We believe after an effective detoxification from chemicals, treatment must include a combination of 12-step principles, in addition to addressing the full spectrum of our client's physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual needs. Chemical dependency is a progressive and chronic relapsing brain disease that affects the body, mind, emotions, family, workplace and the entire community.
Lasting Recovery serves clients from Carlsbad, La Jolla, Carmel Valley and all of San Diego County
Like depression and alcoholism , anxiety and alcoholism are undoubtedly linked. Studies have shown that one-third of the people who have anxiety disorders struggle with substance abuse, and that one-third of substance abusers also have an anxiety disorder. The most common mental illness in the U.S., anxiety disorders afflict 40 million adults—twice as many women as men—and take a toll on the economy of more than $40 billion each year due to health-care costs and lost productivity. A recent New York Times article reports that, “the anti-anxiety drug alprazolam, — better known by its brand name, Xanax — was the top psychiatric drug on the list, clocking in at 46.3 million prescriptions in 2010.”
The tragic side of alprazalom and many other anti-anxiety drugs is that they are highly addicting, and contribute to a large percentage of people recovering from substance use disorder who want to quit or relapse back to alcohol or drug use after many years of recovery. A relapse can be devastating to a person’s mental and physical health. Some people lose their families and their jobs. Some even lose their lives. Benzodiazepines detoxification is dangerous, and can lead to a seizure and death, so do not try to do it alone. You need the help of a qualified doctor or detoxification center of a hospital or outpatient detoxification center to help you with the withdrawal side effects.
Anxiety is normal. Anxiety disorders are not normal. The challenge of diagnosing anxiety disorders is that everydiv has some degree of anxiety. Anxiety becomes a disorder when it interferes with life or causes a lot of distress.
Everyone has a different threshold level or limit as to how much of stress or stimulus coming to us from the world, that we can handle. As soon as that threshold is exceeded – we deal with that by engaging in a variety of coping mechanisms. Most ‘dysfunctional’ behavior stems from our ability to withstand this ‘stress.’
Anxiety sometimes drives people to do things to get rid of the discomfort. Many people who experience chronic feelings of anxiety about social situations, work and relationships, or other aspects of everyday life often reach for a beer or a glass of wine to quell their unease.
Alcohol may help anxious people cope in the short term, but over time this strategy can backfire. Self-medicating with alcohol or drugs can increase the risk of alcoholism and other substance-abuse problems , without addressing the underlying anxiety. And anxiety becomes the trigger for continued alcohol use and dependence.
People probably believe that self-medication works. What people do not realize is that this quick-fix method actually makes things worse in the long term.
On the flip side of the alcohol/anxiety relationship, alcohol consumption and hangovers can make many people anxious. It is a scientifically based understanding fact that alcohol can cause anxiety.
Scientists believe that alcohol causes or at least increases anxiety in 6 basic ways:
1. Mood
Alcohol can affect our mood because it can affect the level of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a feel good brain chemical that when in short supply can cause feelings of anxiety and depression.
A drop in blood sugar can cause dizziness, confusion, weakness, nervousness, shaking and numbness. These symptoms can most certainly trigger a bout of anxiety.
This has been known to cause nausea, dizziness, fatigue, light-headedness and muscle weakness. These symptoms wouldn’t cause anxiety per say but they add to a sense of illness which fosters anxiety.
4. Nervous System
The nervous system is affected because in order for the div to fight off the sedative effects of alcohol it puts the div into a state of hyperactivity in order to counteract this effect. This hyperactivity can lead to shaking, light/sound sensitivity and sleep deprivation.
5. Heart Rate
Your heart rate can become elevated as a result of consuming alcohol which can cause a palpitation false alarm and put you into a state of anxious anticipation. Is it a heart attack or isn’t it you might ask. This “what if” questioning can increase your general state of anxiety.
6. Concentration
A hard night of drinking can also make you hazy, bring on headaches and create a sense of disorientation.
Treatment for many anxiety disorders most often includes a combination of non addicting medication and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Research suggests that a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy and medication can help control symptoms and lead to complete remission in some people.
