2008 Woodie Awards
The Ins and Outs of Addiction
Anita Kelly: Director, Counseling Services
Issue date: 11/1/07 Section: Focus
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Addictions come in many shapes and sizes. The most common type of addiction in our society is a chemical dependency or an addiction to a substance. Around 1955, the American Medical Association (AMA) declared for all that chemical dependency, in particular at the time, alcoholism, is a disease. This then thought of social ill was no longer viewed as a matter of poor willpower or a weak character defect but rather a disorder to be treated with dignity and care as one would treat diabetes or cancer.
Things have definitely changed since 1955. Today we are dealing with addictions to many substances ranging from alcohol, to marijuana to methamphetamine to designer drugs such as ecstasy. The scope of addictions has also increased to encompass not only substances but also behaviors such as gambling, shopping, sex, and over-eating. Individuals who have remained abstinent from their addiction and who have changed attitudes and behaviors are thought to be "in recovery". Many of these individuals recover with the help of twelve-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA). These types of programs, in conjunction with therapy, seem to be what work best for most. There are even twelve step groups to help those who suffer from non-chemical dependencies. Available in the Lehigh Valley are gamblers anonymous meetings, shoppers, spenders and buyers anonymous meetings, overeaters anonymous and sex and love addicts anonymous meetings. There seems to be enough people who suffer from these afflictions that these meetings can be sustained on a weekly basis.
Much research has been done in the past 20 years within the field of addictions. One of the most significant findings that affects prevention work is the knowledge that if a person uses substances before the age of 12 and has a genetic predisposition to chemical dependency, the odds increase drastically that s/he will become chemically dependent themselves. With all of the research that we have done, we aren't any closer to helping people who are chemically dependent through the use of bio-chemical treatment. There are some experimental drugs on the market that may curtail ones' desire for a chemical but it is not a sure thing. Having worked with individuals who have abused or are dependent upon chemicals for the past 20 years, I cannot say that there is a treatment regime that would suit everyone. What I do know is that treatment needs to consist of a comprehensive approach that includes individual and family therapy, group therapy and often times psychopharmacological treatment. An eclectic approach to treatment produces a better outcome. This includes cognitive-behavioral therapy, rational-emotive behavior therapy and a psycho-analytical approach. What is most important in any approach is to meet the client where they are at in their recovery process. If a therapist goes beyond this limit, relapse is inevitable. This makes the odds even smaller for the estimated 33% success rate among any given treatment group.
Things have definitely changed since 1955. Today we are dealing with addictions to many substances ranging from alcohol, to marijuana to methamphetamine to designer drugs such as ecstasy. The scope of addictions has also increased to encompass not only substances but also behaviors such as gambling, shopping, sex, and over-eating. Individuals who have remained abstinent from their addiction and who have changed attitudes and behaviors are thought to be "in recovery". Many of these individuals recover with the help of twelve-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA). These types of programs, in conjunction with therapy, seem to be what work best for most. There are even twelve step groups to help those who suffer from non-chemical dependencies. Available in the Lehigh Valley are gamblers anonymous meetings, shoppers, spenders and buyers anonymous meetings, overeaters anonymous and sex and love addicts anonymous meetings. There seems to be enough people who suffer from these afflictions that these meetings can be sustained on a weekly basis.
Much research has been done in the past 20 years within the field of addictions. One of the most significant findings that affects prevention work is the knowledge that if a person uses substances before the age of 12 and has a genetic predisposition to chemical dependency, the odds increase drastically that s/he will become chemically dependent themselves. With all of the research that we have done, we aren't any closer to helping people who are chemically dependent through the use of bio-chemical treatment. There are some experimental drugs on the market that may curtail ones' desire for a chemical but it is not a sure thing. Having worked with individuals who have abused or are dependent upon chemicals for the past 20 years, I cannot say that there is a treatment regime that would suit everyone. What I do know is that treatment needs to consist of a comprehensive approach that includes individual and family therapy, group therapy and often times psychopharmacological treatment. An eclectic approach to treatment produces a better outcome. This includes cognitive-behavioral therapy, rational-emotive behavior therapy and a psycho-analytical approach. What is most important in any approach is to meet the client where they are at in their recovery process. If a therapist goes beyond this limit, relapse is inevitable. This makes the odds even smaller for the estimated 33% success rate among any given treatment group.