by Christiana Care

A long standing issue

Problems managing anger has always been a concern for patients suffering from addictive disorders. Pioneering research by my mentor, Dr. Sidney Cohen at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute demonstrated the relationship between, anger, violence and the use of alcohol and or cocaine. One of the most popular articles written by Dr. Cohen, was entitled, “Alcohol, the most dangerous drug known to man”. In this and other publications, Dr. Cohen systematically demonstrated the causal relationship between cocaine and alcohol abuse and aggression. Much of this research was done in the 70s and 80s.

Anger has always been a factor in substance abuse intervention. Unfortunately, until recently, it has been overlooked or treated as an after thought by substance abuse programs nationwide. Substance use and abuse often coexist with anger, aggressive behavior and person-directed violence. Data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s National Household Survey on Drug Abuse indicated that 40 % of frequent cocaine users reported engaging in some form of violence or aggressive behavior. Anger and aggression often can have a causal role in the initiation of drug and alcohol use and can also be a consequence associated with substance abuse. Persons who experience traumatic events, for example, often experience anger and act violently, as well as abuse drugs or alcohol. This is currently occurring with recently returned combat veterans from Iraq.

ANGER AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Substance abuse and dependence has grown beyond even the bleakest predictions of the past. In the United States alone, there are an estimated 23 million people who are struggling (on a daily basis) with some form of substance abuse or dependence. The toll it is having on our society is dramatically increased when we factor in the number of families who suffer the consequences of living with a person with an addiction, such as:

o Job loss

o Incarceration

o Loss of child Custody

o DUI’s

o Domestic Violence/Aggression

o Marital problems/divorce

o Accidents/injuries

o Financial problems

o Depression/anxiety/chronic anger

Unfortunately, most substance abusers may not even be aware that they have an underlying anger problem and do not “connect” their anger problem to their alcoholism, drug addiction and substance abuse. Therefore, they do not seek (or get) help for their anger problem. But more often than not, their anger is the underlying source of their disorder. Anger precedes the use of cocaine and alcohol for many alcohol and cocaine dependent individuals. Anger is an emotional and mental form of “suffering” that occurs whenever our desires and expectations of life, others or self are thwarted or unfulfilled. Addictive behavior and substance abuse is an addict’s way of relieving themselves of the agony of their anger by “numbing” themselves with drugs, alcohol and so on. This is not “managing their anger”, but self medication.

When we do not know how to manage our anger appropriately, we try to keep the anger inside ourselves. Over time, it festers and often gives rise to even more painful emotions, such as depression and anxiety. Thus, the individual has now created an additional problem for themselves besides their substance abuse, and must be treated with an additional disorder. Several clinical studies have demonstrated that anger management intervention for individuals with substance abuse problems is very effective in reducing or altogether eliminating a relapse.

Medical research has found that alcohol, cocaine and methamphetamine dependence are medical diseases associated with biochemical changes in the brain. Traditional treatment approaches for drug and alcohol dependency focus mainly on group therapy and cognitive behavior modification, which very often does not deal with either the anger or the “physiological” components underlying the addictive behavior.

Anger precedes the use of cocaine for many cocaine-dependent individuals; thus, cocaine-dependent individuals who experience frequent and intense episodes of anger may be more likely to relapse to cocaine use than individuals who can control their anger effectively. Several clinical trials have demonstrated that cognitive-behavioral interventions for the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders can be used to help individuals with anger control problems reduce the frequency and intensity with which they experience anger.

Although studies have indirectly examined anger management group treatments in populations with a high prevalence of substance abuse, few studies have directly examined the efficacy of an anger management treatment for cocaine-dependent individuals. A number of studies demonstrating the effectiveness of an anger management treatment in a sample of participants who had a primary diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder have been conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Although many participants in these studies had a history of drug or alcohol dependence, the sample was not selected based on inclusion criteria for a substance dependence disorder, such as cocaine dependence. Considering the possible mediating role of anger for substance abuse, a study examining the efficacy of anger management treatment in a sample of cocaine-dependent patients would be informative.

Anger management as an after thought

In spite of the information available to all professional substance abuse treatment providers, anger management has not received the attention which is deserved and needed for successful substance abuse treatment. Many if not most substance abuse programs claim to offer anger management as one of the topics in its treatment yet few substance abuse counseling programs include anger certification for these counselors.