For those people who have suffered an alcohol and drug relapse, or who have not been able to maintain sobriety due to anxiety, Lasting Recovery offers a cognitive behavioral program. We support people to people make changes in their thinking and in their lives and to understand the causes of anxiety and basic fears. We offer the Fearless Change Process that helps you to see that a lot of anxiety comes from unmet needs or fear that one’s needs will not be met in the future.
If you are suffering from dependence on anti-anxiety medications, alcohol or drugs, call us at (858) 453- 4315. We can help you to reduce your anxiety and get back the quality of life you deserve.
Recent scientific studies have demonstrated dramatically improved success rates of recovery from substance abuse with the addition of holistic treatment approaches. A Holistic approach looks at the whole picture. By definition, the totality of a person is much greater than the sum of its individual actions and they cannot be understood by the isolated examination of their of their lives w/out examining the other surrounding aspects.
Addiction affects every aspect of a person's life: the physical body, which includes our brain that directs our thoughts and emotions which then effect decisions and communication. Addiction directly affects our relationships with friends and family, work, and one’s core values. Therefore, it makes sense that the whole body (both physical, emotional and mental) should be cared for when treating someone with a substance abuse problem. In addition, the family and close friends need to be treated as they have become angry, fearful and hurt as a result of the behavioral and emotional changes created by the progressive dependence on substances.
Family education in rehab provides an understanding of what has happened to the person with the addiction and how this progression has impacted the family and friends. Meeting together helps restore the positive emotions of the family and relationships, and what the family can expect during the first 6-12 months of recovery, brings can help bring the peace of acceptance.
Medical professionals now agree that addiction is a chronic disease of the brain, leading to emotional problems, and a physical dependence. Because addiction to drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, or any other destructive behavior are a result of brain and relational changes, holistic addiction treatment takes a comprehensive look at the entire human being rather than treating only the symptom or behavior. From yoga to qigong, nutritional therapies to acupuncture, holistic techniques have proven highly beneficial to people in recovery from all types of addictive and compulsive behaviors.
Holistic treatment forms of care can help reduce tension, anxiety, depression, and insomnia, and can increase personal awareness, improving overall mental, physical, and spiritual health. By offering a broad selection of traditional and alternative therapies, those suffering from addiction receive the most progressive form of therapy designed to suit their particular needs. This gives recovering addicts every opportunity for a successful and insightful long-term recovery.
After years of abusing the body, waging war against the mind, and disregarding the spirit, patients respond well to gentle holistic therapies. These techniques use natural avenues to help ease the discomfort of withdrawal, avoid relapse, and reconnect addicts with themselves, with others, and with a higher power. As patients begin to become aware of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, they take responsibility for themselves and their ongoing recovery.
If we can be of help to you in choosing a program that meets your needs, contact us at (858) 453-4315. The goal is for the entire family system to continue to develop a life of wellness.
In Gratitude,
Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS Co-Founder and Executive Director
On August 16th, I blogged about “Prescription Drug Abuse and the Military.” Since then, more statistics are being reported about this particular substance abuse problem. According to preliminary data from the Center for Disease Control, more US deaths were related to drugs than to motor vehicles in 2009. These stats are the most recent from the CDC and are considered preliminary because they reflect only 96% of death certificates files.
Fueled by highly addictive prescription pain medications, fatal overdoses have surpassed traffic deaths nationwide according to the Sunday, September 18, 2011 LA Times. This is the first time that drugs have accounted for more fatalities than traffic accidents since 1979, when the government started tracking drug-induced deaths. One of the main causes of the surge in drug related deaths are prescription pain and anxiety drugs which are highly addictive and very dangerous when ingested together or taken with other drugs or alcohol.
There is also a fairly new drug that has been added to the usual list of culprits (OxyContin, Vicodin, Xanax and Soma). This drug is Fentanyl. It can come in the form of a patch or a lollypop and is 100 times more powerful than morphine. These kinds of drugs cause more deaths than heroin and cocaine combined.
Drug-induced deaths are mostly accidental overdoses but also include suicides and fatal diseases caused by these same drugs. The most commonly abused prescription drug, hydrocodone (better known as Vicodin) is also the most highly prescribed drug in America. This pain reliever is prescribed more often than the top cholesterol drug and the top antibiotic.
