Recovery Group Meeting

Introduction:

Last week I attended a Recovery Group Meeting. The meeting I chose to attend was an AA meeting. I found this meeting to be very eye opening and humbling. I thought that it was amazing how strong these individuals are and how dedicated they are to making their lives better.

 

Who Attended the Meeting:

There were numerous individuals at the meeting that I attended. I was surprised at how crowded it was. Before attending the meeting, I expected that maybe 20 people would attend, but I was actually very surprised at the fact that there were probably up to 40 people participating in the meeting. I noticed that there were more males at the meeting than females. And I wonder if this has to do with differences with addiction and recovery in gender. I also wonder if this has to do with differences in the types of treatment that women versus men prefer. Most of the population at the meeting were Caucasian, although there were individuals of other ethnicities present. The individuals at the meeting did not look like what some would say "the stereotypical alcoholic" would look like. There were people of all ethnicities, jobs, and backgrounds present. I think one of the most important things for people to be aware of is the fact that there all different kinds of people who have substance abuse/use issues, and individuals should not be judged based on how they look or do not look.

 

Format of the Meeting:

The meeting was ran by one man, who was also a former alcoholic. He first opened up the meeting by introducing himself and asking that two individuals attending the meeting read the purpose of AA and also read the 12 steps aloud. The man in charge of the meeting then asked if anyone had a topic that they would like to be discussed for the next hour. When someone raised their hand and stated their topic, the facilitator then asked that individual to give their input on the topic. After this, the topic was opened for discussion to everyone in the group. The rest of the meeting ran very smoothly. When someone has input about the topic that was chosen, they would simply raise their hand and the facilitator would call on them. There was no time limit or restrictions on what the individual could say during the discussion. Also, no one was forced to talk that did not want to, which I thought was very important. Since the meetings are only held for an hour, approximately five minutes before the meeting ended, the facilitator ended the discussion and gave a small summary of what participants had to say about the topic.

 

Interactions:

While at the meeting, I observed numerous interactions between the participants as well as the facilitator. I was surprised at how relaxed and informal the meeting was. There was coffee and snacks that participants could have. Also, although there was a circle of chairs, individuals could choose to sit at tables. The interactions between indivuals were very informal, yet respectful. Many times throughtout the meeting, individuals would respond to something a person said or a concern that was stated prior to them speaking. They often gave each other advice and encouragement. I thought that this was absolutely amazing because although these individuals were attending the meeting in order to help themselves continue on the path to recovery, they also worked to help eachother. The interaction between the participants and the facilitator was also informal. The facilitator did not do much talking throughout the meeting, but just let the participants talk about whatever they felt was important. Everyone in the group was constantly supportative of eachother and worked very hard to do whatever they could to encourage each other.

 

My Involvement:

I was not very involved in the meeting. When I arrived at the meeting, I introduced myself to the facilitator and told him why I was attending the meeting. He was very pleased that I was attending and everyone was very open to the fact that I was observing. I did not feel that it was my place to say anything during the meeting because I am not an expert, nor do I have the experience that they do. During the meeting I just listened to what everyone said and observed what happened. After the meeting, however, I did get to talk to a few individuals who participated in the meeting. They were very interested in why I was attending the meeting and seemed happy that I was interested in understanding the process of AA.

 

Helpful?:

I do think that this meeting was very helpful to many of the participants. Numerous individuals stated that even though they have been sober for a few years, they still continue to try to attend one meeting a day. I was very surprised by this, but I think that it shows how much these meetings do help people who struggle with substance use. Also, the fact that everyone attending the meeting has the same issue as you helps individuals a lot. Although everyone in the room may be different and come from a different background, they all have one thing in common and are able to understand each other because of this. By attending these meetings, the individuals feel understood and can gain support from people who are going through the same thing as they are. Everyone in the room was so incredibly supportative of eachother and so welcoming. Even though they had never seen me before this meeting, they were all so kind and welcoming to me. I am not sure whether or not I think that this should replace individual therapy, but I do think that it is an important and in some cases it is necessary in order to recover.

