Treating Co-Occurring Disorder

 

Treating Co-Occurring Disorder

 

 

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When individuals suffer from drug or alcohol addictions and mental health disorders, we call the condition co-occurring disorder. This disorder is common in those receiving treatments against substance abuse. There are many things that impact one recovering from substance abuse which can trigger the use of these drugs, the intake of alcohol again, or result in co-occurring disorder. Some of such are:

#1 Guilt

#2 Grief

#3 Depression

#4 Low Self Esteem

#5 Anger Management Issues

That said, these things are considered more as symptoms rather than disorders. But their impact on the patient can not be overemphasized.

 

Three Common Co-Occurring Disorders

 

Eating Disorder

Eating disorders like anorexia or excessive eating are quite common in people dealing with substance addiction. They tend to rely on drugs or alcohol to build their self-confidence and suppress hunger, resulting in co-occurring disorders with time.

 

Anxiety Disorder

People with many episodes of anxiety and panic attacks tend to result in substance use. Some overdose on their doctor’s prescription, while others rely on alcohol and illicit drugs as a coping mechanism.

 

PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder leads some to substance misuse. After going through stressful, scary, or life-threatening situations, some people relieve the symptoms that accompany PTSD by taking alcohol and drugs.

 

Co-Occurring Disorder Treatment Techniques

When suffering from a dual disorder, also known as co-occurring disorder, you need to get help. Seek professional help and support from close friends and family. This would help you maintain a healthy and balanced life.

Treatment techniques that would be of great help include:

#1 Peer support groups

#2 Individualized counseling

#3 Cognitive behavioral therapy

#4 Medication-assisted treatment

#5 Aftercare group or individualized therapy

It is important to get treated, but it is much more important to get treated by the appropriate quarters. Seek professional help, and you will receive the correct guidance on which treatment would suit you because every situation has its peculiarities. It would also keep you accountable, especially if you experience a relapse.

 

 

“We honor ourselves when we speak out for recovery. We show the world that recovery matters because it brings hope and peace into the lives of individuals and their loved ones.”

 – Beth Wilson

 

 

GinMan Consulting is here to help you

develop yourself and all that you deserve.

Visit us at www.ginmanconsulting.com

Common Triggers of Alcohol and Drug Use

 

Common Triggers of Alcohol and Drug Use

 

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Quitting drinking and drug use can be a challenging and difficult process. You didn’t develop the problem overnight, so overcoming your addiction will not happen overnight either. It is not uncommon to suffer a relapse. However, understanding what might trigger your relapse is one of the first steps towards prevention.

 

Here are four triggers you should watch out for:

1.Stress

Stress is one of the major triggers of alcohol abuse and drug use. And people who struggle with addiction always feel an increasing need to use alcohol and drugs when stressed, especially if it was their primary coping mechanism. Although you can’t eliminate everything from your life, you should avoid situations that cause you extreme stress.

 

2.People or Places Connected to Your Behavior

People and places who are part of your addictive lifestyle are potential triggers for relapse. It is best to avoid your drinking buddies and those who remind you of your former lifestyle.

 

3.Negative Emotions

People who struggle with drug and alcohol abuse need to have effective ways of managing negative feelings. Drugs and alcohol are used to provide temporary relief from negative feelings in your life, but you can’t rely on them again. Learn how to deal with uncomfortable feelings and emotions.

 

4.Seeing the Object of Your Addiction

Reminders of your previous lifestyle can cause a relapse while recovering.  A whiff of cannabis, watching people drink at bars are triggers you might see everywhere. It is normal for you to feel like going back, but recovering is not just about abstaining; it is about building a new life that is easier, desirable, and free of addiction.

 

 

GinMan Consulting is here to help you

develop yourself and all that you deserve.

 

Visit us at www.ginmanconsulting.com

Why You Should Stop Excessive Drinking

 

Why You Should Stop Excessive Drinking

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It is sometimes hard to know whether your habit of drinking or drug use is only casual and for recreation or whether it has become an addiction you can’t handle. What starts as weekend drinks with friends turns into a Monday to Thursday drinking, then every night, drinking at lunch, drinking alone, and on and on until one day you wake up, hungover, reaching for a cup of whiskey at 8 AM, and then it hits you: your life is no longer in your hands—it belongs to whiskey.

Many things could be causing your alcohol abuse. However, the consequences of alcohol addiction are grave and far-reaching. It is bad for your mental health, and it only offers temporary relief and won’t solve your problems. If you are still looking for why you need to stop drinking, here are more reasons to stop:

 

1.Health Problems

Alcohol abusers face a great risk of developing brain damage, heart diseases, liver diseases, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure. If you stop drinking, you will discover that your ability to process emotions and make decisions will improve.

 

2.Depressive Moods

Excessive use of drugs and alcohol causes negative and depressive moods in drinkers. Those who indulge are likely to engage in assaults and violence.

 

3.Financial Consequences

If you stop excessive drinking, not only will you save money on buying alcohol, you will also pay fewer fines and fees, zero accidents, and you will be more likely to keep your job.

 

There are more negative effects of alcohol abuse. However, every day is a good day to practice staying sober. Next time you want to grab that bottle of drink, remember:

“Alcohol won’t solve your problems; it only aggravates it.”

 

GinMan Consulting is here to help you

develop yourself and all that you deserve.

