subject of what works for clients was quoted in the book “The heart and Soul of Change”1.  In one study, 16 therapists were assigned clients with similar levels of therapeutic complexity.  After 25 sessions, the client’s of therapists who demonstrated more positive regard (in terms of warmth, understanding and affirmation) showed better treatment outcomes.  Hundreds of studies have found that when asked, clients ascribe the effectiveness of their therapy more to the quality of the relationship they have with their therapist, than to the particular techniques or methods used. This relationship is commonly referred to as the ‘Therapeutic Alliance’ and it have been shown to be on of the strongest predictors of successful change in therapy.2

FORGING THE ALLIANCE

To sum up what hundreds upon hundreds of research studies convincingly report, what works in general and what consistently predicts good psychotherapy outcome are:

  • Empathy.  “The therapist’s sensitive ability and willingness to understand client’s thoughts, feelings, and struggles from their point of view.”
  • Alliance.  “The quality and strength of the collaborative relationship between client and therapist.”
  • Goal Consensus.  Therapist-client agreement on treatment goals and objectives.
  • Positive Regard. “The therapist’s warm acceptance of the client’s experience without conditions and reservations.”
  • Congruence or Genuineness.  “Therapist’s personal integration in the relationship and capacity to communicate his or her personhood to the client as appropriate.”

BARRIERS TO SUCCESS

So we know what works to build the alliance, but what type of things can break it? A large body of research literature outlines several key tactics that should be avoided in the therapy setting.

  1. Confrontations. Controlled research trials, particularly in the field of addictions showed that confrontational style is ineffective.  In a review conducted by Miller, Wilbourne, & Hettema (2003), confrontation was found ineffective in all 12 identified trials.
  2. Negative Processes. Research studies involving clients warn therapists to avoid comments or behaviours that are hostile, pejorative, critical, rejecting, or blaming.
  3. Assumptions. Therapists are not to assume they know what their client’s underlying issues and perceptions are.  When it comes to the problem or presenting issues, the client is the expert.  Therapists who respectfully inquire and allow clients to narrate their story enhance the therapeutic alliance.
  4. Therapist Centricity. Counselling or psychotherapy that relies on the therapist’s perspective and interpretation does not predict outcome.  Allow the therapy session to be about the client’s experience and interpretations.  After all, the client is the client and the session is about the client!
  5. Rigidity. “No size fits all.” The same notion works in psychotherapy.  Inflexibility and excessive structuring limits empathy and therapeutic alliance.  Do not put any client in a box.  Whatever therapy approach or techniques needed depends on the client’s needs and goals.
  6. Ostrich Behaviour. Ostriches bury their heads in the sand to avoid danger.  Many therapists bury their heads and hope not to see early ruptures in the working alliance.  Addressing these ruptures is challenging but will yield effective outcomes when done with care and empathy.
  7. Procrustean bed. The efficacy and effectiveness of psychotherapy depends on tailoring the treatment according to clients’ unique needs and background.  The approach also needs to be reviewed and modified according to client’s continuing progress while in treatment.

 

References Cited: 

Corey, G., Flemming, M., Britt, S., Jaramillo, R., Director, C., Hugel, R., … & Hollingsworth, J. (2009). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. Thomson Brooks/Cole, USA.

Duncan, B. L., Miller, S. D., Wampold, B. E., & Hubble, M. A. (2010). The heart and soul of change: Delivering what works in therapy. American Psychological Association.

Feist, J. & Feist G., (2008).  Theories of Personality, Seventh Edition.  The McGraw−Hill

Companies, United States of America

Orlinsky, D. E., Ronnestad, M. H., & Willutzki, U. (2004). Fifty years of psychotherapy process-outcome research: Continuity and change. Bergin and Garfield’s handbook of psychotherapy and behaviour change, 5, 307-389.

ice-dara

The Slippery Ice Trail

Articles, Australia, International, Understanding Addiction

Let’s get straight to it: Dabble with Ice and you are asking for a struggle with dependence that will lead you a long way down before there is any sign of up! Harsh but very, very true.

Here are some of the things that must be understood about a drug that certainly gives you a rocket ride, but offers a 1st class, non-stop ticket to addiction.

What’s in a name:

Ice is derived from the chemical methamphetamine hydrochloride. It is the purest and most potent form of methamphetamine.

Methamphetamine is originally produced in powder form, but a synthesizing process takes it from powerful powder to sizzling small rocks that resemble chips of ice.

Continue reading “The Slippery Ice Trail” →

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Drugs 101 Part 2

Articles, Australia, International, Understanding Addiction

Welcome back. I trust you have read our previous article about drugs, what are they and how they affect our brains. If not, feel free to catch up on it right here.

Today, we will identify all the different types of drugs and why are they separated in such a manner. We will look deeper into their effect on human body, their after-effects, and results of long-term abuse. There are seven types of drugs that have been globally recognized and all drugs fall into one of these seven classifications. The basis of this classification is the parts of our brain that they interact with, and how they affect the brain chemistry. All of these seven can be further separated into so-called “uppers” and “downers”, but that is way too rough of an analysis, so without further ado, here are the seven types of drugs that plague addicts on a daily basis.