 

Connection to Class:

This connected to class in numerous ways. This allowed me to experience first-hand a recovery meeting. In class and in readings we have learned about numerous treatments and recovery techniques for individuals struggling with substance use. Attending this meeting really helped me to not only understand this particular meeting, but also see how difficult it must be to work to alleviate substance use. This also connected to us studying alcoholism and numerous other substances. Although the individuals in the meeting did not discuss how often they used or how much, they did talk about how difficult it is to resist drinking in their daily lives. They have to make a conscious effort everyday not to drink, especially when a stressful event occurs. This really opened my eyes to how strong these individuals are. This connected to our current topic in class, which was about strengths based perspectives. In this meeting, I noticed individuals using a lot of strengths based statements. They were constantly encouraging eachother and helping one another to see the good in themselves. They worked to help eachother understand their own strengths and how they can use these to continue on the right path. I found this meeting to be very interesting and think that it has really helped me to connect many of the topics in class to indivduals' experiences.

Narrative Therapy

Overview:

Narrative therapy was developed by Michael White and David Epston. These individuals were influenced by Michel Foucault who thought that normalizing practices were damaging to individuals. He believed that these practices undermine people's efforts to lead their own life. Narrative therapy looks at clients' innate strengths and resources, and pay attention to patterns of meaning in life histories. This is a therapy in which therapists emphasize stories of people's lives. This makes a difference in clients' lives by telling and retelling stories. Narrative therapy works to separate the problem from the personal identity of clients. This concept is referred to as externalization. Also, this form of therapy requires the therapist to listen intensely and to be persistent. The therapist must track the problem's effect on the clients' lives and look at how the problem "influences, tricks, or recruits" the client. Another strategy used by therapists in narrative therapy is the use of "exception questions." An example of an "exception question" is "What's the longest time you stood up to booze?" Therapists then use these stories as evidence that a person is strong. This is also how the client and the therapist work to "rewrite the life story." After this, the client works to think about future developments of the new life.

Impact on Addictions:

Narrative therapy could have an impact on the treatment of addictions. This therapy could work to help clients in numerous stages, especially the shame, guilt, and anger stage. In this stage, therapists using narrative therapy could use an exception question and help the person to see that they are strong and that they can work to change their lives. This therapy could help to break this cycle by showing the client that there is hope and that in rewriting their life story, they can break their addiction.

Helpful in My Future Career:

This approach could help me in the future with my career in that I can use it to work with clients. I can have them tell stories and intrepret these stories in a therapeutic way. Also, I can use exception questions to help clients understand their strengths and have hope for the future.

References:

Van Wormer, K, & Davis, D. R. (2008). Addiction treatment: A strengths perspective. (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

 

Compulsive Shopping

Definition:

Compulsive spending is an addiction that can cause many issues for not only the addict, but also his/her family and friends. Compulsive shopping is “a pattern of chronic, repetitive purchasing that becomes difficult to stop and ultimately results in harmful consequences” (Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery, n.d., pg. 1). Compulsive shopping is considered to be an impulse control disorder. It has features similar to other addictions; however it does not involve the use of an intoxicating drug (Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery, n.d.). Approximately 2 to 8% of individuals in the United States are thought to be prone to shopping compulsively (Wormer & Davis, 2008). Compulsive shopping is a cycle of spending, which makes the individual feeling happy and gratified. The individual then experiences after effects of remorse and guilt. These negative feelings then drive the individual back to purchasing again. Many compulsive shoppers have co-morbid disorders, such as mood disorders, substance abuse, or eating disorders. This addiction can also affect the individual’s interpersonal, occupational, family, and financial situation in life (Illinois Institute for addiction Recovery, n.d.).   

How to determine if it is an addiction:

If an individual identifies with 4 or more of the following behaviors, this indicates a possible problem with shopping or spending (Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery, n.d.).

