Understanding that Addiction is a Disease

Understanding that Addiction is a Disease

Many individuals fail to recognize that addiction is a disease. However, substance dependency is not a question of willpower. You do not choose a diagnosis of Cancer. You do not choose to be born male or female. You do not choose the hair color that you are born with. You also do not choose to be an addict.

When a person struggles with addiction and/or substance dependency, consequences of drug use are not considered. Changes occur within an addict’s brain, specifically within the Mesolimbic Dopamine System. The Mesolimbic Dopamine System refers to the brain’s pleasure system and processes the “feel goods”, (food, sex, release). When an addict uses drugs repeatedly, the brain’s pleasure system becomes overstimulated. Addicts lose the ability to control and satisfy their cravings, and begin to lose sight of consequences and reality.

As a family member or friend of an addict, you likely feel anger and resentment. You may also feel overwhelming grief as a witness to substance dependency overcoming your loved one’s life. In this situation, it is imperative to recognize that addiction is a disease, thus not your fault and outside your realm of control. It is also important to know that you are not alone, and a rising number of families are affected by addiction each year.

What if there was a place that you could retreat to that could help your family heal? What if addicted individuals could seek treatment in a family friendly location which seeks to assist all family members with the grief and anger associated with addiction and substance dependency? Good news. There is. Self-empowerment NH, LLC can help your family heal through innovative counseling techniques and research based family group counseling practices.

For more information on the programs offered at Self-empowerment NH, LLC, please contact Lori Magoon, MLADC, LCMHC at (603)470-6937 or selfempowermentnh@gmail.com.

The Rise of Heroin in our Youth: How Parents Can Help Their Children

 

Lyrics by the popular band Wasted Youth titled We Were on Heroin state, “I need it, I must have it, Kill and steal and fight to get it, I need it, must have it, Holes in my arms mean nothing, I need it, I’ll lose everything I own to buy it, just to have it.” No one knows how true such words are than the parents of a child addicted to Opioids or Heroin. They have witnessed the devastation and desperation associated with this addiction and likely feel anger, helplessness and despair as a result.

In recent years, our society has seen a disturbing rise in Heroin use and both Opioid and Heroin addiction in the youth population. According to health providers and figures within the criminal justice system, many young people begin their drug use through pharmaceutical-type Opioids, such as Oxycodone and Hydrocodone. Such pharmaceutical-type Opioids can be found in many medicine cabinets, and thus are easily accessible to youth. When individuals can no longer afford expensive pharmaceutical-type Opioids, they find themselves turning to Heroin, a much less expensive substance with effects similar to those of pharmaceutical Opioids.

It is important for parents of youth addicted to Opioids and Heroin to recognize that they are not alone. Many parents find themselves overwhelmed with grief as they watch their children attempt to overcome addiction to Opioids and Heroin. Parents may blame themselves for their child’s addiction, often distancing themselves from friends and family due to overwhelming feelings of shame and guilt. Self Empowerment NH, LLC is here to remind you that as a parent, you are not responsible for your child’s addiction, but you are an essential component to your child’s recovery.

Self Empowerment NH, LLC recognizes that addiction is a family-wide problem, and that youth Opioid and Heroin addiction can cause grief for the friends and family of the addicted individual. Self Empowerment NH, LLC seeks to help those suffering from addiction, as well as the families of such individuals. Through such research-based practices as family counseling and support group systems for families struggling with Opioid, Heroin and other addictions, Self Empowerment, NH LLC can help open the doors to a brighter tomorrow.

Lori Magoon, MLADC, LCMHC

selfempowermentnh@gmail.com

(603)470-6937

Parents of Addicts: The Importance of Education and Support

 

Parents of children whom struggle with addiction often suffer as much as their children do. Parents often blame themselves for their child’s addiction and issues with substance abuse, placing the tribulations of their child’s disease on their own shoulders. Parents of those who struggle from addiction and substance abuse often face an immense amount of anxiety and both social and emotional stress.

Almost any parent can relate to feeling remorse and guilt when their child is in trouble, blaming themselves for their child’s mistakes. But what if parents had more education about addiction? What if parents could understand that their child’s struggles with addiction were not their fault and that an immense number of factors contribute to substance abuse?

There are many factors which contribute to an individual becoming addicted to substances, including such stressors as traumatic events during childhood. One may argue that in this way, parents are at fault for their child’s substance abuse issues. However, there is much more to addiction than most realize. An immense number of youth struggle with addiction at no fault of their parents or other family members.

Research shows that those who struggle with addiction are more likely to succeed during their “road to recovery” when they feel supported by family and friends. Research also shows that family and friends of addicts are more successful in supporting loved ones facing addiction when they are educated about the disease and feel supported by other members of the community. Self Empowerment New Hampshire, LLC supports such practices with research based effectiveness as hosting support groups to help family members and friends of those struggling with addiction and issues with substance abuse. Such groups have been designed to deepen understanding of underlying causes of addiction and substance abuse, and to provide support to addicts, as well as to the family and friends of those struggling with addiction issues. Self Empowerment New Hampshire, LLC feels that no family should ever struggle with addiction alone, and recognizes that addiction affects not only those with substance abuse issues, but the friends and family members of such individuals.

As a parent of an individual struggling with addiction, you likely feel anger, frustration, confusion and helplessness. The programs offered at Self Empowerment NH, LLC can help ease the burden. With opportunities to work alongside your child in recognizing triggers and developing a personalized detoxification and relapse prevention plan, as well as opportunities to collaborate with other families who are also facing issues with addiction and substance abuse; Self Empowerment NH, LLC can help.

Please contact us for more information about the programs and groups that we can offer your family.

Lori Magoon, MLADC, LCMHC

(603)470-6937

selfempowermentnh@gmail.com