Addiction recovery: concept, resources and considerations 14-09-2020
Por: Katherine Langa, M.A
September is National Addiction Recovery Month in the United States and throughout the month there are activities to educate about addiction treatments and related mental health services. Although we are not in the United States, it is an excellent initiative to be taken advantage of by the entire mental health community.
The stigma that accompanies addicts, or addictions, immediately leads to judgment and criticism, taqking away compassion and empathy for the human being behind the behavior. Addiction is a disease. Would you judge an addict to be the same as a person with diabetes, a hypertensive person, or me, a person with fibromyalgia? Our diseases do not define us, we are not our disease.
Addiction is a multifactorial disease, in which genetics and the environment play stellar roles. They are people who seek to escape from a painful internal or external reality. Those who find it difficult to use their resources or do not have the tools to manage the situations that life brings in a healthy way. However, when an addict undertakes the path to recovery and engages in it, they are disciplined and persevering, which leads to fantastic results. One of the processes that bring me more pride in therapy is that of the recovering addict, it is wonderful to see the transformation.
In my practice, most are cases of behavioral addictions, and not to substances, such as sex, relationships, people, codependence, among others; but the recovery is the same.
Psychoeducation is very important, as well as knowing the psychobiology of addiction, the physiological and behavioral part. And, for the recovery process to be successful, the ideal is for loved ones to get involved. Both the addict and their family, partner, must undergo a specialized therapeutic process and combine it with attending support groups. A community of recovering addicts and family members is priceless in the process.
Links for more information:
https://www.samhsa.gov/recovery-month
https://www.institutohes.com/tipos-de-adicciones/
Ted Talks recomendados:
“Why some of us are addicts | Robert Lefever | TEDxWarwickSalon”
“Transcending addiction and redefining recovery: Jacki Hillios at TEDxBoulder”:
«Recover aloud | Tara Conner | TEDxUniversityofNevada»:
