Will Alcohol and Drug Rehab Help My Relationship?

The impact of alcohol and drug use on relationships can be severe:
     ---arguments
     ---misunderstandings
     ---broken promises
     ---betrayal
     ---disappointment
     ---guilt and shame

Tense situations fueled by alcohol or drugs lower the threshold of our patience, impairs judgment and lessens impulse control, damaging a person or a family for life.  This cycle of destructive relationship interactions can continue until one or both of the people get off the sinking ship.

Alcohol Rehab helps you and your loved ones to:
     ---Recognize that alcohol and drugs are the problem, not the person
     ---Stop trying to change each other and learn to accept the other person
     ---Attend support groups to talk to others who understand
     ---Overcome mistrust and find hope
     ---Experience relaxation for the first time in a long time
     ---Be honest in their daily lives
     ---Recognize the cycle of addiction that leads to relapse and build in new recovery pathways.

I began working with people who suffer from addiction problems since 1981 and have seen hundreds of couples repair and strengthen their relationships with partners, parents, children, extended family, friends and  employers. Yes, Alcohol and Drug Rehab will help your relationship. Give yourself a chance to recover.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS
Co-Owner and Clinical Director
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

DUI? Seeking help for alcohol dependence in San Diego County

Seek help before it's too late. Before the next crisis. If you or some you love is having a problem drinking too much and recognize you have a problem, it is almost a sure thing that there will be even more problems in the future related to your chemical use. Medical problems, family problems and possibly legal problems.

It's a fact:  In San Diego Count, on average 2 of our neighbors are killed in alcohol related traffic accidents each week, according to Mothers against Drunk Driving,  MADD. San Diego County has the second highest DUI arrests and convictions according to the DUI Arrest Management Systems, in 2005. If you have had one or more DUI arrests, getting effective treatment will be the answer for you.

New and improved research based treatment improves the outcomes of those seeking help. Research shows:
--women stay sober longer if they receive treatment in women only groups
-- medications given for alcohol craving significantly reduce relapses
--motivational and caring treatment approaches with the therapist increases recovery rates
--12 step recovery and an intensive outpatient treatment program doubles the chance of recovery
--cognitive behavioral therapy increases the management of anxiety and depression
--family education is essential to the long term recovery of the entire family
--complete detoxification is essential to effective treatment

Lasting recovery's intensive outpatient treatment is one of many programs in the country that provide these types of services, and one of only a few in San Diego County.  If you or your family is seeking treatment, ask about these research based treatment methods.  If you are in San Diego county, call us at 858-453-4315. We are here to help you.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS
             

Development of Alcoholism - Middle Stage

In addressing this Middle Stage of the disease of addiction here in San Diego County, you may be asking the question: Given the already negative effect of drinking alcohol, as outlined in the Early Stage, why do I keep on drinking?

The answer:
There is a growing illusion in this disease, that alcohol is continuing to have the same effects as it once had. We refer to this as Euphoric Recall.

People keep using alcohol for the effect they remember - the drug's action is pleasant or useful, including social or medical uses, and it allows people to temporarily feel more pleasure, less pain or discomfort or both.  People recall how alcohol used to help them feel more at ease in social situations.  Only now, in the Middle Stage of the addiction, the effects of the drugs have changed.

This Middle Stage is often called the Loss of Control Phase. During this phase drinking has different effects. Occasionally we can drink socially and do not crave the alcohol once we have been exposed to it. Other times we are confused as to why, drinking the same amount, it seemed to take us over.  As rationalization begins to dominate the individual, i.e., we make up excuses to ourselves and others as to why we drank more, or ended up in an embarrassing situation. Rationalization are the lies we tell ourselves and how we learn to avoid others because we are thoroughly confused at our behavior.  For many of us, we are able to control a lot of things in our life and think that if we just tried a bit harder, we could consistently control our alcohol use as well.  So we firmly tell ourselves that we will not drink more than two drinks at the next party, or that we will not drink at all.

We this stage progresses without help, we are unable to keep our commitments to not drink, so we begin making excuses or lying about drinking.  We may drink in bars or restaurants to hide the evidence of bottles if we drink at home.  Many of us then decide that going out socially to drink alcohol becomes such a disaster that we would rather stay at home and drink.

Our anxiety is actually increasing as the alcohol does progressively more damage to the brain and body.  Nutrition is negatively affected, and  important vitamins and minerals are depleted. At the same time, we ironically keep remembering that alcohol once reduced fear, anxiety and even anger. It used to help us feel more confident, helped us sleep and reduced physical discomfort.

Instead, what alcohol actually does is cause drowsiness, disorientation and blackouts.  Alcohol may impair our motor coordination and cause impaired judgment.  Some people will receive a DUI, have an extra marital affair, or make poor financial decisions while under the influence.  We may experience nausea or vomiting after drinking - a minor overdose.  In this Middle Stage there are increased memory blackouts and the beginning of early morning tremors.  Toward the end of this stage, many people begin to break their rules about not drinking before 5, or noon and start earlier and earlier in the day and eventually drink alcohol in the morning.  The compulsion to drink overrides commitments we have make to ourselves, to our families, friends and employers.

We then avoid family and friends, and experience a loss of other interests.  The efforts to control the drinking fail repeatedly.  We are unable to discuss problems as the alcohol has taken over our days and nights.  At the end of this stage, we find ourselves drinking alone. If this sounds like a portrait of your life right now, reach out and ask for help.

If  we reach out for help now, we will avoid the Late Stage of alcoholism.  Our Staff at Lasting Recovery can answer any questions for you or your family member about getting help with detoxification or intensive outpatient treatment.   If we are unable to meet your needs for detoxification and outpatient care, we will refer you to a program that can. Give us a call at 858-453-4315.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS

Down Side to Alcohol and Drug Use in San Diego County

PART 11
Alcohol and drug use can start off as recreational; relaxing after work, social use at parties and with friends. The problems of excessive use of alcohol and drugs can create problems in our bodies, brains, in our relationships, problems at work and with the legal system. The following statements will help you to understand the progression of alcohol and drug use from recreational to addiction. The sooner one gets help for alcohol abuse and dependence, the fewer problems the individual user and family has to resolve.

4. Often progressive and fatal means that the disease persists over time and that physical, emotional, and social changes are often cumulative and may progress as alcohol or drug use continues. Addiction to alcohol or drugs causes premature death through overdose, organic complications involving the brain, liver, heart and many other organs, and by contributing to suicide, homicide, motor vehicle crashes, and other traumatic events.

5. Impaired control means the inability to limit alcohol or drug use or to consistently limit any drinking or drugging occasion, the duration of the episode, the quantity consumed, and/or the behavioral consequences of using the substances.

6. Preoccupation in association with alcohol or drug use indicates excessive, focused attention given to the drug or alcohol, its effects, and/or its use. The relative value thus assigned to alcohol or drugs by the individual often leads to a diversion of energies away from important life concerns.

7. Adverse consequences are alcohol/drug-related problems or impairments in such areas as: physical health (e.g., alcohol withdrawal syndromes, liver disease, gastritis, anemia, neurological disorders); psychological functioning (e.g., impairments in cognition, changes in mood and behavior); interpersonal functioning (e.g., marital problems and child abuse, impaired social relationships); occupational functioning (e.g., scholastic or job problems); and legal, financial, or spiritual problems.

8. Denial is used here not only in the psychoanalytic sense of a single psychological defense mechanism disavowing the significance of events, but more broadly to include a range of psychological maneuvers designed to reduce awareness of the fact that alcohol or drug use is the cause of an individual's problems rather than a solution to those problems. Denial becomes an integral part of the disease and a major obstacle to recovery.


________________________________________

This definition was prepared by the Joint Committee to Study the Definition and Criteria for the Diagnosis of Alcoholism of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence and the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

If you would like more help for yourself or a family member, give us a call at 858-453-4315.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS

Are you questioning the downside to your alcohol or drug use

Today I received a call from a 37 year old man who was confused about his alcohol use. He drank alcohol only on the weekends, and he gladly reported that he did not have any legal problems, did not drink in the mornings and he believed his alcohol use was not interfering with his work. Then his wife told him to pack his bags and leave, the next time he decided he was going to drink.

His alcohol use, however was interfering with his family. He brought home alcohol every night, and extra for the weekend, as he usually got started drinking by noon. His evening drinking started as soon as he got home, and sometimes he started in the parking lot of the liquor store. He would think about the alcohol around noon, when he began counting the hours until he could get off work and go the liquor store. He would get so excited, as he imagined himself getting home and having a shot and some beers to relax. His wife nagged him about his routine behavior, as she saw he preferred his drinking more in the evening than spending time with her or his family.

He started drinking when he was age 16, and then he only drank on the weekends. When he came in, I gave him this information:


1. Addiction is a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. The disease is often progressive and fatal. It is characterized by continuous or periodic: impaired control over alcohol or drugs, preoccupation with drugs or alcohol, use of addictive substances despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking, most notably denial.

2. Primary refers to the nature of addiction as a disease entity in addition to and separate from other pathophysiologic states which may be associated with it. Primary suggests that addiction, is not a symptom of an underlying disease state.

