THERE IS HOPE!

When we speak of substance abuse we’re talking about; “a pathological relationship with drugs and alcohol resulting in life-damaging consequences.” In 1956 the American Medical Association recognized alcoholism as a physiological disease. Thus, chemically dependent people are compelled to use drugs and alcohol whether they want to or not; even in the face of catastrophic consequences.

Why can’t they just stop? Because, substance abuse has nothing to do with willpower, courage, fortitude, character, self-control or common sense. Addicts/alcoholics are good people with a bad disease, which is what makes this situation such a tragedy. Alcoholics Anonymous calls it; “an allergy of the body and obsession of the mind.” It's often referred to as delusional thinking, addictive reasoning, superficial logic, and chemically induced psychosis. In truth, we don’t have all the answers yet - nor are they even important right now. All that matters at this time is getting yourself or the person you love into treatment, because one thing is certain; left untreated, this disease can be fatal.

Breaking through Delusional Thinking

A number of powerful defense mechanisms protect an addict/alcoholic’s addictive thinking. They continue to look for new ways to use chemicals while avoiding the negative consequences – instead of realizing they just can’t control their use.

There is nothing wrong with their intelligence, just their thought process. Defense mechanisms distort reality by impairing their ability to connect the dots between their substance abuse and the resulting consequences. Consider the case of Frank:

        Frank says he “LOVES” drinking. He talks passionately of savoring the taste of chilled top-shelf vodka. He says that his love of drinking good vodka makes quitting extremely difficult. The only problem is that Frank is a binge drinker. Once he starts he can’t stop. Somewhere in the process of each binge he blacks out. During the blackouts he does and says things he would never dream of straight. He risks the lives of others by driving. He sleeps in parking lots, alleyways, even in the local cemetery, soiling himself regularly and skipping days in the office without notice. He spends every dime he has, making numerous trips to the ATM until he can withdraw no more. To make his cash last longer he switches to the cheapest vodka he can get, which he guzzles warm from the bottle. He steals and sometimes pays for sex. When he awakens in terrible pain it is on the cold floor of a jail cell in his own vomit or, if he is extremely lucky, in a hospital bed. Yet when you inquire of Frank how he could love drinking when it causes him to suffer so, he replies; “Of course I love drinking. Its blackouts I hate.”

Frank’s problem is not his drinking. It’s his thinking. To him, “drinking” is defined as the act of consuming the beverage. In reality however, drinking and using is the entire experience; the action plus the consequences. Defense mechanisms allow Frank to somehow enjoy the act while separating the consequences completely out of the equation.

The good news is; no addict or alcoholic has to want treatment in order to benefit from treatment. All that’s important is getting to treatment

With your permission I’d like to talk in person, confidentially. As a board certified Substance Abuse Counselor and nationally certified Interventionist I can answer questions and explain your options so when you're ready you can make an informed choice. You are one phone call away from easing your pain. If you could have done this alone you would have long ago. Reach out and allow this recovering addict and alcoholic the privilege of joining the fight with you.

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For Immediate Help:  (949) 939-9222  •  Keith4Counseling@gmail.com