Typically, new substance abuse counselors are simply told that they will need to teach a certain numbers of hours or sessions on anger management and then left to find there own anger management information and teaching material. These counselors tend to piece together whatever they can find and present it as anger management.

Despite the connection of anger and violence to substance abuse, few substance abuse providers have attempted to either connect the two or provide intervention for both. In the Los Angeles area, a number of primarily upscale residential rehab programs for drug and alcohol treatment have contracted with Certified Anger Management Providers to offer anger management either in groups on an individual basis for inpatient substance abuse clients. Malibu based Promises (which caters to the stars) has contracted with Certified Providers to offer anger management on an individual coaching bases.

It may also be of interest to note that SAMSHA has published an excellent client workbook along with teacher’s manual entitled, Anger Management for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Clients: A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Manual [and] Participant Workbook. This publication free and any program can order as many copies as needed without cost. There is simply no excuse for shortchanging substance abuse clients by not providing real anger management classes.

Limited anger management research

What has been offered as anger management in substance abuse programs has lacked integrity. The Canadian Bureau of Prisons has conducted a 15 year longitudinal study on the effectiveness of anger management classes for incarcerated defendants whose original crime included substance abuse, aggression and violence. One of first findings was that in order to be useful, the anger management model used must have integrity. Integrity is defined as using a client workbook containing all of the material needed for an anger management class, consistency among trainers in terms of how the material is taught and a pre and post test to document change made by clients who complete the class. It is not possible to determine the effective of anger management which is fragmented and not based on any particular structure of theoretical base.

Anger management training is rarely integrated into substance abuse treatment At the present time, anger management is rarely integrated into any model of substance abuse intervention. Rather, it is simply filler tacked on to a standard twelve step program,

Trends in anger management and substance abuse treatment.

Several years ago, the California state legislature established statewide guidelines for all state and locally supported substance abuse programs. This legislation is included in what is commonly referred to as proposition 36. As a result of this legislation, all substance abuse counselors must have documented training in anger management facilitator certification. This training requires 40 hours of core training plus 16 hours of continuing anger management education of a yearly basis.

What is Anger Management?

Anger management is rapidly becoming the most requested intervention in human services. It may be worthwhile to define what anger management is and is not. According to the American Psychiatric Association, anger is a normal human emotion. It is not a pathological condition therefore; it is not listed as a defined illness in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Nervous and Mental Disorders. Rather, anger is considered a lifestyle issue. This means that psychotherapy or psychotropic medication is not an appropriate intervention for teaching skills for managing anger.

The American Association of Anger Management Providers defines anger management as a skill enhancement course which teaches skills in recognizing and managing anger, stress, assertive communication and emotional intelligence. Anger is seen a normal human emotion which is a problem when it occurs too frequently, lasts too long,

A few nice abuse alcohol images I found:

Alcohol Abuse

Image by dmuth
We had an accident when getting alcohol. A plastic bag ripped open and a bottle of Smirnoff Orange fell through. At least alcohol abuse never smelled so good!

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Image by pregero

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Image by pregero

by cliff1066™

As a long term or short term care program for drug abuse, treatments centers are used to encourage the stoppage of drug abuse through their various programs. Drug abuse treatment centers offer a wide variety of ways to help attain a clean life style for many addicts that are struggling with their addictions. Many drug abuse treatment centers are staffed by recovered addicts or alcoholics. Since drug abuse is common, treatment centers use rules and stipulations to keep things alive and well in their institutions.

Drug abuse treatment centers are fully able to try to help but not cure addicts from their drug abuse. Treatment centers are able to run groups focused on self preservation and the use also of other programs such as Narcotics Anonymous. Drug abuse treatment centers also have transportation at most times to get the addict to and from local meetings and also to in-house events such as bowling, softball or things of leisure such as the movies.

Drug abuse treatment centers may also introduce medications as a way to help people detoxify off of most drugs. This includes alcohol and heroin abuse. These medications are taken to help deal with things such as tremors and also many other side effects of the addict’s drug abuse. Treatment centers also monitor things such as the medical needs sometimes and also mental health needs. This is due to the fact that, in some cases of drug abuse, treatment centers need to cope and help with other issues involved in the addicts recovery process which also may include HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.

Addicts use drug abuse treatment centers at the usual time when people cannot tolerate their usage anymore and is sometimes a healthy alternative to being an out-patient and going to NA (Narcotics Anonymous) meetings. Drug abuse centers also provide liaisons between parents and their children and also for teenagers with their parents. More than half of drug abuse treatment centers are for adults where the others are designed for the addicted teen.