3. Disease means an involuntary disability. It represents the sum of the abnormal phenomena displayed by a group of individuals. These phenomena are associated with a specified common set of characteristics by which these individuals differ from the norm, and which places them at a disadvantage.

Part II tomorrow.

Trying to stop drinking or using drugs is difficult for those people who are more progressed in their disease. Women generally have difficulty with alcohol and drug use sooner than men due to sex differences. If you need help and want to get back on the road of living your life safe and healthy, seek help now.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS

Alcohol and Drug Use Rising in San Diego County

For those of us living in San Diego County, we are honored to have outstanding researchers and treatment providers for alcohol and drug addiction. Mark Schuckit, MD a leading researcher from the University of California San Diego has again helped us to understand more about the disease of alcoholism.

His latest research was published in Lancet, a medical journal this week to show, that in the developed countries, men have a 15 percent risk over their lifetime for abusing alcohol, and in addition, men have a 10 percent risk for becoming dependent (addicted) to alcohol.

Looking at these numbers: at least one in five men (20%) are at lifetime risk of becoming dependent on or abusing alcohol. Women's risk over all is 8-10%. Why? Dr. Shuckitt states that a higher proportion of women rarely or never drink.


What are the consequences (negative outcomes) of alcohol and drug dependence? Statistics show alcohol and drug abuse and dependence can increase auto accidents, suicides, divorces, child abuse, domestic violence, thefts, assaults, physical deterioration, organ damage, sexual dysfunction and brain damage.
What does this mean to us in day to day living? Be aware of what you go through when you drink alcohol or use drugs.

Symptoms of this progress and chronic disease go unnoticed for years:
drinking or using drugs to calm nerves

1. occasional memory lapses after heavy drinking or drugging
2. preoccupation with alcohol or drugs (thinking about the next time to drink or use)
3. hiding your alcohol or drugs
4. sneaking while drinking or doing drugs
5. feeling of guilt about drinking or using drugs
6. grandiose or aggressive behavior
7. overwhelming feeling of helplessness
8. thinking 'what's the use', a sense of futility
9. complete dishonesty
10. loss of other interest
11. family, work and money problems
12. neglect of feed
13. drinking alone, or secretly
14. family and friends avoided

If you feel your alcohol or drug use is becoming a problem, seek treatment before the symptoms and consequences get more severe. We can help!

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS

Have you had a Relapse in your attempts to quit drinking and using drugs in beautiful San Diego County?

Why does this happen?

I get calls daily from people who report they have attempted to quit drinking alcohol and using drugs, and have relapsed. Generally successful in many areas of their life, men and women trying to quit without help from a treatment professional can be frustrating and leave people feeling guilty and hopelessness.

What’s the answer to the residents of our local communities in Del Mar, Carmel Valley, La Jolla, Solana Beach, Rancho Santa Fe, or Scripps Ranch? Whether the mind altering chemicals such as alcohol or illegal drugs or prescription drugs such as tranquillizers, or opiate pain medication, the answer is to call a treatment professional now! Do not wait for the DUI, or the Possession charges; don’t wait for your spouse or children to leave because they say they can no longer cope with your addiction. Seek treatment before you loose your job, business or profession.

According to most well known researchers in the areas of alcohol and drug dependence, alcohol and drug use changes the brain, in fundamental and lasting ways. Does this mean you have brain damage? Some people do develop brain damage. Others are able to complete a process of treatment and learn how to care for their brain and quickly begin the healing process, repairing the brain within a couple of years.

Attendance in an Intensive Outpatient Alcohol and Drug Addiction program can teach you the tools to support your commitment to recovery, and both recognize a relapse trigger and change your thinking and behaving.

This is one of benefit of treatment…. To help you recognize the internal triggers (emotional states, thought processes and memories) and external triggers, those people, places and things that have part of your alcohol or drug dependence. For some people it means staying away from certain situations, for others it means learning another way to cognitively and emotionally respond to specific events, without reaching for a mind altering chemical such alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, heroin, meth, a tranquillizer such as Xanax or an opiate such as Vicodin or Oxycontin.

Take action now to seek care for your self, your health and your family!

To a Healthy 2009,

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS

Mental health and Addiction Parity Bill

Making mental health and addiction parity with other medical illnesses is a must for our society. The problem with the this bill currently passed both houses is not parity. In other words, it doesn't have to be included in insurance policies. Mental Health and addiction, are symptoms of brain changes that have occurred,just as a change in various other organs have changed as the result of a disease. The price paid is untold suffering, creating loss of families, wounded children, divorces and losses to our economy and our society. Providing adequate mental health and addiction health care for our society will bring the ability to use our brains in creative, solution focused ways for us to restore ourselves as a nation.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D, MFT, CAS
Clinical Director