There is Real
for Addicts and Alcoholics
The
S o b e r
R e c o v e r y
J o u r n e y
of Greater Nashville
Recovery Coaching:
An Effective, Affordable, Evidence-based Outpatient Alternative to Traditional Treatment Programs
Certified
Member
of
Addiction is a chronic brain disease that often lacks ongoing chronic care support, leaving the afflicted person at high risk for crisis and affecting the entire family.
What's going on?
Nearly all fatal diseases have symptoms and most of them are ugly, but when someone falls victim to a diagnosable illness, we don't just give up hope and acccept defeat. We as modern humans, have faced sicknesses from cholera and smallpox to tuberculosis and polio. We didn't give up on people with HIV, nor do we write off a cancer patient or a loved one with heart disease. Given the discoveries of modern researchers and the miracles of physiological and psycological therapies, why would we look at the disease of addiction as incurable? There is hope for addiction sufferers, great hope! And it's backed by an overwhelming number of success stories. Millions have found recovery from the sad and painful consequences and seemingly hopeless outlook of chemical dependancy. We push through and seek help, we take the treatments that are working for others.
WE CAN RECOVER!
Are you, or someone you love, suffering from the symptoms of the disease of addiction? If so, you will want go a little deeper here. Take a moment to ponder the ideas and facts presented, listen to the testimonials of former sufferers, those who have found recovery and the beautiful life they were missing under the lash of alcoholism and drug addiction. There's only one true blockage to recovery from this disease, only one factor that precludes many people from the finding the solution - it's the equivilent of a death sentence and it's called Denial.
"Addiction is the disease that continually works to convince the victim that he has no disease...
all the way to the terrible end"
Consequences
A painful path through immense sufferage, destruction of self, and in many cases, an ugly and ultimately a shameful and tragic death. This is described in the field of substance abuse treatment as passing through the stages of addiction.
The addicted person loses sight of the warnings along the way and a strangely powerful denial system keeps them convinced that things will be better tomorrow. The once enjoyable life and occasional "party drinking" with friends begins to change, sometimes subtly from one weekend event to twice a week, sometimes in an intentional effort to "lead the charge" and be Mr. or Miss. party. Other transformations might include picking up a bottle of wine to take home after the night out, or asking a friend for a direct connection to their "dealer" to have your own personal stash. However it starts for the addicted person, the experience following almost always begins to look like every other addicted persons. Early on it becomes an exhausting effort to "keep things together" with job, family and responsibilities. During this phase, the individuals tolerance level grows and the substance abuse increases. Many are able to cope or function in this stage for a varied period of time before the first of a long string of serious consequences and pain begins.
Scary Statistics
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) National Roadside Survey, more than 16% of weekend, nighttime drivers tested positive for illegal, prescription, or over-the-counter (OTC) medications (11% tested positive for illegal drugs). In 2009, 18% of fatally injured drivers tested positive for at least one drug (illegal, prescription and/or over-the-counter). Even more concerning, the Monitoring the Future Study (MTF) found that 1 in 12 high school seniors reported driving after smoking marijuana.
FACT: Number of Deaths: In 2009, the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) reported that 3,952 fatally injured drivers tested positive for drug involvement.
In a general population sample of 10‐ to 20‐year‐olds, roughly 12.4 percent (96 of 776) met criteria for a substance use disorder. Alcohol and other psychoactive drugs play a prominent role in violent death for teenagers, including homicide, suicide, traffic accidents, and other injuries.
Desire is not enough
Simply having the desire to stop using mood-altering chemicals is not enough for the real alcoholic or addict, and even a serious need to stop can be useless against the power of the substance. Addicts and alcoholics are not bad people, on the contrary, they are really-really good people, tender-hearted at their damaged core. These are people in the throws of a terrible disease, a disease as serious as the worst form of cancer or the deadliest virus strain.
In a perfect world, everyone would feel happy, peaceful and content every day. In the real world, challenges are a part of daily life for most people, but daily life for the practicing alcoholic/drug addict is much more than challenging. A day in the life of these suffering people is nearly always depressing, lonely for most, filled with fear, anxiety, and ill-heath and most sadly, it's getting progressively worse with each passing day.
The "at risk population"
Alcohol and drug addiction, a progressive and relentless disease. It never plays favorites and never gets better-only worse over time. Although every human being possesses natural, as well as learned survival skills, people often get stuck in some areas and can't seem to make significant and sustained progress with problematic challenges like controlling addictive behaviors.
Addicts are sons and daughters, moms and dads, brothers and sisters, both young and old, who are deeply embedded in a vicious cycle that threatens their very lives. It takes help to be free from the grip that binds them and many can only navigate the path to abstinence and sobriety with the help of a trained guide. The process of recovery is available to everyone who wants it, however in many cases a one-on-one plan must be designed and formulated specific to an individual’s life structure and personal circumstances.
A scary factoid: Heroin, a highly addictive substance is increasinly available at lower and lower street prices. The Fededral Drug Enforcement Administration reports a 26% increase in opiate abuse in the last year. Abusers are our children, siblings, classmates, co-workers and neighbors. Opiate-related overdose deaths affecting male, non-hispanic whites from 18 to 25 years old increased 286 percent between 2002 and 2013.