While most major causes of preventable death have been declining in recent years, drugs are the exception. With that in mind, in April, the White House announced several initiatives to reduce the incidence of prescription drug abuse. One of these initiatives (if implemented) would develop voluntary courses to train physicians on how to safely prescribe pain meds.
It is a wonderful medical breakthrough that we can now effectively treat pain. One unintended consequence (drug addiction) now needs some sort of breakthrough of its own to effectively treat prescription drug abuse.
Obtaining effective Detoxification and long term recovery from the effects of these powerful drugs continues to be a problem. Lasting Recovery can help in identifying solutions to this problem. For more information, contact us at (858) 453-4315. Judy Saalinger, Ph.D. MFT, CAS
The picture of the “Dust Lady” above gives a mere glimpse of the horror that took place in and around the Twin Towers on 9/11/01. Barely surviving murderous mayhem rendered Marcy unable to cope with life. She lost custody of her two children after abusing alcohol and pills to numb the pain. She lost her desire to take care of herself, or to live. Today, Marcy talks about her 10 year self-destructive path and her remarkable road to redemption. Marcy is clean and sober now.
The stark effects of crack cocaine addiction forced Marcy to realize that she had to enter rehab to save her life. Finishing a 28-day program in May was Marcy’s first step towards a new life. Marcy is not that tortured woman anymore. That time of destruction is behind her.
Over the last 10 years, there have been notable studies regarding the effects 9/11 has had on the psyches of the American people. The events of 9-11-01 have caused great consternation, confusion, grief, and sadness throughout our nation. The people directly affected by the actual tragedies have had a variety of responses to this posttraumatic stress.
The 9/11 tragedy has served to raise the awareness of trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder and their correlation with addictive illness. When there is a significant traumatic event, everyone can expect to be temporarily overwhelmed and develop at least some of the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. Nevertheless, there is another small percentage of people who develop a more chronic (long duration) PTSD. But it is comforting to know that the various methods of treatment for PTSD are highly effective and that there are trained clinicians experienced at handling the difficult problems of posttraumatic stress.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder caused when an individual experiences one or several traumatic events: an accident, rape, abuse, war ... The trauma structurally and functionally changes their brain. Self medication and or over medication with alcohol, benzodiazepines, opiates and other depressants/narcotics often leads to addiction and a worsening of the PTSD. As a result, addiction often co-occurs with PTSD.
People with PTSD have persistent frightening thoughts and memories of their ordeal and feel emotionally numb, especially with people they were once close to. They may experience sleep problems, feel detached or numb, or be easily startled.
These symptoms of PTSD can be treated by exposure therapy, anxiety management, and cognitive therapy. As a result of exposure therapy, the traumatic issue or event can be remembered without the anxiety or panic resulting. Cognitive therapy seriously diminishes the power of these reminders to cause severe reactions.
Other types of therapy that are useful for anxiety are visualization techniques and confidence builders, such as positive self-talk and social skills training. Other avoidance symptoms, referred to as numbing, include emotional unresponsiveness, detachment from others, and loss of interest in life's pleasures. For these symptoms, peer group support is extremely important. September is National Recovery Month, a nationwide effort to raise awareness about the treatment options available to those who have an addiction or mental health disorder. With proper care and treatment, people with substance use and mental health disorders can lead healthy and rewarding lives.
Of course, we hope that we will never have to experience a repeat of the traumatic tragedy of September 11th: but we can remember the lessons learned from it. After overcoming her addictions, Marcy Borders is now a symbol of the power of human beings to regenerate themselves through faith, hope and love. This is the power we can all choose to take from the tragedy of 9/ll.
IDENTIFYING SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN THE BABY BOOMER GENERATION LIVING IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY
I recently received this letter from a visitor to our blog:
"As a group, we baby boomers experimented more with alcohol and illicit drugs
than did previous generations. It is therefore hypothesized that we
will have more lenient attitudes about alcohol and illicit drug use than
previous generations. I cringe at using the word 'elderly' and prefer to think of this generation as 'boomers' which sounds like a lot more fun! After all, we welcomed the use of substances to rebel, feel more socially acceptable and to experiment with alternative realities. However, the reality is when open attitudes about alcohol and illicit drug use are
coupled with our issues of maturing, exposure to and misuse of prescribed medications, substance abuse presents a challenging and widespread public health
problem.
