Wellness Blog: pnielsen

New Help for Family Members Who Have A Loved One Struggling With A Drug Or Alcohol Problem

pnielsen — Sun, 03 May 2009 08:52:49 GMT

When a loved one has a drug or alcohol problem, there is typically a lot of help available to aid the individual in his or her recovery. Recovery is not a one-time event for the individual, it's a process. It is also a process for the family. Many times the focus is helping the individual with the drug or alcohol problem. There is some help for the family, but not a comprehensive coordinated and integrated approach like the person with the drug or alcohol problem is receiving. Some of the help that is available is self-help support groups, family therapy, family education, and intervention services. The family many times needs professional help to navigate through recovery and help their loved one to get help as well. The professional that would be helping to coordinate and integrate a comprehensive family recovery is called a Family Recovery Professional (FRP) also know as a Family Recovery Specialist (FRS).

Better Help for Women in Treatment

pnielsen — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 10:11:57 GMT

On February 21, 2005 the U.S. Surgeon General released an advisory on "Alcohol Use in Pregnancy" which states, "women who are pregnant or who may become pregnant should abstain from alcohol consumption in order to eliminate the chance of giving birth to a baby with any of the harmful effects of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)." Also, among pregnant women in the 15-44 age group, 4.3%, 18% and 9.8% used illicit drugs, tobacco and alcohol, respectively. Maternal pregnancy complications following substance use include increases in sexually transmitted disorders, placental abruption, and HIV-positive status. This represents the many issues that face woman that enter drug and alcohol treatment. The drug and alcohol treatment professional has responded to these issues by educating counselors and finding ways to address these women and their specific issues.

INTEGRATING THE FAMILY INTO ADDICTION PREVENTION, INTERVENTION TREATMENT AND AFTERCARE: A GUIDE FOR FAMILIES AND ADDICTION PROFESSIONALS

pnielsen — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 22:55:51 GMT

Family is a common and familiar concept to almost everyone. A family is a natural social system, with properties of its own, one that has involved a set of rules, assigned roles, a power structure, has intricate overt and covert forms of communication, and has elaborated on negotiating and problem solving that allows various tasks to be performed effectively. Now when an individual in the family has an addiction everyone is affected by one family member's addiction. Addiction is a family disease. The family develops coping strategies to deal with the turmoil created by the addict's behavior. They may learn to withdraw in response to the addict's changing moods and erratic or volatile activity. The family learns to make excuses and even cover up for the addict. On one level they feel frustrated, defeated, lonely, responsible and even guilty. On another level, secrecy and avoidance reign. When the addicted individual gets treatment the family is so used to the struggle and purpose the family once had when the addicted individual was using, they unconsciously want to return to the way it was before the addicted individual got sober.

Certain Disaster: California Addiction Treatment in Peril

pnielsen — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:50:32 GMT

By: Pete Nielsen, CADC II, ICAD, SAP, CAS