Cannabinoids

Seems like a good place to start. Considered by many as the least disruptive and dangerous of all drug types. Cannabis and its derivatives are not all innocent, however, they may not be as addictive as cocaine or do not destroy the careful equilibrium of the human brain chemical balance in such destructive way as heroin would, but there are plenty of issues that come with cannabinoid addiction. It generally impairs the user’s social life and ability to function at peak cognitive performance. Cannabinoids, specifically Marijuana is usually smoked yet it can also be eaten or brewed into a tea. It contains Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC as it is known by most. This is the active ingredient in Marijuana that makes the user feel relaxed, a sense of euphoria, increased appetite and reduced reaction times and motor functions.

Hallucinogens

These type of drugs affect the user in a myriad of different ways. The most prominent are their ability to change the perception of the user. Colors seem more vivid, tastes seem more pronounced and the person feels at peace and connected with people and things around him. Drugs such as Peyote, LSD, and Psilocybin-containing mushrooms are all considered hallucinogens. In high enough doses these drugs may cause the user to hallucinate, see things that are not there. The user to a bystander may seem calm and reserved but these drugs usually stimulate thinking and idea generation. A person high on hallucinogens can stare at a blank wall and marvel in its beauty.

A chemical our brains produce naturally called “Serotonin” is actively used up in conjunction with this type of drug. It correlates to how friendly or moody a person is and also can impact their appetite, body temperature, and various social behaviors. It is not unheard of to witness a person high on hallucinogens embarrassing themselves in public while doing something that they feel is completely normal and adequate.

Inhalants

This is a very brain damaging class of drugs. Usually, they are not even drugs but regular household items repurposed for their effects when inhaled. Paint thinner, gasoline, hair spray and much more canned and pressurized everyday products. They induce euphoria and short bursts of relaxation but is very dangerous as they directly starve the human brain of oxygen and saturate it with chemicals that are meant to clean rust or as an adhesive. Long term users turn into so called “zombies” because they erode away their own brain and when high are very lethargic and generally out of connection with the world around them.

Central Nervous System Depressants

Probably the most widely used type of drugs are the CNSD type drugs. They include alcohol, barbiturates and various anti-anxiety drugs such as Thorazine, Xanax, and Valium. They depress or slow down your bodies central nervous system, slowing down reaction time and severely impairing motor functions. Vestibular apparatus in your brain is no longer able to maintain equilibrium and the user suffers from an inability to hold their balance and gave general difficulty walking and maintaining a coherent thought. Slurred speech, blurry vision and impaired ability to perform precision tasks with their hands are also a very common result of CNSD type drug use. The human body, liver, in particular, is very adaptive to this kind of drugs, which is both a blessing and a curse. Over time it becomes more efficient in filtering and detoxifying the body of these substances and build up a tolerance to them. This means that an addict needs more of it each time it is used, which sadly can result in critical liver failure and death. The lethal dose still remains the same, it’s just that the effects a drug user is expecting are not as prominent anymore so he uses more and overdose is a very real threat.

Opiates

These type of drugs directly interact with your opioid receptors in your brain. They are also called Narcotic Analgesics and have been used throughout history as sedative and pain relief medicine. This class includes such drugs as Hydrocodone, Opium, Codeine, OxyCotin, Morphine and Heroin. There is a long list of prescription drugs that contain opiates or their active ingredients, so listing them all here would be madness. These drugs provide the user with sleepiness or drowsiness as well as intense pleasure and contentedness with the world around them. The so-called opium dens used to be very popular, it was a place for rich and wealthy to smoke opium pipes and lounge on mountains of pillows dreaming their life away. These drugs are the usual choice of people running from something, trying to escape life’s harsh realities.

Central Nervous System Stimulants

A complete opposite of CNSD type drugs, these elevate blood pressure and release chemicals that make you more awake and aware. The user of this type of drug is usually seen hyperactive and can not focus on something for a long period of time. Good examples of these drugs are Cocaine, Methamphetamines, Ritalin, and Crack. They stimulate the user and provide intense waves of pleasure and a general feeling of invincibility. This drains the energy of the human body and come-downs from these drugs are usually very hard and feel like the worst hangover in the world, accompanied by intense fatigue.

Dissociative Anesthetics

Last, but definitely not least, these type of drugs were also used as a type of anesthetic or sedative. They work in a different and quite a bit more intrusive way to combat pain. Where Opiates suppress the pain, DA type drugs cuts it off completely. Drugs like Dextromethorphan, Ketamine, and PCP are few from this class. There have been cases where a drug addict high on PCP has been charging a police officer with aggressive intentions, been shot numerous times in the chest and abdomen but is still able to continue the assault. Until blood loss and organ failure catches up and no amount of pain-blocking drugs can keep a person up. Dextromethorphan or DXM for short can be found in over-the-counter cough syrup and cough suppressing medication, which makes it very accessible and even more dangerous.

This concludes our overview of what drugs are, what types of them are out there and how they affect you and your brain. If you identify yourself as an addict of any one of these drugs, seek help. It is never too late to find a reason to live. Drug addiction leads only one way – down. With the help of professionals and like-minded individuals, anyone can climb out of the abyss of addiction.