Teenagers that have been put into drug abuse treatment centers must at times provide parental permission to do so. Teens involved in drug abuse treatment centers usually wind up with a case manager or a therapist to help them cope with their troubles or their thoughts that it it is cool to continue the drug abuse. Treatment centers know this and will do all that is needed to keep the teen from exterminating themselves with the lives filled with drug abuse.

Drug abuse treatment centers may have an age limit as to who and how young the teen must be to be able to enroll in it. This is because they don’t want the usual adult stuck with a teenager with a giant age gap between themselves and their recovery. Recovery at a drug abuse treatment center to staff and to most people who enter them can be a satisfactory experience because of the level of experience and the quality of care that most entail.

A few nice alcohol abuse symptoms images I found:

Collier’s Magazine — May 29, 1948 …..item 1..Men, Women and Forgiveness (November 8, 2011 / 11 Cheshvan 5772) …

Image by marsmet542
A healthy, loving relationship is not possible without forgiveness. You cannot have a loving and rewarding relationship if you make it a regular habit to hold on to bad things that happened in the past. Without forgiving, it means you are holding on to feelings of resentment and blame, which is very unhealthy for a good relationship.

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…..item 1)… aish.com … Men, Women and Forgiveness …. Love means saying you’re sorry.
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img code photo…Men, Women and Forgiveness

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November 8, 2011 / 11 Cheshvan 5772

by Morris N. Mann, Ph.D.

www.aish.com/f/m/Men_Women_and_Forgiveness.html

Our relationships are strengthened or weakened by hundreds of small actions and communications we share with each other. When we are paying attention and offer help or empathy or thanks, for something,
it strengthens our relationships.

Insults, neglect and ignoring, whether intentional or not, create a breach in relationships.

When your spouse, your child or your friend expects you to be there for them and you either ignore, neglect or even forget them, that creates a breach in the relationship. This can then lead to resentment by the offended party. What happens as a result is that you become less caring and trustful. This can start downward cycle which can often lead to a long-term negative effect on the relationship.

An important method of repairing that relationship is to apologize. It can help you reconnect and heal a wound when you offer an authentic apology. Marital therapists report that authentic apology is a very important feature of a healthy marriage. An authentic apology includes accountability, remorse and repentance.

Men and women see and experience apologies differently.

Psychologists have reported that there are differences in how men and women see and experience apologies. A woman apologizes to maintain a relationship, and feels good about her efforts. When a man apologizes he ends up feeling a sense of loss.

Women appreciate the benefit of reconnecting with someone whose feelings have been hurt, whereas men view the apology as a loss of “face”. For a man to admit he did something wrong it is an affront to his ego. Men are more conscious of their status and how their position of power is perceived. So whereas a woman can feel enriched by the strengthening of the relationship after her apology, a man can often be left with the feeling of being diminished after he apologizes. Understandably, this can be a challenge in a marital relationship for the man.
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Related Article: What Women Really Want

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Apologizing is important in all relationships; whether in parenting or business or other areas of our lives. People are sometimes reluctant to apologize for the same reason men hesitate to apologize. A parent or a boss may be concerned with a loss of status. Yet not apologizing when it is warranted gives the impression that your status is more important to you than your relationship is with the other person. As a parent or executive you also put yourself in the position of losing credibility by not apologizing. A simple work example is an executive who might be very critical when someone comes late to a meeting, but does not apologize or give a reason when they are late.

Often, you need to apologize because you have violated a principle or standard that you expected the other person to uphold. This is particularly an issue for parents because you are the role model for your children. The most important aspect of being a role model is being authentic. It means you do what you say.

A healthy, loving relationship is not possible without forgiveness.

A healthy, loving relationship is not possible without forgiveness. You cannot have a loving and rewarding relationship if you make it a regular habit to hold on to bad things that happened in the past. Without forgiving, it means you are holding on to feelings of resentment and blame, which is very unhealthy for a good relationship.

Letting go of resentment and bitterness is a particularly difficult challenge for people after a divorce. They easily fall into a state of mind of blaming their spouse, for all their perceived hurt and misery. This interferes with their ability to take charge of their life and move forward. I once had a client who was stuck in such a place and I eventually got him to see things differently by getting him to agree that it was of his own volition, that he chose to marry his former spouse in the first place. Therefore, such a person should take responsibility for his role in both the marriage and its breakup. To withhold forgiveness is to remain feeling like a victim.