It is often difficult to assess substance abuse
in the this generation. Many times clinicians and family members are hesitant to ask
whether the we are having problems with substance use or misuse of prescription medications. Accepted ways of detecting problems with substances (ie.
time lost from work, legal problems, or decreased participation in important
social activities) don’t always work for the person who is isolating due to retirement, loneliness, addiction.
Not eating well, exercising or being involved socially can contribute to cognitive impairment. Not thinking clearly, and being easily confused may interfere with the ability to
self-monitor the correct intake of medications or interpret feedback from health care providers. MEDICARE is now recognizing that paying for substance abuse treatment services is essential to reduce medical problems in the future.
Until recently, little attention has been paid to substance use disorders inthis growing population which includes boomers and their parents. I remember after my mother died, my father
started drinking heavily. This was over 30 years ago but my sibling’s reactions
were: oh let him go, he’s not hurting anybody, it helps him when he’s lonely,
it gives him something to do, it keeps him from missing Mom, he’s worked hard
all his life—let him enjoy himself. It also gave us a break since he was “entertaining”
himself. Those were our attitudes back then and how many children with aging
adults still have this same perspective? We never considered Dad an alcoholic
even though he probably would have lived longer if he hadn’t consumed so much alcohol!
"Life is difficult." I remember this opening line from M. Scott
Peck’s The Road Less Traveled."
But the way we react to our difficulties makes us who we are. To help avoid
skyrocketing healthcare costs, we must learn to cope with life’s difficulties
without always looking for the quick fix or instant gratification.
Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence in older adults are often
under-detected in medical practice. Despite the US Preventive Services Task
Force recommendation for routine alcohol screening, assessing substance abuse
in the boomer generation and their parents isn’t always easy. However, only 13% of primary care physicians
use a formal screening tool for alcohol problems.
Problems associated with heavy drinking and drug use among the those over 50 will
become more pervasive unless good prevention and detection guidelines are more
widely utilized among medical professionals."
If you or someone you love would like to speak with a professional regarding a possible substance abuse problem, call Tamra at (858) 453-4315. There is hope for a grander tomorrow!!
Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS
Co-Founder and Executive Director
I’m a baby boomer. I’m also a recovering alcoholic and addict. I’ve been around people in and out of recovery
enough to know that the perfect storm for an addict/alcoholic is a lot of time
and/or access to a lot of money.
We boomers don’t want to simply accept aging or the physical pain that often
comes with it. Our generation has a liberal attitude toward drug usage. We
believe that there is prescription medication, and now including medical
marijuana, for whatever ails us. The problem here is that medications are not only
effective but they are often also highly addictive.
Today, there are about 75 million Americans who were born
between 1946 and 1964, about 29 percent of the U.S. population. That is almost
30% of the population of the United States! Experts say that this aging
generation of boomers will put a tremendous strain on the health-care system.
But what about the added strain of addictive
illnesses not only on healthcare but also on social services?
Statistics show that currently 4 million Americans nearing
retirement age have a substance abuse problem! This includes illegal drugs, prescription drugs including
medically prescribed marijuana, and alcohol, a legal drug in liquid form. That
is up from 1.7 million in 2001 or a 235% increase in 10 years of people who have
a substance abuse problem, not those who are seeking treatment.
According to a newly released report from the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA, there has been a 70%
increase in substance abuse treatment admissions for people 50 and older
between 2000 and 2008. Another report
shows that the proportion of older people treated for a combination of cocaine
and alcohol abuse tripled between 1992 and 2008.
Not included in these statistics are the increased admissions
into outpatient and partial hospitalization or day programs for the
newly retired in California who are treating minor medical problems with highly
potent medical marijuana.
Alcohol abuse can have severe medical consequences including
pancreatitis, cirrhosis, and long term use damages the brain w/the effects
leading to cognitive impairment. Difficulty focusing, remembering, mental confusion,
and being flexible in our relationships are a few of the symptoms.
