The Connection Between Fear And The Disease Of Addiction

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The Connection Between Fear And The Disease Of Addiction

18 January, 2019Articles, News

What is fear?

What is the connection between fear and the disease of addiction? Fear is often referred to as an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain or harm. It also occurs when we perceive something or someone as likely to be dangerous, painful or harmful. Fear can cause a change in the body and the organs which can ultimately lead to a change in behavior. This can cause a fight or flight response in animals and humans such as running away from, hiding from or freezing when facing the perceived threat. In humans, fear is modulated by the process of cognition and learning.

The question we ask ourselves is, how does fear contribute or form part of the disease of addiction?

The contribution of fear in terms of the disease of addiction

Why do addicts choose to stay in the same revolving cycle of self-destruction? Why is it so difficult for addicts to keep clean, specifically in early recovery? The belief is that fear seems to play a major role in addiction. When most addicts use, they feel that they are invincible in some sense. All their troubles and fears that surround them seem to fall away and they feel that they can face life on life’s terms easily and without worry.

A young girl once told me that she started using drugs because she felt different, that she would never be good enough or that she was worthless to society. This was why she used drugs as it helped her to feel like she had a purpose and that people accepted her. She then later realised in early recovery that they were only using her, and the feelings of worthlessness and loneliness crept in all over again and this caused her relapse as she was fearful that she would never belong.

The reality is, once the drugs stop working, the fear comes crashing down on them all over again. Addicts are often driven by fear. The fear of the unknown, the fear of loneliness, fear of never being good enough, fear of worthlessness, the list goes on and on.

Fear: irrational and rational

What is the difference between rational and irrational fear in relation to addiction? Rational beliefs represent reasonable, objective, flexible, and constructive conclusions or inferences about reality that support survival, happiness, and healthy results whereas irrational beliefs cloud your consciousness with distortions, misconceptions, overgeneralizations, and oversimplifications. Irrational fears present themselves in conditions such as impulsiveness, arrogance, defeatism, condemnation, depression, anxiety, hostility, insecurity, addictions, procrastination, prejudice, envy, compulsions, and obsessions.

Irrational fears seem to be the leading cause as to why addicts relapse or continue to use drugs, as they possibly cause the addict to not be able to deal with life on life’s terms leading to anxiety and panic which then leads to relapse.

An example of rational fear would be the fear of death, relapse, financial security, recovery, etc. An example of an irrational fear would be my husband is cheating on me while I’m in treatment, everybody judges me, I will never fit in, etc.

How do people with the disease of addiction live with fear:

For people in recovery, fear can never be removed, it can however, be outgrown. Fear is ‘False evidence appearing real’ It is about the addict being able to manage the emotions and thoughts in a healthy manner. An addict needs to realize what the fear is, deciding whether it is a rational or irrational fear, and if they can do anything about it or if they need to let that fear go and surrender to a higher power. There are many ways to go about this and this includes prayer and meditation, writing them down so they are able to analyse them, 12 step fellowships, to name a few.

The choice is up to the addict, do they want to fear everything and run, or face everything and recover.

Dominique LeClaire Rossouw

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Treatment and family involvement

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Home / News / Archive by category "Articles" (Page 102)

Treatment and family involvement

11 January, 2019Articles, News

TREATMENT AND FAMILY INVOLVEMENT. The whole family worries when a member is in trouble. While the afflicted person might be absorbed in a downward spiral, the family is consumed with concern for the addicted member’s safety, emotional well-being, mental health and physical health. Everyone in the extended family worries that the addicted person will drink themselves to death or overdose. They live in fear of a phone call from the police department announcing that the addicted individual has committed a crime to pay for their addiction, been involved in an accident while under the influence, or worse, has been found dead.

FAMILY INVOLVEMENT

Family involvement is important in substance abuse treatment for family and friends of drug- or alcohol-addicted individuals, addressing the addiction is one of the most difficult aspects of helping the addicted person seek treatment. Often, over time, daily family involvement has only managed to enable the addict. Family members frequently do not know how to bring up the issue of addiction therapy, and opt to ignore the problem for fear of pushing their loved one away during a confrontation or intervention.

These are legitimate concerns, and while families should understand that approaching their loved one should be a gentle and supportive process, they also need to understand that most patients seek substance abuse treatment because of positive family involvement and intervention.

Why is family involvement important?

Family involvement in substance abuse treatment, in many cases, can be highly advantageous tool to help families to break the “cycle of addiction.” Many parents/family members are simply not aware of destructive behaviours such as enabling that have kept their children/loved ones in the cycle of addiction. It is important for family members to be provided with information from a trained professional (s) so they may take a look at their own behaviours and the subsequent role it may have played in their loved one’s addiction. Therapists commonly recommend that families attend either Nar-Anon or Al-Anon to seek support and education about effective methods to help address common issues inherent within substance abuse treatment. Coincidentally, it is not uncommon that when a parent has a child in a formal treatment setting (and removed from the home) they become aware of their own behaviours that could have helped perpetuate the cycle of addiction. Support groups are also highly effective to help family members set healthier boundaries. In particular, support groups can help teach families effective methods to hold the addicted individual accountable for past and future actions. In addition, a support group such as Nar-Anon and Al-Anon can be an invaluable resource to help provide family members support during what is understandably an emotional and trying time.

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW?

Family involvement in treatment can provide education about the disease model of addiction. Many clients have often said that their parents/family members have stated, “I don’t know why you just can’t quit using alcohol/drugs!” A trained professional (as well as support groups such as Al-Anon or Nar-Anon) can help facilitate an understanding that addiction is a disease. Family involvement and education about the disease model of addiction can also help dispel many unrealistic expectations about substance abuse treatment, such as the “person is cured” after they complete treatment. This can help the family be aware that addiction is a disease that requires continuous care to keep in remission. This awareness can assist family members to be conscious of the needs (such as meetings, sponsorship, self-care) of an addicted individual to have sustained sobriety.

WHO CAN HELP?

People who enter treatment may come from families where open, healthy communication was never the norm. Or perhaps, the person may be in a situation where healthy communication was the norm, but is now broken due to active addiction. People in treatment report isolating from families while in active addiction and/or having extended periods of time with very little or superficial conversations with family. The value of having a trained professional to help re-engage healthy dialogue is immeasurable. An addicted individual may need the support of their therapist to help facilitate productive conversations with family members. A trained professional can help families learn new, effective methods to communicate as well as point out behaviors that are not conducive to healthy conversations. Family involvement in treatment can also help family members and the addicted individual become aware of and address issues within the family that may have had a role in the individual’s cycle of addiction. Hopefully, the newly gained awareness can facilitate the process of healing and forgiveness within the family. Lastly, family involvement can also help the addicted individual and family members set healthy boundaries and realistic expectations going forward in the future.

In sum, addiction is referred to a “family disease” and people often regrettably do not know where or how to start repairing damaged relationships. Family involvement in treatment can help repair damaged relationships and help families to ascertain the tools to build a foundation for a healthier future.