Introduction
Substance use is prevalent in every state within the United States. Unfortunately, many family members may not know that their loved one is suffering from a substance use disorder (SUD).
It’s important to us, at Choice Recovery, that family and friends are aware of what their loved one is dealing with, as wel as understand how best to help them through recovery.
1. What is a substance use disorder?
2. Does your loved one need addiction recovery services?
3. What do addiction recovery services at Choice Recovery entail?
4. What are the levels of care in addiction treatment?
What is a Substance Use Disorder?
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical of Manual of Mental Health Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) SUD is defined as a mild, moderate or severe recurrence of alcohol or substance use causing impairment, such as health issues and failure to perform responsibilities at work, school or at home.
The most common SUDs include:
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
According to a 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSUD) prepared for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAM-ISA) by RTI International, there were 139.7 million alcohol drinkers aged 12 or older in one month, with 60.9 million describing themselves as binge drinkers and 16.3 million being heavy drinkers.
AUD is categorized by three levels:
- Moderate drinking is defined as one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.
- Binge drinking is defined as drinking five or more drinks during one occasion in the last 30 days.
- Heavy drinking is defined as drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion on five days out of the last 30 days.
- Other than health conditions, drinking excessively can also put an individual at risk for AUD.
Tabaco Use Disorder
According to a 2014 Surgeons General Report, smoking harms nearly every organ in the body and is the leading cause of preventable death.
Cannabis Use Disorder
According to SAMHSA, marijuana is the most-used drug after alcohol and tabacco. Short-term effects include difficulty in problem solving and distorted perception, while long-term effects include impaired memory and increased respiratory infections.
Stimulant Use Disorder
In 2014, 913,000 people aged 12 or older had a stimulant disorder due to cocaine use, according to SAMHSA. Stimulants can include:
- Amphetamines: used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy.
- Methamphetamines: similar to amphetamines, but produced illegally.
- Cocaine: made from the coca bush and produces three types of cocaine: cocaine hydrochloride, freebase and crack.
Opioid Use Disorder
According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), of the 20.5 million Americans 12 years or older that had a SUD in 2015, two million has a SUD involving prescription pain relievers. Opiods could include oxycodone, hydrocodone and heroin.
Does My Loved One Need Addiction Recovery Services?
Substance use can affect ANYONE. It does not matter an individual’s gender, age, cultural background, financial background, addiction does not discriminate!
No matter an individual’s gender, age, financial status, etc., substance use can affect anyone. An extended use of substances can cause an individual to develop a higher tolerance and dependence making it extremely difficult to stop using. If you believe your loved one, a friend, significant other or family member, has a substanct use problem, it is important to get them help throught an addiction professional.
The more an individual uses a substance, the more noticeable the physical, mental, emotional and behavioral signs become. 10 signs your loved is suffering from substance use disorder.
- 1. Physical appearance changes
- 2. Restlessness or insomnia
- 3. Dilated pupils, avoids eye contact
- 4. "Sick" very often, has flu-like symptoms
- 5. Depression and lack of motivation
- 6. Difficulties at work, excessive negative perspective of events
- 7. Aggressive or overly passive behavior
- 8. Financially irresponsible
- 9. Needing the drug to "function"
- 10. Spontaneously leaving the house or social events without reason
What do Addiction Recover Services Entail?
At Choice Recovery, our staff will be utilizing individualized, comprehensive behavioral healhcare to encourage recovery, including:
- Trauma Informed Care
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Individual and Group Therapy
At Choice Recovery, our guests participation in group therapy is mandatory, which can help them move beyond isolation caused by their SUD issues. During this time, our guests will sit down with a specialized therapist who will guide grouop therapy discussion in a way to encourage accountability, healthy communication, self-reflection and empathy. Topics of discussion could include, but are not limited to
- Self-love
- Relapse and prevention
- Recovery development
- Spirituality
- Family dynamics
- Personal identity
- Addressing the past in a loving manner
- Hope and healing
- Facing responsibilities
- Changes in recovery
Family Program
SUD can affect family and friends. We want to encourage recovery supportive family and friend relationships throughout a guest’s recovery. During this time, family members and friends can learn about SUD, relationship roles, symptoms of relapse and how best to support themselves and their loved one during recovery. This is a very important aspect of an individual’s treatment and long-term recovery success.
Our staff may also use several different treatment modalities, such as motivational interviewing (MI), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy (MBCBT), as well as encourage guests to participate in 12-Step facilitation.
1. MI is a therapeutic approach that taps into a guest’s desire to make positive changes within their lives
2. CBT: In CBT, our staff encourages a guest to identify unhealhty thought patterns to help them develop more productive thought patterns and effective coping skills
3. DBT Skills is a form of CBT that focus on increasing a person’s ability to regulate emotions. DBT utilizes four modules of skills training including mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance and interpersonal effectiveness.
4. MBCBT is a therapeutic approach shown to be effective in treating mental health issues. Guests will identify unhealthy thought patterns in effort to develop more effective and productive emotional and cognitive thought patterns.
5. 12-Step facilitation, which is not a treatment modality, acknowledges that willpower alone can’t achieve sobriety. 12-Step facilitation focuses on abstinence of substances and the willingness to participate in group therapy.
What are the Differences Between Addiction Treatment Options
There are many different types of treatment options including a residential treatment center (RTC), partial hospitalization program (PHP), intensive outpatient program (IOP) and sober living home (SLH)
A RTC is a live-in facility that provides treatment for SUD. This type of treatment has a 24 hour staff and typically lasts 60 days or more.
A PHP program provides the level of care necessary for each guest but in an outpatient setting. Treatment consists of five days a week, six hours a day.
An IOP program, what Choice Recovery is, consists of guests participating in treatment three days a week, three hours a day.
A SLH is a sober living environment a guest can live in while participating in an IOP. While Choice Recovery does not provide an SLH, we may be able to suggest SLHs in the area.
How Can I Support My Loved One?
During an individual’s treatment, it is up to their family and friends on how much or how little they would like to be involved in their journey. If you’d like to be heavily involved with the recovery process, understanding what your loved one is going through can go a long way. You can understand what your loved one is going through with resources that our staff can provide such as print pieces and learning center blogs.
We also recommend that you participate in family therapy. This time should be used to evaluate how family dynamics come into play and how relationships can be mended.
Be encouraging. Recovery can be difficult. Individuals will go through multiple therapy sessions, both individual and group. Encourage them to participate.
Don’t enable. If you allow your loved one to continue their habits, without consequences, they will continue. You can help them avoid high risk situations and refrain from keeping alcohol or substances in the house
You need cared for, too. Don’t forget that addiction can take its toll on not on the person affected by SUD, but also their family and friends. We recommend joining a group that helps you through this time. Having a group of like-minded people who have also went through what you’re going through can be helpful.
How Can Choice Recovery Help?
Our staff understands the feelings that your loved one does not have their life on track or feeling like it may be too late for them. We are here to tell you that these feelings are not the case. Your loved one can have their life back on track and it is never too late.
Choice Recovery, based in Baltimore, Maryland, is an intensive outpatient program (IOP) designed to provide individualized, comprehensive addiction treatment care to people.
This treatment program was founded by Dr. Tristan Shockley, owner of Choice Pain and Rehabilitation Center. Dr. Shockley is a dedicated professional with a passion for delivering high-quality care to those struggling with SUD.
If you have any questions, please call 410-505-8605. If you’d like to learn more about our IOP, click below.
