Alcoholism is a major behavioral problem that and it has detrimental effects on the health and social well-being of an individual. Most of the people who abuse alcohol adopt the behavior gradually before it blooms into a habit. Also, the availability of alcohol and its unregulated use, particularly for adults, makes it possible for individuals to continue with the behavior. Also, unlike other drugs that are prohibited by the government, alcohol abusers can only receive rehabilitation services out of free will or through referral by their employers. However, numerous programs are being implemented health institutions and non-governmental organizations to assist alcohol addicts in reforming. The strength-based model is widely in helping the addicts to reform and avoid relapsing back to their behavior.
The Strength-based Practice
The model focuses on individual’s determination and strengths. The proponents of the theory view the victims as resourceful and resilient the adversity that they are facing. Therefore, the approach is client-based, and it focuses on the desirable outcomes from a given behavior. When the team from the University of Kansas developed the theory, the members focused on achieving the autonomy of the individuals suffering from different behavioral problems(Van Wormer & Davis, 2016). This was through the realization that it people live in an environment characterized by the factors that contribute their behavior and these do not change even after undergoing rehabilitation. Therefore, to avoid relapsing back to the behaviors, autonomy is sustaining the practices is an imperative approach.
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How Reforming Alcoholics can Avoid Relapsing
The challenge with alcoholism is that the drug is readily available in food and drinks outlets. Therefore, the users do not enjoy the advantage of limitation, and this explains the vast number of individuals relapsing back to the behavior that they seek to avoid. Therefore, it is imperative for people to develop a sense of autonomy in sustaining the reformed behavior. A successful recovery process involves identifying the initial factors has contributed to the full blown alcoholism and avoiding them (Wiers et al., 2014). This has to involve the individuals, and it calls for a strength-based approach. The rationale for this is that the model identifies the strengths and weaknesses of an individual through self-searching process. For instance, if an individual discovers he/she is weak and susceptible to peer pressure, the behavioral change assistants can help him/her to keep the right friends. This is justifiable because being with friends who drink would lead to a quick relapse.
Relapsing to alcohol addiction can also be avoided by exploiting the resources at one’s disposal positively. As noted, alcohol is available in many outlets, and an individual can access it at any time of the day. Therefore, an addict with resources does not have any restriction to the time he/she can access the drug. However, identifying other resources within the environment in which one lives can help to avoid a possible relapse (Rehm & Shield, 2014). For instance, the leisure time that individuals spend in bars could be used in doing other recreational and fulfilling activities.
The strength-based model holds that individuals have positive resources and strengths which they can exploit to the benefit of their health and social responsibility. Alcohol addicts have been known to have previous interests and hobbies that they enjoyed before turning into alcohol abuse. Such strengths are negatively affected by stressors that encourage irresponsible drinking (Stahre et al., 2014). Rekindling the former interest such s reading, playing tennis, collecting art, voluntary work among others are positive distractors. The strength-based practice helps individuals to identify their interest and the time that they could have spent drinking is exploited for active activities. In the process, the addicts develop a positive attitude towards life, and a sustained practice prevents relapsing.
Alcohol addicts can also avoid relapsing into the behavior by living the reality or the moment. It is noteworthy that the factors that lead to a significant number of people abusing alcohol are disillusionment and disappointment emanating from foregone opportunities. Failure to accept the situations as they are and living in regret leads them to turn to alcoholism as a mask to the agony they go through (Stahre et al., 2014). However, accepting the reality and devising gradual mechanisms to recapture or reshape their lives can be more fulfilling and contribute to the determination.
The strength-based treatment programs emphasize on the aspect of comprehensive transforming rather than only capitalizing on behavioral change. This is justified by the fact that individuals have to live a fulfilling and productive life, also, to having a supportive behavior. This involves identifying both the social and economy strengthens that they have which can help them rebuild what they have already lost (Miller & Rollnick, 2014). For instance, those who have varied skills that can be exploited in the job market would benefit from living the moment in that they can shift their attention from the opportunities that have passed them and focus on how they can use their skills to rebuild their lives. It may also involve rebuilding social networks that can be imperative in the getting a new direction in life and benefiting from the opportunities that the people in the social networks have to offer.
Another factor that can prevent relapsing is involving other parties who play an imperative role in an addict’s life. They include family members, peers, mentors, guardians among others. It is imperative to note that people feel indebted and answerable to others in their inner circles who may be involved in the reforming process. According to the strength-based practice, working with individuals by engaging the parties surrounding them has proved to have better outcomes and more sustainable recovery process. Psychological research also indicates that weak family links contribute to relapsing and negative towards changing the behavior (Miller & Rollnick, 2014). The family provides a conducive microenvironment for behavior change. Therefore, reaching out to them enables the behavioral counselors to guide them on how they can support the reforming individuals and ensure that they feel committed to the person's behavior change. Individuals who feel cared for and those who receive encouragement enjoy a sustained behavior change.
On the societal level, the strength-based practice assists in promoting the positive view of individuals addicted to alcohol. This is instrumental in taking away the blame heaped upon them and instigates a focus on the factor that contributes to the behavior. This has also contributed to the destigmatization of the behaviors and the strengthening of the institutions that support behavior change. For instance, the institutions that support alcohol anonymous groups could be said to follow a strength-based model since individuals take a personal initiative to quit drinking. By being in a group of individuals who do not view the behavior as practically outlying and irredeemable, reformists can sustain their behavior. A positive community that accepts back reformed alcohol addicts and allows them to pursue self-actualization plays a crucial role in preventing relapsing.
In conclusion, alcohol addicts and those reforming from the behavior can benefit immensely from the strength-based model since it focuses on the autonomy of an individual to change behavior and avoid relapsing. Various activities can be integrated into the model including identifying positive interest, appropriate use of resources, creating a positive attitude among the parties surrounding the addicts and the society as a whole. Counselors and psychologists should embrace the model not only in alcohol addiction counseling but also for other drug-related problems.
References
Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2014). The effectiveness and ineffectiveness of complex behavioral interventions: impact of treatment fidelity. Contemporary clinical trials , 37 (2), 234-241.
Rehm, J., & Shield, K. D. (2014). Alcohol and mortality: global alcohol-attributable deaths from cancer, liver cirrhosis, and injury in 2010. Alcohol research: current reviews , 35 (2), 174.
Stahre, M., Roeber, J., Kanny, D., Brewer, R. D., & Zhang, X. (2014). Peer Reviewed: Contribution of Excessive Alcohol Consumption to Deaths and Years of Potential Life Lost in the United States. Preventing chronic disease , 11 .
Van Wormer, K., & Davis, D. R. (2016). Addiction treatment . Cengage Learning.
Wiers, C. E., Stelzel, C., Park, S. Q., Gawron, C. K., Ludwig, V. U., Gutwinski, S.,& Bermpohl, F. (2014). Neural correlates of alcohol-approach bias in alcohol addiction: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak for spirits. Neuropsychopharmacology , 39 (3), 688-697.
