November 4, 2011

Substance abuse can be very difficult to recognize, especially for the victim.  The victims just cannot see themselves as being part of that group of people = denial.  Seldom does a potential client ask for admission because they recognize a problem.  Clients only seek treatment because they have been given an incentive by loved ones, an employer, or the law.  Even when this happens, denial makes treatment difficult and complicates recovery by fostering an unwillingness to follow suggestions.  Here are some responses to my questions about how substance abuse affected their lifestyles.

-          “I am not an alcoholic, I only drink beer and never more than a case a day.”

-          “My wife tells my children to avoid talking to me when I am drinking.”

-          “My son asked me to stop scaring the neighbors.”

-          “I don’t get stoned every night.”

-          “I never traded sex for drugs.”

-          “I can stop using anytime I want.”

-          “I did not hurt anyone but myself.”

-          “I borrowed the money, I did not steal it, and I put it back.”

These responses are a demonstration of the inability of a substance abuser to see their problem.  Knowing there is a problem is half of the solution.  Addiction treatment at Rayville Recovery approaches denial by helping a client see the problem and the cause of it.  I feel that rehab offers a needed break in a victim’s daily living to promote a return to a normal way of living = recovery.  

More to come.  Comments are welcome.

Rayville Recovery is a Louisiana Alcohol and Drug Treatment Center.

The dictionary tells us that this word means “to restore or bring to a condition of usefulness.” With that in mind, look at some of the responses that I get when I ask new clients “what brought you here?”

• “The cops brought me here. If they would leave me alone, I would be fine. I only have 2 DWI’s.”
• “My parents said get clean or don’t come home.”
• “My daughter told me she does not trust me with her child.”
• “My wife wants a divorce if I don’t stop using crack. I don’t cheat on her.”
• “My boss accused me of drinking on the job and told me to get help.”

This list could go on for pages, but there is one common denominator for all of the responses, and that characteristic is – another person saw the problem when the client did not. How can such a serious behavior occur without the perpetrator seeing it? We will explore this and other questions in a series articles yet to come. Your comments are welcomed.

Rayville Recovery is a Louisiana Alcohol and Drug Treatment Center