 

Visit us at www.ginmanconsulting.com

You Are Missing Out on Support: Addiction in Isolation

You Are Missing Out on Support: Addiction in Isolation

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COVID-19 has many in isolation from normal everyday activities. Life of freedom to move around and participate in events such as concerts, travel, movie theaters, doctor appointments and much more will never feel the same as before. Life as we know it now is very secluded.

Seclusion means that positive coping strategies for life stressors are hard to implement while in isolation. Addictions are a much easily accessible means to dealing with life stressors. Online resources to m a n a g i n g the stressors that cause addiction is best alternative to almost extinct daily activities.

 (Picture Courtesy of Unsplash)

If you have been living in isolation try various online resources for social interactions and activities.

#1 Peer Support

It’s always good to be able to connect to others who can relate to your addiction causing situation. Since face to face isn’t the healthiest option right now, try some online communities. There are a variety of AA or NA online support. Try some Facebook communities for positive support. Google search for a peer support group that fits your needs.

#2 Family Support

Sometimes more intimacy is desired to express any addictive stressors or concerns. It may not be a good idea to pop up at a relatives house because of COVID isolation. Use electronic resources such as Facetime, Zoom or Duo to connect face to face virtually.

#3 Therapeutic Support

Now more than ever, therapy is beneficial to help manage stressors that cause addictive behaviors. Therapy offices and clinics may be temporarily unavailable but telehealth has reached a new height for being the norm for therapy sessions.

Don’t let COVID isolation get the best of you and turn your life upside down.

Not having social interactions and activities can be a detrimental factor in the escalation of addictive behaviors.

Take a better route and connect virtually!

If you need direction or assistance on

making positive virtual connections,

GMC is here to guide you.

Connect GMC at info@ginmanconsulting.com

Addiction is Seductive

Addiction is Seductive

Addiction is a battle that many lose to over and over again. The good news is….even though you may lose the battles, you can win the war.

One big challenge with addictive behaviors is that people mainly recognize only drugs and alcohol as the culprits. Today sex addiction is becoming more of an issue in relationships.

An article published on foxnews.com highlights the sex addiction of a former NFL football player Mike Caussin. His sex addiction has caused marital issues between him and wife Jana Kramer. Within the article the couple mention a few pointers to shed light about how to overcome sex addiction within a marriage.

This is what happens when you don’t face your addiction.

#1 Shame On You!

Most people don’t seek help for addictions because it will cause shame and embarrassment. The true shame of addiction occurs when you don’t admit you have an issue and when you don’t seek the treatment you need.

#2 A Rocky Family.

Active and continuous addictive behaviors when left untreated will cause family instability. Addiction doesn’t just affect the prime participant, it has adverse emotional and physical effects on all family members.

#3 You lose.

Addictive behaviors cause you to become ineffective in significant areas of your life. When you fail to properly address the issues of addiction your lifestyle goes down. You lose financial, material, relationships, careers, family and most importantly you lose YOURSELF.

Everybody knows somebody. Battles with addiction should not be faced alone.

Contact your local community rehabilitation center or visit GMC resources page at www.ginmanconsulting.com for more information.

Are You PLOM Out of Your Mind?

Are You PLOM Out of Your Mind?

Life can be harsh! Without positive guidance and support, the trials and tribulations of life will have you chanting, "Poor Little Ole Me!" Developing the strength to overcome any challenge takes more than wishing & hoping for deliverance. You need to put some strategies into action behind those prayers.

4 STEPS TO GET PASS P.L.O.M. MINDSET:

STEP 1:  

Think that you can & you will! The mind is a powerful tool behind gaining success. Whatever you feed into your mind will determine what it puts out into the atmosphere. Infuse your mind with positivity and your behaviors will reflect positively. Emotions, thoughts and behaviors are subconsciously connected. 

  

STEP 2: 

Celebrate every accomplishment you make in life regardless of how small you or anyone else thinks it is. It's those small boosts in self- esteem that causes even bigger feelings of self- worth. Celebrating your wins can be as small as treating yourself to your favorite ice cream to buying yourself a new suit to wear at the next event you attend. (Hint: A GMC event) 

STEP 3:

Surround yourself with those who want you to win. When celebrating your accomplishments, be sure to include the people who can cheer you on. There is nothing worse than feeling good about yourself and then Debby Downer comes along to steal your joy. According to Jim Rohn, “You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

STEP 4:

Keep in mind, no one is perfect. Allow yourself room to make mistakes without feeling guilty. There is a huge difference between those who succeed and those who fail after making a mistake. Those who succeed after a mistake practice these three things: #1: They learn from their mistakes. #2: They use the lesson learned as a means to correcting the mistake. #3: Successful people keep going strong after a mistake is made.   

Self- pity gets you nowhere fast. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, accept the situation that life has dealt you. You are in control of the end result. Develop the strength and strategies that you need to overcome your temporary situation. Don’t let your current circumstances be the way you view yourself. Go get your life!  

Did you enjoy this article? Leave your comments. We really will enjoy reading your thoughts on PLOM Mindset.

Don’t forget to take advantage of a FREE Wellness Strategy Session with Virginia Manning, MEd, LPC-S, LCDC

>>Contact me at info@ginmanconsulting.com for an appointment

JOIN IN ON THE FUN!

Make Your Visions Come Alive

What: Master Your Journey Book Tour Vision Board Party

When: June 17^th, 2:15PM- 4:30PM

Where: Beaumont, TX, Theodore Johns Library

Cost: FREE