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eLearning Series:
I Don't Want To Be Addicted Anymore!
( 8 pages )
Recovery
Tools
Regardless of the
addiction, be it drugs, alcohol, gambling, relationships, etc.,
a 12-step program is the fundamental tool of many recovery programs.
The basic 12 steps that groups’ members actively stress are
as follows, varying in some degree per addiction recovery program.
Note that no particular religion or spiritual affiliation is
required. All are welcome and invited.
12-Step
Program
- We admit we
are powerless over our addiction - that our lives have
become
unmanageable
- We believe
that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to
sanity
- We made a decision
to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God
as we understood God
- We made a
searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves
- We
admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being
the exact nature of our wrongs
- We are entirely
ready to have God remove all these defects of character
- We humbly asked
God to remove our shortcomings
- We made a list
of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make
amends to them
all
- We made direct
amends to such people wherever possible, except when to
do so would injure
them or others
- We continue
to take personal inventory and when we are wrong promptly
admit it
- We seek through
prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact
with
God as we
understand
God, praying only for knowledge
of God's will for us and the power
to carry that out
- Having had
a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we
try
to carry
this
message
to other addicts,
and to
practice these principles in all
our affairs.
Basically members
recite the steps at their meetings. And there may be a presentation
or group discussion based upon one particular step that day,
with the rest of the event focused on individual needs or issues
that are brought up by members, so that each member gets to
address his or her top or immediate concerns, seek help and
help others to get through, “One day at a time.”
OTHER RECOVERY
TOOLS
Here are more tools
to aid with healing from addictions, listed in no particular
order.
Internal
Motivators– Many decide to kick their addictions based
upon interior motives like love, a sense of achievement, competition,
responsibility and a number of other reasons. A love for a child
can make some stop the denial process dead in its tracks, allowing
recovery to step in. Watching a close friend or relative who
is farther along the addictive path of destruction can also
be an eye-opener, resulting in some addicts adopting the “I
can do it” attitude to kick the habit. Some simply want their
own self-respect back and respect from others. While other addicts
prefer better health and a sharper mental state, and decide
to overcome their addictions and recover. Regardless of the
reasons, internal motivators can be welcome stepping-stones
in the path of recovery.
External
Motivators - Other motivators along the way are external,
like money, work, housing, etc. For example, an addict is generally
well aware of the money needed for the continued purchasing
of the addictive substances. Someone not used to living in less
desirable conditions because income is lacking, may not need
much of a jolt of reality other than the first eviction notice,
to spur him or her to quit spending hard-earned money on drugs,
gambling, porn or cigarettes, etc. And some, who may really
value their jobs and are striving to maintain good work standards
and ethics, may see reality when they are passed over for a
promotion or annual raise because of tardiness, sloppiness,
mishandling of money, etc., and may seek help to get their work
act together promptly.
To help with internal
and motivators, addicts and their support people can turn to
recovery tools like books, videos, movies, healing music, speakers
and events focused on addiction and recovery. A good place to
begin is at your own local library or favorite bookstore. Online
you can search Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble (BN.com) or even
your favorite search engine. Type in terms like “addiction recovery”
and / or add the addictive substance or behavior (“gambling
recovery” “overcoming cigarette addiction”).
Recovery
Books
Some popular recovery
books are:
Addiction
& Recovery for Dummies, by Brian F. Shaw, Paul
Ritvo, Jane Irvine, M. David Lewis; For Dummies; (December 13,
2004).
7 Tools to Beat Addiction, by Stanton PHD Peele;
Three Rivers Press; (July 27, 2004).
The Addictive Personality: Understanding the
Addictive Process and Compulsive Behavior, by Craig Nakken;
Hazelden Publishing & Educational Services; 2nd edition
(September 1, 1996).
The Addiction Workbook: A Step-By-Step Guide to Quitting Alcohol
and Drugs (New Harbinger Workbooks), by Patrick Fanning, John
T. O'Neill, John O'Neill; New Harbinger Publications; (June
1, 1996).
Bridges to Recovery: Addiction, Family Therapy,
and Multicultural Treatment, by Jo-ann Krestan; Free Press;
(March 15, 2000).
For online chat
rooms and message boards where recovering addicts seek fellowship,
simply type “recovery message board” or “recovery chat room”
in your favorite search engine. Include specific addictions
like gambling and cocaine for more focused groups.
Intervention
Another popular
recovery tool is called an intervention. An intervention generally
refers to a planned gathering of people who know the addict
and want to offer support and intervene to stop the addiction.
Friends, family, co-workers, church members or in short close
contacts meet and gently confront the person with the addiction
to drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex or other behavior or substance
addiction.
It is believed
that by close contacts sharing their personal feelings and thoughts
for the addict’s well being, the addict will feel safer and
confront denial issues, opening up a pathway for recovery and
healing. By actually being with so many caring people, the addict
may also become motivated to seek help and change, and realize
that he or she hasn’t faked everyone out with lies about the
addiction. Many want to seek help so that they are not alone
in their struggle any longer, preferring recovery and health
instead.
The intervention
team becomes part of their support network. Each member shares
his or her own experiences with the addict and the problems
arising from the addiction. And in turn, each shares their love,
support and encouragement for recovery as well as any healing
resources or tools they may have. For example, maybe one member
who faced similar addiction issues found help from a local 12-step
program and therapist, and brought the meeting information (location
and times) plus the therapist’s phone number alone to share.
Trained people
are also available to help groups with interventions. Some go
through a 3-stage intervention program.
Stage I
- This focuses on telephone coaching over the phone.
A trained professional helps you build a foundation with hope
and figure out whom to ask to join in an intervention plan.
They also help strategize – gather the intervention team together,
educate about goals and overall plan, and help with getting
the addict to the intervention meeting the first time.
Stage II
– This stage generally begins if no treatment has yet
kicked into place after Stage I. Generally, the main person
in charge of gathering the intervention team together meets
with the professionally trained counselor get together for strategy
planning about a half-dozen times. Note that the addict is not
present at these. Goals are to educate, support and develop
a plan of action that includes healing treatment with the one
seeking help for the addict first.
Stage III
– At this point, other intervention team members are
brought in and counseled. And the addict is invited to the meetings
where intervention members share their new boundaries and coping
skills with the addict (if he or she comes along). The intervention
members’ love and support are demonstrated more than once, and
by now the addict has had multiple opportunities to enter recovery
and treatment but has not yet taken the plunge to seek help.
Results with this
3-stage program are long-term help for not only the addict,
but the support people as well. The addict is generally removed
or placed outside the dysfunctional family environment. And
both family and addict learn healthier behaviors, communication
and coping skills. For more information about interventions,
contact:
Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery
Outpatient Center
5409 N. Knoxville Ave.
Peoria, IL 61614
1-800-522-3784
Check with your
libraries and bookstores for helpful intervention books. Here
are a couple of popular ones:
- Crisis Intervention Strategies (with InfoTrac)
(Counseling Series)
by Richard K. James, Burl E. Gilliland Richard K. James, Burl
E. Gilliland; Wadsworth Publishing; 4 edition (August 10, 2000).
- A Guide to Crisis Intervention, by Kristi
Kanel; Wadsworth Publishing; 2 edition (February 21, 2002).
And check out what
resources National Intervention Referral has available in your
area by contacting them at (800) 399- 3612 (24 hours / 7 days),
or by visiting them at and filling out their online form www.nationalinterventionreferral.org.
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