Description of the ProblemSince the beginning of time, humans have sought methods of altering their everyday consciousness in pleasurable and unusual forms through the use of natural or synthesized drugs and alcohol. And since humans have existed, a small percentage of those who use these substances will develop problems of overuse/abuse, addiction, and/or dependence. At IPG, we take a somewhat unconventional stance in defining substance abuse "problems." We have no set definition of what constitutes recreational versus harmful use, and thus we treat each individual situation uniquely. Even if you have been mandated to treatment by your employer or by the court system, we make no assumptions about your "problem" until your situation has been thoroughly investigated. For example, if you have to obtain treatment because you have been convicted of driving while under the influence of alcohol, we may discover that you indeed are addicted to alcohol. On the other hand, you may be an inexperienced adolescent who does not yet understand the extent to which even small amounts of alcohol can impair reflex response times and judgments of speed. Your employer may insist upon treatment after a random urinalysis because you are a recreational user of marijuana - or because you are dangerously dependent upon cocaine. Unlike many professionals in the addiction field, we diagnosis and treat these situations entirely differently.There is no simple, easy way to define substance abuse problems, because different drugs (and we include alcohol as a "drug") have different addictive potentials and each person has a unique pattern of use. Even "daily use," considered by many to be a sure indicator of a "problem," is not a certain sign: daily use of heroin, for example, is quite different from drinking one or two glasses of wine with dinner. Some symptoms of substance abuse and dependence are: compulsive use: feeling out of control, using a drug even when you don't really want tophysical addiction, characterized by intense discomfort or even life-threatening reactions when you are unable to use your drug of choicedeveloping health problems due to substance usefinding that drug use - obtaining it, using it, thinking about it - dominates your daily lifedeveloping financial problems due to substance usefinding your substance use is harmful to your relationships, job, or other aspects of living Treatment ApproachesJust as we have a unique definition of substance abuse problems, we have an equally unusual and varied approach to treatment. Unlike Great Britain and most western European countries, United States drug treatment policy is dominated by an abstinence-only approach. At IPG, we believe this is a mistaken and costly attitude. Research on drug and alcohol abuse consistently shows that the vast majority of problem users are unable or unwilling to benefit from abstinence-only models, and that most people who overuse eventually control their use with or without treatment. If this is true, then it is foolish to not offer help to people who want to control, reduce, or otherwise modify substance use. Substance misuse is not a moral defect nor an absence of willpower; recent advances in "brain science" suggest that prolonged heavy use of many drugs results in neurochemical changes that make control of drug/alcohol using behavior extremely difficult.Therefore, at IPG we use a number of different treatment approaches. All of our substance abuse counseling is based on a "Stage Model" of addiction. According to this model, which applies to all unwanted habits, people are at different points of readiness to change at different times, and the entire cycle of habit control and relapse may need to be repeated several times before someone "conquers" their habit. Moreover, each stage carries with it different implications for treatment. For example, most people with a troublesome habit spend a long time in what is called "Pre-contemplation," which could also be called "denial." Many clients who come to treatment because someone else wants them there are in "pre-contemplation." If you are in this stage, counseling must consist of dispensing educational information and gently helping you examine your behavior and identify motives to change. On the other hand, if you are in the "Action" stage you need concrete behavioral strategies for abstinence or controlled use, and if you have "Relapsed," we will support and encourage you to return to your action strategies and teach you relapse-prevention techniques for the future.In many cases, we refer clients ready to deal with substance abuse problems to traditional abstinence-only treatment plans, including 12-step programs, as an adjunct to psychotherapy. We keep meeting lists for 12-step programs available, will encourage you to find temporary and permanent sponsors, help refer your loved ones to collateral meetings, and help you to use the various "Steps" in your own individualized way.However, we also work with people for whom the abstinence-only model is inappropriate. In keeping with our client-driven philosophy, we help clients identify the best goals for them, which do not always involve total abstinence. We employ approaches to help people control their use without total abstinence ("moderation management"), or to reduce the damage to themselves and others from substance abuse ("harm reduction"). While abstinence is a practical goal for many, when individuals can't totally abstain, or choose to attempt controlled use, our job is to help people limit or transform their addictive behaviors to less destructive levels. For example, we may teach techniques to someone who overuses alcohol to limit alcohol consumption to 3 or 4 drinks a day instead of 12, or a cigarette smoker to limit their smoking to 5 cigarettes instead of a full pack. In working with someone who "shoots up" drugs but is not ready to stop, we might explain how to clean needles safely to avoid contracting HIV, hepatitis C, and other diseases. These approaches are very controversial in the United States, but we believe it is unethical to not help those with substance abuse problems simply because they refuse or are unable to attain total abstinence.Medication is sometimes helpful in the treatment of substance use, and when it is helpful we will refer clients to detoxification programs, methadone maintenance centers, or to pharmacologists who can monitor use of drug antagonists, anti-depressants, and other of the more recently developed pharmaceutical agents used to help curb urges or block the action of mood-altering substances.
Originally posted by ravells Can you please give me the expurgated version?You are man of too many words, rip.Ravs
Originally posted by Sandman_SBM Well... it's not like he actually wrote it... hell, he may not have even read it.
However in the college, I had to write and essay on this subject.
Originally posted by midnight Target Acredited?
Originally posted by ravells Are we all addictive / compulsive type personalities?ravs
