Thanks to spirituallyseeking.blogspot.com for the photo.

Are your sick and tired of your spouse, boy/girlfriend, partner, significant other? Do they drink/drug to excess and repeatedly promise to make changes in their usage of substances?

Why has it taken so long for you to admit this to yourself? Why is it so difficult to either verbalize your true feelings to this person or to make a change by leaving the relationship?

It is never ALL bad. Every relationship has some healthy, good components within it, yet sometimes there comes a time when the bad outweighs the good.

Do you feel stuck in your marriage or relationship? Do you wonder about possible options or alternatives? Do you fear being alone? Do you hope for change year after year? Are you willing to settle for the status quo?

These are good questions to discuss with a therapist who might be able to give reflective feedback on the truth of what you the client might share.

It takes courage to seek help. I encourage you to call a counselor, it is a positive process which may lead you to more healthy relationship decisions.

Or google www.alanon.com

I am scared that I have an alcohol or drug problem. I am fearful that my loved one has a drug or alcohol problem.

What do I do? Fear about one's own or another's possible addiction can be paralyzing. We pray, hope, question, try to control, wish the problem away yet it still lingers.

In the addiction literature you will often see the phrase, "Addiction is cunning and baffling." We get hyper- aroused to those around us who continue to do self-harm by using drugs and alcohol. We trick ourselves into believing that we can control the amount of alcohol we drink or the amount of drugs we ingest.

Addiction can have a strong hold over one's brain. Despite the most honorable efforts we continue to use and get more negative consequences.

It is a baffling cycle. What might one choose to do about intervening on this negative cycle?

Contact a Professional who is trained in treating addictive disorders. Motivational Interviewing is an evidence-based practice to assist a client into engaging in the process of healthy change.

You or your loved one does not have to suffer alone, call a counselor today.

Recovery is possible! Joan Leary, Licensed Professional Counselor

www.joanlearycounseling.com

Daily I see people in my agency working as Recovery Coaches or Peer Support Specialists and I am warmed and delighted by their enthusiasm. Some of the PSS have had severe, debilitating addictions and mental health issues and have overcome the obstacles of their mental health and substance use issues.

Hallelujah! It is so wonderful to see!

One person helping another. Support and understanding are key.

Hope and help are possible. Recovery awaits those who seek it.

http://smokefree.gov/nicotine-addiction-quiz

Smoking is as addictive as any other substance.

Second hand smoke has negative consequences to children, family members and anyone exposed it.

When people are addicted, they have a compulsive need to seek out and use a substance, even when they understand the harm it can cause. Tobacco products—cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and smokeless tobacco—can all be addictive. Everyone knows that smoking is bad for you, and most people that do it want to quit. In fact, nearly 35 million people make a serious attempt to quit each year. Unfortunately, most who try to quit on their own relapse—often within a week.

Seek help from your MD for smoking addiction.

Often I see young men and women begging on the side of the freeway near a very affluent neighborhood.

Their signs say things like; will work for food, homeless vet, out of gas, etc.

I question whether to avoid eye contact with these people or to look at them and wonder when they might seek treatment for drug and alcohol addiction.

They look thin, disheveled, desperate.

I have rolled down my window and offered water, food and have mentioned social service agencies which might offer these kids help. Mostly, I refuse to give money because my gut tells me they are " jonesing for a fix." I cannot in good conscience pay for their opiates.

It saddens and concerns me that so many youth have become addicted to heroin, lortab, OxyContin and other drugs.

Drug addiction is treatable however getting a person to recognize when the negative consequences overshadow the benefits of mood altering highs is tough.

I don't have the answer for treating youth with heroin problems but I can serve as a resource to those seeking help.

The compulsive cycle of addiction is prisoner-making. Free yourself or your loved one from this debilitating disease by seeking treatment.

Principles of Effective Treatment

Scientific research since the mid–1970s shows that treatment can help patients addicted to drugs stop using, avoid relapse, and successfully recover their lives. Based on this research, key principles have emerged that should form the basis of any effective treatment programs:

• Addiction is a complex but treatable disease that affects brain function and behavior.
• No single treatment is appropriate for everyone.
• Treatment needs to be readily available.
• Effective treatment attends to multiple needs of the individual, not just his or her drug abuse.
• Remaining in treatment for an adequate period of time is critical.
• Counseling—individual and/or group—and other behavioral therapies are the most commonly used forms of drug abuse treatment.
• Medications are an important element of treatment for many patients, especially when combined with counseling and other behavioral therapies.
• An individual's treatment and services plan must be assessed continually and modified as necessary to ensure that it meets his or her changing needs.
• Many drug–addicted individuals also have other mental disorders.
• Medically assisted detoxification is only the first stage of addiction treatment and by itself does little to change long–term drug abuse.
• Treatment does not need to be voluntary to be effective.
• Drug use during treatment must be monitored continuously, as lapses during treatment do occur.
• Treatment programs should assess patients for the presence of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases as well as provide targeted risk–reduction counseling to help patients modify or change behaviors that place them at risk of contracting or spreading infectious diseases.

RECOVERY is POSSIBLE

Clients who are struggling with addiction issues sometimes tell me in counseling sessions;

1. I feel like a prisoner of my dependence on pills, alcohol or pot.

2. I never intended to become addicted on this substance, it just happened.

3. I want to get off of alcohol or substances but every time I try to do so on my own I have such strong withdrawal symptoms and craving that I am unable to do it.

4. I started taking pain pills for legitimate back pain and now I am stuck taking them daily, increasing and abusing the dosage.

How can I extricate myself from this terrible cycle?

Addiction can seem hopeless, debilitating, frustrating and even impossible to get out of.

Hope for a fresh, new life is possible! I have clients who have found new, abstinent based lives where they feel happy, healthy and proud.

How do they do it? A counselor can help you assess your individual situation and help create a treatment plan to intervene on this difficult cycle. Find a counselor who is experienced in addictive disorders and ask for help getting out of the " using prison."

Recovery and freedom from abusing and using substances is possible! I see successful stories of recovery every day.

It's a holiday and I feel alone.

Life sucks and nothing seems to go my way.

Drinking alcohol and taking pills helps me cope with sad and lonely holidays.

Does this sound familiar?

If you find yourself "crying in your soup," because you feel alone and lonely, I urge you to make some kind of life change.

What might you be willing to do differently?

Would you attend an AA or NA meeting to see what support they offer?

Would you seek help from a trusted other, family member, counselor or friend?

It is very difficult to get out of "oneself" and take a step toward health and wellness, would you be willing to make one small step?

http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov

Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator

Sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Please look at this website for a comprehensive list of treatment facilities throughout the United States.

Joan Leary, LPC can assist you and your family with appropriate referral and placement for someone who would benefit from a treatment episode.

Please give her a call 205-529-5565

Joan Leary is trained in Motivational interviewing and in assessing "readiness to change" where a client who is ambivalent about making changes in their alcohol or drug use is met with respect and understanding.

If you're curious as to whether your alcohol or drug use are a problem, contact Joan and she will give you and objective, unbiased, professional assessment of your unique situation.

Personal growth and optimal health and well- being are the tenets of Joan's practice.

Call her today 205.529.5565