·         Shopping or spending money as result of feeling disappointed, angry, or scared

·         Shopping or spending habits causing emotional distress in one’s life

·         Having arguments with others about one’s shopping or spending habits

·         Feeling lost without credit cards

·         Buying items on credit that would not be bought with cash

·         Feeling a rush of euphoria and enxiety when spending money

·         Felling guilty, ashamed, embarrassed, or confused after shopping or spending money

·         Lying to other about purchases made or how much money was spent

·         Thinking excessively about money

·         Spending a lot of time juggling accounts or bills to accommodate spending

Treatment:

In order to overcome compulsive shopping, some steps that individuals can take are to “have only one or no credit cards, to shop with cash only, to avoid shopping or buying online, and to exercise when there is an urge to shop (Wormer & Davis, 2008, pg. 311). Individuals who are experiencing compulsive shopping can also receive therapy for their shopping addiction. Because there is often an underlying reason for compulsive shopping, therapists work with the client in order to understand these issues. By understanding these issues that the client may not even be aware of, the client is able to deal with the real problem and can work to improve this issue. In doing this, the individual will be better able to control his/her compulsions (GoodTherapy.org, 2013). There are also groups called Debtors Anonymous (DA), which are becoming more popular in the United States. These groups are compared to AA and NA. The individuals at DA first admit that they have a problem and then work to create a budget and a repayment plan. This group also serves as a support system for the individual (Wormer & Davis, 2013).   

References:

GoodTherapy.org. (2013). Compulsive spending/shopping. Retrieved from http://www.goodtherapy.org/therapy-for-compulsive-shopping.html#Therapy for Shopping Addiction

Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery. (n. d.). Shopping. Retrieved from http://www.addictionrecov.org/Addictions/?AID=34

Van Wormer, K., & Davis, D. R. (2008). Addiction treatment: A strengths perspective (2^nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Image from https://www.google.com/

Ketamine

Overview

Ketamine, also referred to as K, Special K, Vitamin K, green, and jet, is a hallucinogen and dissociative drug. Ketamine can be snorted, swallowed, or injected (DrugFree.org, 2013). Some  short-term effects include dream-like states and hallucinations, sensations of being separated from the body, and terrifying feelings including near-death experiences (“bad trips” and “K-holes”). Low doses of Ketamine can cause impaired attention, learning ability, and memory and high doses can result in delirium, amnesia, impaired motor function, high blood pressure, depression, and potentially fatal respiratory problems (DrugFree.org, 2013). Ketamine effects resemble the state of mind of schizophrenic psychosis (World Health Organization, 2012). These effects also resemble those of PCP, but the effects last for a much shorter duration. Because Ketamine is odorless and tasteless, the drug is sometimes used as a “drug rape.” (DrugFree.org, 2013).

History

Ketamine was created by Doctor Calvin Stevens in 1962 as a replacement for anesthetic phencyclidine (PCP or “angel dust”) because of the unpredictable and violent effect it had on patients (TheSite.org, 2010). Ketamine became popular as an anesthetic drug in the medical field because “of its ability to bring on sleep, relieve pain, and produce short-term memory loss in surgical patients” (eNotes, n.d., pg 1). Doctors felt that the drug would also make patients feel more relaxed and comfortable when awaking from surgery. In the 1970s, physicians began to use this drug on patients. It was also used on the battlefield by the military as an anesthetic. This increased use of Ketamine lead to the spread of knowledge of the drug’s effects. Ketamine has also used by veterinarians during surgical procedures on animals.(eNotes, n.d.)

Although using hallucinogenic drugs began to become popular in the 1970s, Ketamine did not become popular until the late 1980s and early 1990s. This drug slowly emerged as a club drug, which was used at raves. Ketamine continued to gain in popularity among young people through the middle and late 1990s (eNotes, n.d.).