Psychologists have long emphasized the health benefits of letting go of grudges and bitterness even without the second party apology. Such health benefits include: less stress and hostility, lower blood pressure, fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety and chronic pain, and lower risk of alcohol and substance abuse.

There are even those that advocate initiating forgiveness. You can offer it as a gift to the person who has hurt you, especially in the case of a close loving relationship. Strengthening your relationships comes from being able to forgive.
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by SS&SS

One of the biggest problems faced by most western societies is increasing teenage alcohol abuse. Teenage alcoholism has its roots in increased stress, peer group pressure, family stress and overall teenage depression. Most teenagers feel that by drinking they can show that they have grown-up and slowly one to two drinks turn into several drinks and before you know your teenager is facing alcohol problem. Below are some of the key symptoms that can help you ascertain if your teenager is suffering from alcoholism:

Lower Personal Effectiveness: The first signs of teenage alcohol abuse can be seen in decline in effectiveness at school and home. You will start seeing your teenager dropping grades or you might get complaints of absenteeism from school. Teenage alcoholism also results in them breaking all the house rules. When you see these changes more often than you expect (at least one to two times a month) you need to understand that your teenager is suffering from alcoholism.

Health Issues: Teenage alcoholism when it takes serious proportions can lead to your child having headaches, memory lapses, blackouts, dizziness, nausea, paranoia or other physical problems. These problems come at a very late stage of alcoholism. However, most parents miss these signs as most teenagers try and hide these symptoms and avoid too much communication with parents. They also try and avoid family get together as they don’t want to be caught. Teenage alcohol abuse can have serious health problems if not spotted at the right time.

Risk Taking: Teenage alcoholism can also lead teenagers to taking more risks to fuel their addiction. Alcohol problem can cause teenagers to risk drinking and driving or get involved in disruptive behaviour like street fights, eves teasing etc. Teenage alcohol abuse might also result in you getting police complaints or having to visit the police station. If you notice any of the above signs you need to be take external help to ensure that your teenager gets rid of their addiction.

Increased Alcohol Tolerance: Early signs of teenage alcoholism could be displayed through an increased tolerance of alcohol. During social events and family get-togethers, if you find your kid having exceptional capacity to drink and remain sober, it is first warning of expected alcoholism. If your teenager suddenly disappears from the social get-together and is found in the corner or bar table drinking alone, then it implies alcohol problem.

In the book “Solving Teenage Problems” several other symptoms of alcohol problem have been discussed along with certain effective tips that can help you support your teenager to get over the problem. However under extreme cases it is always important to get professional help rather than trying to fight it out alone. Various specific instances when you should get external help have also been described in the book. Teenage alcohol abuse is one of the burning issues of today’s society and parents have to take every step to curb teenage alcoholism.

Related Teenage Alcohol Abuse Articles

Some Interestingdrug abuse facts images:

has rob ford stopped beating his wife?

Image by postbear
a legitimate question. one wonders why the media here in toronto aren’t asking more about the mayoral candidate’s behaviour considering he’s a racist, homophobe and has frequently had problems controlling his rage and violence.

the list of his transgressions goes on, of course, including hatred of cyclists, his wish to stamp out political protest, attacks on the poor and people living with HIV and AIDS, his own personal and legal problems with drug and alcohol abuse which he conveniently forgets when asked about them and complaints describing his violence against children.

somehow this moron from etobicoke is a candidate for mayor in toronto that some narrow-minded people are supporting. it may simply be a reactionary vote because of the fact that we’ve had a liberal premier in ontario for quite a while and ford, predictably, is a conservative somewhere to the right of darth vader. also predictably, he’s a big fan of mike harris, the worst premier that ontario has ever elected. homophobic christian bigot wendell brereton, who preaches out of regent park and is only passably literate, endorsed ford’s campaign for mayor just as he dropped out of the race himself, presumably to work on his campaign to destroy ward six as a city councillor.

