Substance use disorder relates to a clinical condition of significant distress or impairment due to the consumption of one or more substances such as psychoactive drugs and alcohol. Dependence and addiction are features of substance use disorder. Addiction is the most severe type of substance use disorder. Substance use disorder incorporates the dependence or overuse of drugs or alcohol which subsequently leads to various detrimental effects on a person’s mental and physical health or other people’s welfare such as family members. Substance use disorder is often typified by a sequence of regular pathological consumption of a particular medication or alcohol which, in turn, results to various adverse social impacts such as the inability to meet school, family, or work duties, legal issues, or interpersonal conflicts. During the year 2010, approximately five percent (230 million) of the individuals in the U.S used an illegal substance. Of these, twenty-seven million were typified by habitual drug use which subsequently affected their general health and exposed them to various psychological and social problems. During the year 2015, SUD resulted in approximately 307,400 deaths. Individuals with alcohol use disorders accounted for the highest percentage of deaths during that year.
I attended two mutual-help meetings: Family therapy and alcohol anonymous meeting. The two meetings were both located in Cincinnati, Ohio. My perception about the two meetings is that they are both effective educational approaches for alcoholics. However, I consider AA meetings as an ineffective approach to treating substance abuse disorder. On the other hand, I consider family therapy as an effective therapeutic approach in the treatment of addiction. I will clearly outline the important concepts I learned throughout my time at the AA meetings. I learned that alcoholic anonymous programs often extend beyond the abstinence of alcohol. I learned that the primary goal for AA meetings is to impact enough change in the victim’s thinking to enhance his recovery from alcoholism via spiritual awakening or an entire psychic transformation which is often achieved by taking part in the 12 steps. I learned that sobriety is enhanced further through AA volunteering and regular attendance of AA meetings, or through one’s interactions with the members of alcoholics anonymous. During these meetings, members are usually encouraged or asked to find a sponsor (an experienced fellow alcoholic) to assist them follow and understand the AA meeting’s program. I learnt that a sponsor ought to have the experience of the 12 steps, refrain from inflicting individual viewpoints on the sponsored person, and be of the same gender as the sponsored individual. I also learnt that regional AA directories often list various weekly meetings: Closed and open meetings. Closed meetings are usually available to victims with a self-professed wish to stop alcohol intake; this desire cannot be challenged by any other person. Open meetings, on the other hand, are usually available to anyone.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Through attending family therapy, I learned many important concepts. I learned that family therapy is an effective treatment procedure aimed at using the family’s resources and strengths to help develop efficient means of living without substance abuse. I also learned that family therapy is aimed at reducing the effects of chemical dependency on the family and the victim. Through attending the therapy sessions, I learned that in family therapy, the basic treatment unit is family and the person within the family system’s context. I also learned that there are various models of family therapy; they include the family disease, the family systems, multi-dimensional, and cognitive-behavioral family therapy model. I also learned that family therapy is found on one major goal, prevention; keeping the abuse of substances from being passed from one generation to the other. The AA meetings revolved around various topics: Acceptance, belief in a High Power, the attitude of gratitude, dependence, forgiveness, group inventory, humility, fear, gaining one’s freedom through being sober, identification, and contempt before investigation. The topics were equally effective in educating individuals on the need to be sober, accepting oneself, the art of forgiveness, and the need to be grateful at all times. The topics also provided basic knowledge on the need to overcome one’s fear and one’s dependence on alcohol. Some of the topics learnt during family therapy include solidarity, awareness, support, self-confession, self-esteem, and re-entry into the society. These topics were very effective during various family therapy sessions such as during the resolving of various family issues among family members for instance, faulty communication patterns, and unhealthy relational structures. The topics are also important during the treatment procedure as they help the victim learn how to reduce his dependency on alcohol and drugs by providing efficient means of living without substance abuse.
Through attending these meetings I learned that the addiction to drugs and alcohol could occur due to various reasons such as high levels of stress, severe injury or trauma, having a parent or guardian with a history of addiction, psychological trauma, for instance, chronic loneliness or the loss of a loved one, and mental health conditions, particularly mood disorders, for example, chronic anxiety and depression. I also learned that addiction often develops when an individual becomes emotionally, psychologically, and physically dependent on alcohol and drugs. I also became familiar with specific characteristics of addiction: they include the chronic incapacity to abstain from a particular behavior or substance, behavioral impairment, and cravings for a particular drug or alcohol. Other characteristics of addiction, I became familiar with include the continued consumption of a particular substance and dysfunctional or inappropriate emotional response when the access to a particular substance is restrained. The two mutual-help group meetings I attended had various impacts on my personal life. First, my knowledge of the need for a better understanding of family patterns during therapy was enhanced. Secondly, I understood the importance of effective communication among family members at all times. Thirdly, I understood various aspects associated with alcohol dependence and addiction and the effective prevention strategies. Lastly, I also understood the effectiveness of these mutual-help group meetings in preventing and treating substance and alcohol addiction.
From my personal viewpoint, mutual-help group meetings are associated with various advantages. First, they improve one’s skills in communication, conflict resolution, anger management, and problem-solving. Secondly, it increases one’s understanding of how an individual’s actions can impact others. Thirdly, it builds one’s knowledge on the importance of the effective functioning of a family unit. Fourthly, through listening to other people’s experiences, one gains a perspective on various aspects of life such as acceptance, forgiveness, sobriety, and the ways to overcome fear, dependency, and addiction. Lastly, these mutual-help group meetings aid in the prevention of relapse. In spite of these many advantages, I identified certain disadvantages associated with these mutual-help group meetings; they include social fears, confidentiality concerns, group instability, and the probable scheduling of conflicts. I would refer clients to mutual-help group session due to the various advantages associated with an individual's recovery. I advocate for the attendance of group meetings in addition to treatment because group meetings help one develop a sense of belonging, foster acceptability, allows one to learn about various social skills, and it enables one to learn from his peers thereby, helping with one's recovery process.