Today, Ketamine is illegal and cannot be legally sold or bought without a prescription in the United States. The DEA added Ketamine to the list of Substance III drugs on August 12, 1999. According to the Controlled Substances Act, Substance III drugs can be used for medical use (eNotes, n.d.). A current study from Monitoring the Future Study “reports the annual prevalence in school students as 0.8%, 1.2%, and 1.7% for 8^th, 10^th, and 12^th grade (World Health Organization, 2012, pg 4).  

Addiction and Treatment

Although Ketamine abuse does not often lead to a physical addiction, as with alcohol or heroine, individuals who abuse this drug can become psychologically addicted to the substance and the effects that it produces. Thus, when these individuals cease the use of Ketamine, they may experience cognitive and psychological symptoms, which make it very difficult for them to stop using the drug. Treatment for Ketamine abuse and addiction can depend on the age and gender of the patient, the amount of time drug abuse occurred and the severity of the problem. It can also depend on if there are any co-occurring disorders (CRC Health Group, 2011).

Treatment options for Ketamine abuse include outpatient, residential, or partial hospitalization. There are numerous therapies and techniques that can be used to treat Ketamine abuse, such as individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, 12-Step education, relapse-prevention instruction, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, biofeedback and neurofeedback, medication management, anger management, hypnotherapy, and recreation therapy (CRC Health Group, 2011).

My Thoughts

I think the fact that Ketamine is not very well known by many people and that it is not as widely available as other drugs is related to the fact that the drug is not used as often and is not as popular among young people. The abuse and dependence of Ketamine is very dangerous for individuals because the effects are not always known. The fact that these effects are not widely known is not only dangerous to users, but is also dangerous to individuals who may have been “slipped” the drug. Others may not recognize these effects and may not realize the dangers that it presents. The abuse and dependence on Ketamine can affect individuals and families immensely. Even though it is not necessarily a physical dependence, individuals can still have much difficulty stopping use, which can negatively affect their physical health, along with their social relationships and their ability to participate in society, such as maintaining a stable job and having the basic essentials. It is important to recognize this drug as psychologically addictive and help individuals who are dependent on the substance to receive the treatment needed, which is part of society’s responsibility.

References

CRC Health Group. (2011). Treatment for ketamine addiction. Retrieved from http://www.crchealth.com/addiction/ketamine-addiction-treatment/

DrugFree.org. (2013). Ketamine. Retrieved from http://www.drugfree.org/drug-guide/ketamine

eNotes. (n.d.). Ketamine. Retrieved from http://www.enotes.com/ketamine-reference/ketamine

TheSite.org. (2010). Ketamine: The story. Retrieved from http://www.thesite.org/drinkanddrugs/drugculture/wheredrugscomefrom/ketamine

World Health Organization. (2012). Ketamine: Expert peer review on critical review report (2). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/medicines/areas/quality_safety/4.2.1ExpertreviewKetaminecriticalreview.pdf

Image from google images.

 

Habit Experiment

For our addictions class, we are doing an experiment in which we are choosing a habit to change. We began tracking our habits two weeks ago and kept track of how often we did specific habits. After tracking our habits, we chose one to change. We will work for 90 days to change the habit and continually keep track of how often it occurs, what we do to try to change the habit, and the results of the experiment.

The habit that I chose to change for this experiment is my exercise routine. I want to begin working out at least four times a week, every week. The reason that I chose this for my habit is the fact that I always want to exercise more. Every time I do this though I am successful the first week, but after that I make excuses, such as I am too busy, too tired, etc. And so I am going to use this experiment as a way to force me to stick to this habit. This change will impact me in that I will become more physically healthy and will feel better. Also, when I do not work out I do not sleep as well, and so I am hoping that by doing this I will begin to sleep better. I am very committed to making this change and would my commitment as 8 out of 10.

My specific goals pertaining to my new exercise plan is to work out at least four times a week for 45 minutes to an hour. I will track this every week and keep track of any reasons I do not workout. In order to be successful, I am going to try to go to the gym when my friends go. This will make it more fun for me and they will also encourage me to go even when I am busy or tired.