Drug and alcohol dependency is a problem that can cause severe lifelong problems for both men and women; in their relationships, their careers, their dignity and even in defining who they are. Feelings toward the outside world are often numbed, and normal emotions are no longer felt. All the wonderful things in life are not fully experienced and depression and apathy often follow. This, many times, will cause a vicious cycle of using drugs or alcohol to make oneself feel better but in actuality the 'cure' is the cause of the problems. 

In our program we recognize that many of these problems, or issues, are different for men and women, and we recognize there are differences among different age groups as well as people of different sexual orientation.  This is where our one to one personalized program is at its most effective.


About Men's Issues:

Men's issues are frequently rooted in the values of society that gives us the stereotypical "American male" profile. Our counselors help motivate men to break through that stereotype and learn to express emotions in healthy ways, address anger issues, stop fear based outlooks and responses, and build relationship skills as well as life skills. Specific men's issues addressed in treatment often include:

• * Father/son relationships
• * Anger and aggression
• * Emotional isolation
• * Spiritual disconnection
• * Sexual issues

 

About Women's Issues:

Women's issues are many and varied. Societal expectations and traditions are such that women are encouraged to care for and nurture others, often at the expense of their own needs, identity, and health. Women who balance career and family often deal with guilt.  Other women struggle with issues ranging from depleted self-esteem to body image to co-dependency. The result is that too many women today turn to drugs and alcohol to help them cope with feelings of  guilt, shame, loneliness and helplessness.
Women's issues often include:

• * OCD
• * Co-dependency
• * Panic disorders
• * Depression
• * Phobic disorders
• * Eating disorders
• * Anxiety disorders
• * Trauma

Older and Younger Adults:

Growing older can be a great time of life for many: watching your children and grandchildren mature grow up; taking advantage of rewards that come with the years of hard work and planning for retirement.  For many older adults these are years filled with anxiety, uncertainty, loss and profound loneliness. Economic hardship, illness has  resulted in alcoholism and prescription drug abuse in this population in epidemic proportion.

The younger adult has specific issues regarding delayed maturity, The normal physical, mental and emotional development is delayed or altered when an individual begins using mind or mood altering chemicals. Many times there is a problem with the individual making the transition from child to adult. Maturity may be delayed and sometimes it is never achieved.

It is important to understand the abnormal development in adolescents that can be caused by chemical dependency. Many times the young person has difficulty relating to others. Feelings of anxiety in social situations are common as well as guilt and shame associated with past behavior.
If young people are using drugs to suppress unsettled emotions in order to deal with normal anxieties regarding peer pressure and dating, they never learn appropriate ways to cope with these issues.
When these individuals are educated about appropriate interpersonal relationships and life skills they usually respond well.

 

Generally speaking, ***The effects of drugs and alcohol can appear as a psychiatric disorder. People who are using drugs or alcohol generally tend to have mood swings, bouts of depression, high anxiety, irritability, hyperactivity, psychosis and often get diagnosed and labeled with a psychiatric illness such as "bipolar disorder" or "major depression" and get put on all kinds of medications, where no disorder exists other than the substance abuse problem.***     

 

***The good news is that once the substance abuse problem is overcome and they are given the appropriate life skills and therapy we provide, the psychiatric diagnosis is no longer valid and these younger adults are able to lead a normal substance abuse free life and realize their true potential.***

***Joel Savitch, M.D.

Why do people relapse???

Learning and re-learning life skills.

Relapse Prevention Written by Jim Myklebust    Monday, 16 February 2009 16:10 People in Early Recovery have times when they have strong thoughts of relapsing.  Drug/Alcohol dreams and cravings are common.  We need to remind ourselves of the many problems we had when using and the many problems we are free of through abstinence.  The long term benefits of staying "clean and sober" outweigh the short term 'relief' of using.  Recovery takes time but eventually the cravings, using dreams, and insecurities will fade.  When we are committed to recovery we eventually develop new routines, like going to meetings, meeting new friends that don't use and support our recovery and a reliance on a Higher Power.              Staying clean and sober and managing ones behavioral problems effectively is not easy.  It is an ongoing process.  Abstinence and dealing positively with a dual disorder go together. " The Ocean Rehab " clients develop recovery tools that help them stay involved in the process of recovery as well as building important life skills.  The term " dual recovery " is used for those individuals that are following a program that focuses on the recovery needs for both their chemical dependency and their psychological problems. People in dual recovery use  their recovery tools daily which helps prevent relapse.               A FEW THINGS THAT CAN TRIGGER A RELAPSE:                      Stopping medications without just cause or against the advice of medical professionals.                      Hanging around old drinking places and drug using friends.                      Keeping to yourself.  Not going to meetings and not using your support network.                      Keeping alcohol, drugs, and paraphernalia around the house for any reason.                      Obsessive thinking about using drugs or drinking.                      Not following your treatment plan, or stopping therapy or missing doctor's appointments.                      Feeling like you no longer need support.                      Having problems with relationships and those that are close to you.  i.e. a spouse who still uses.                      Setting unrealistic goals and expecting to be perfect.                      Changes in eating and sleeping patterns, personal hygiene, or energy levels.                      Feeling overwhelmed, confused, useless, or stressed.                     Frequent boredom and irritability.                      Lacking routine and structure in life.                      Sudden changes in psychiatric symptoms and not seeking professional advice.                      Dwelling on resentments and past unresolved conflicts and anger.                      Trying to avoid dealing with personal issues and other problems of daily living.                      Engaging in obsessive behaviors such as workaholism, gambling or sexual excess and acting out.                      Major life changes including loss, grief, trauma and painful emotions.                      Ignoring relapse warning signs and triggers. We try to prevent a relapse before it happens by identifying things that put us at risk for relapse and using various recovery tools.  We can periodically review our relapse prevention plans with our doctors, treatment professionals and sponsors and change them as needed.               By becoming familiar with our triggers and warning signs, having a practical plan of action and utilizing the various recovery tools will greatly reduce the possibility to lapse back into our addictive lifestyle.  We seek perfection but must realize that progress may be all we can achieve at times. We must sometimes be content to learn what we can from the situation and move on with our program of  recovery. Sharing our relapse experience with our sponsor, group, and helping professionals, is an important way to figure out what went wrong and fix it.  Your experiences may also help others in recovery