Govt unveils cannabis research centre

Image by publik16
Health Minister Nicola Roxon says cannabis is still the most widely-used illicit drug. Ms Roxon says it is worrying that about one in five 18-year-olds have smoked cannabis in the past year. As is the case with nicotine and caffeine, THC in Cannabis, it seems, is to protect the plant from herbivores or pathogens. THC occurs mainly as tetrahydrocannabinol. THC has analgesic effects that, even at low doses, cause a high, thus leading to the fact that medical cannabis can be used to treat pain.

publik18.blogspot.com/2008/04/cannabis-researchers-get-14…

Knowing the signs of addiction can make it possible for parents to get their children into addiction treatment, like drug rehab. mental.healthguru.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5

by Christiana Care

Substance abuse in USA and Canada is already recognized as a serious problem that shatters millions of families and lives every year. Shannon who now does time in a Utah County Jail, mentioned to a Salt Lake City newspaper “I was living well” before an addiction to a painkiller overturned her life. “I hurt my back, and that’s where it all went downhill,” says Shannon.

Shannon had hurt her back and was required to undergo various surgeries before she could improve. The doctors had told her that she will have to take regular dosages of Pain killers in order to make it through the physical therapy. Shannon was a recovering Meth addict and was initially hesitant to take the pills however the doctors convinced her anyways. The painkillers did take her mind of her back pain however did a far worse damage than her injure inflicted on her. They destroyed her marriage and very soon she also went back to abusing Crystal Meth.

Stories like Shannon’s are getting more and more common these days with the FDA declaring that prescription drug abuse is now responsible for 5% of all those who go in for substance abuse programs. Alcohol today accounts for 40 % of all those seeking rehab help, while drug abuse (Meth, Marijuana, Heroin etc) accounts for the remaining 55 %.

An Inconvenient Truth

Almost always addicts will attempt to separate themselves from “the real addicts” by coming up with excuses such as – “I only drink a few times a week” or “I only do marijuana just for the kicks, I am not addicted to it or anything”, others might say that they are not real drug addicts because they do not use injections. In these cases it is abundantly clear that they are simply making excuses to get around an inconvenient truth that they in fact need help.

Choose to lead a better life

If you feel that people around you have started avoiding you or have been actively trying to point out that you have an issue then it is time that you sat up and took notice. This goes for those who have an abusing partner or friends as well. Substance abuse programs are there to help and will allow you or your loved ones to lead a better life in a few short weeks time.

The goal of a substance abuse program is to ensure that you (or a loved one) never return to the rehab center.

Call up 888-749-0064 to talk to an expert to learn more on how you can deal with your addiction issues.

Substance Abuse: Information for School Counselors, Social Workers, Therapists, and Counselors (4th Edition)

Weaving actual clinical examples with solid research, Substance Abuse continues to provide counseling, social work, and other students with a detailed overview of the alcohol and other drug (AOD) field. Now in its Third Edition, this text provides updated coverage and practical clinical examples to reflect the rapid changes in the field of addiction. In a reader-friendly style, the authors present balanced coverage of various treatment models as well as objective discussions of the controversies in the field. The text covers topics spanning the entire field–pharmacology, assessment and diagnosis, treatment, recovery, prevention, children, families, and other addictions–providing students with a broad view of the AOD field as well as the pervasiveness of the problem in all areas of behavioral health and general fields.

List Price: $ 109.20

Price: $ 69.99

Substance abuse is a serious problem requiring immediate attention. Constant denial of the condition will not help the victim get out of the situation that they are in. If you want to help your friend or family member fight addiction, seek professional help or speak with a substance abuse counselor. Most counselors are former substance abuse users that can be very helpful in assisting you with finding the best treatment facilities. Here are a few steps that may help:

Find the Best Counselor

The first thing to do before choosing a counselor; look for the most appropriate counselor that will help address the needs of your loved one. You can look in the local directory for advertisements or ask other friends or family members for referrals. Without doubt referrals are always better, because you can always trust a friend or former patient. This step may seen unimportant but it is very crucial, because you only want to entrust your loved ones to skilled trained professionals.

Set up a Schedule

Once you have decided on a substance abuse counselor, schedule an appointment with them. Many counselors will offer you a free telephone consultation on how to address the issue and how to convey to the patient that help is needed. By getting advice from trained staff, you can better communicate how the treatment will help.

Talk to the Victim

When you gather all of the necessary information and the right approach to persuade your family member to seek help from a substance abuse counselor, this will allow you to talk to them honestly about where they are mentally and where they will like to be in what time frame. Although, it is natural for you to encounter resistance at first, you can resolve that dilemma with the training and education that you received from the abuse counselor.

A Substance abuse counselor is your partner in helping free your loved ones from their substance dependency. With cooperation from a skilled practitioner, it is never too late for your loved one/s to live a happy and mentally healthy life.

Part 7 of 10 Produced by the Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – SAMHSA
Video Rating: 5 / 5