The topic of substance abuse is one that most people can relate to in one way or another. Even those who have never tried drugs and alcohol often have experiences and stories of addiction among loved ones. It's been called a "disease that affects the whole family" and in truth, it affects the entire community.
The primary victim of this disease may be the last one to realize that they need help. Well-meaning co-dependent behavior from friends and family may mask the symptoms of substance abuse for a while, but eventually, the beast outgrows its cage; it becomes obvious that the primary victim has no control over the situation and professional help may be the best solution.
Every addict has a different "rock bottom" — the term that refers to the lowest point in someone's life before they cry out for help. For one person, it may be finding themselves covered in vomit under a bridge in the rain; for another it may be failing to follow through on a project at work or embarrassing themselves at a Christmas party. While no one can really force another person to undergo treatment for substance abuse, listening for cries for help, especially following low moments, can provide an opportunity to seek addiction counseling for your loved one.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse, a division of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, states that the goal of substance abuse counseling is "to help the client achieve and maintain abstinence from addictive chemicals and behaviors." This only solves half of the problem, however, because there are several consequences of addiction that don't disappear once the client stops using drugs. Trouble with law enforcement, health issues, relationship problems and psychological damage are just a few examples of the consequences that can make recovery difficult. A successful approach to substance abuse counseling addresses not only these issues, but the underlying cause of trauma or stress that fuels the victim's need to self-medicate.
The institute goes further, stating that group therapy approaches may not be the most effective because they create environments that are "punitive and confrontational and less respectful of the client," whereas individualized psychotherapy approaches allow addicts to have personalized treatment that are open-ended and personalized. These allow users to get to the source of their pain and deal directly with the professional, relational, academic and legal affects of abuse all at once, holistically. In a group setting, focusing on one individual isn't always possible. In one-on-one counseling, it is unavoidable.
Author Resource:-
Stephen Daniels is an acclaimed NetBiz SEO 2.0 researcher. For effective substance abuse counseling in Scottsdale, Arizona, he recommends Diebold Behavioral Counseling. Their multi-discipline treatments for drug and alcohol dependency include one-on-one therapy, 12-step programs and Rational Recovery.
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