We are already seeing the boomers becoming a giant weight on
our medical system. Emergency department visits involving non-medical use of
these prescription drugs are now as common as emergency department visits for
use of illicit drugs. These prescription medicines help many people with problems
for pain, sleep and anxiety, it has been shown that but they can also be very
problematic. According to a recent article in MedScape, the Journal of Behavioral
Medicine, physicians and pharmaceutical companies believed that the risk of
addiction for patients who are being treated for chronic pain for several
months or longer was 1% is actually 35% .Addiction is a problem not identified until people begin getting
prescriptions from multiple doctors, purchasing from the internet or in Mexico,
drug dealers or ending up in the emergency room.
If you or someone you love is using substances, complete any
of the alcohol and drug questionnaires on our website.If you identify you have a problem, seek help
before it’s too late. We see many successful outcomes with our clients and
families when there is hope!
Contact Tamra now at (858) 453-4315 for a
confidential discussion of your options.
Prescription drugs are meant to heal but more and more often they are being abused. Deaths from unintentional prescription drug overdoses in the United States have increased five-fold over the last two decades. The White House drug czar, Gil Kerikowske, calls it the fastest growing drug problem in the United States today. Partially due to the internet, prescription drugs are available everywhere. This increases exponentially the opportunities for abuse.
Recent statistics from the Department of Defense indicate that one in eight active duty military personnel, or about 11 %, report some type of drug abuse. The bulk of those who responded said prescription drugs were being misused. Today, some of the most pressing substance-abuse concerns in the U.S. military involve prescription medications. With wartime injuries and post traumatic stress disorder on the rise, it's easier than ever for active military to get hooked on pain relievers, tranquilizers, sedatives and stimulants.
Stressful events can have a direct affect on the use of alcohol or other drugs. Stress is a major contributor to the initiation and continuation of drug addiction and alcohol abuse, as well as to relapse or a return to drug use after periods of abstinence.
Several experts both within and outside the military have cited that stresses associated with multiple combat deployments are among the most likely causes of the uptick in prescription misuse among today's service members. Patients with emotional disorders are often given sedatives to calm them, and narcotics for the physical injuries , anxiety and distress associated with the trauma of the injurious event.
When symptoms (physical pain, anxiety, etc.) are acute, higher doses of medicines are prescribed. At that critical juncture, the patient has the opportunity, very quickly, to abuse them. Many people who have been injured physically also have psychological distress/ disorders. Being highly motivated to alleviate their pain and distress, they are willing to do anything or take anything to feel better.
Some of the most commonly abused prescription drugs are opioids, CNS depressants and stimulants:
Opioids are commonly prescribed because of their effective analgesic, or pain-relieving, properties. Medications that fall within this class-referred to as prescription narcotics-include morphine (e.g., Kadian, Avinza), codeine, oxycodone (e.g., OxyContin, Percodan, Percocet), and related drugs.
CNS depressants are sometimes referred to as sedatives and tranquilizers, are substances that can slow normal brain function. Because of this property, some CNS depressants are useful in the treatment of anxiety and sleep disorders.
Stimulants increase alertness, attention, and energy, as well as elevate blood pressure and increase heart rate and respiration. Stimulants historically were used to treat a variety of ailments. But as their potential for abuse and addiction became apparent, the medical use of stimulants began to wane. Now, stimulants are prescribed for the treatment of only a few health conditions.
Who is susceptible to addiction from the use of prescription drugs? We see men and women who have genetic predispositions as one group. Having a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle with an addiction to alcohol, legal or illegal drugs predisposes one to become physically dependent on substances. Other conditions include early use of alcohol, nicotine and or marijuana, and those who begin to use substances from somewhere between ages 12-17 are especially vulnerable as the brain changes which result from the chemical use, including the THC from marijuana, and the nicotine from tobacco, set up a person to develop a substance use disorder during their lifetime.
If you or someone you love has a problem with substances, please seek help. The sooner one overcomes the denial associated with alcohol and drug addiction, the less damage to the brain, body, relationships and overall wellness. For additional information call Tamra at Lasting Recovery (858) 453-4315.
With hope for your healthy future,
Judy Saalinger, Ph.D. MFT, CAS
Co-Founder and Executive Director
