Putting the Resilience into Recovery.

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Putting the Resilience into Recovery.

21 August, 2020Articles, News

Resilience is the remarkable human capacity for bouncing back. The hallmark of resilience is the ability to adapt in the face of adversity, be it trauma, tragedy, threats, adversity, or any other source of stress, from relationship troubles, workplace and money stressors, to serious health issues.

This isn’t to say that a resilient person never experiences any degree of difficulty or distress, or that if they do- it doesn’t affect them emotionally. It merely means that they have the strength and coping skills to bounce back after these traumas. Resilience is not a personality trait that people are born with, either. It’s a set of skills which can be learnt and built upon.

Some of the so called unfortunates referred to in The Big Book: alcoholics , addicts, “failures”, people who’ve attempted suicide, those lost in depression — the kind of people you’d never think would make it through — and yet, their resilience has been both remarkable and transformative.

Traditional trauma and crisis theory suggest that people generally adapt well over time to life-changing situations and stressful conditions. After a six to eight-week period, normal coping skills kick in and life returns to a kind of normality.

Most people we encounter in the rehab environment do not have the coping skills to manage the trauma that has resulted in a life of abuse of substances. They turn to an addictive set of behaviours to stop the emotional pain that they are facing. This often results in a life of complete unmanageability and destruction both to themselves and those close to them – family, partners friends and work colleagues.

There are some of these individuals who have been through hell and emerge on the other side. They embody all that the research into this field outlines. There are several factors that can enhance resilience, and it can be cultivated to serve you in overcoming life’s hurdles. Some of these are outlined below:

● Supportive relationships characterised by love and trust;

● Role models who offer encouragement and reassurance;

● The capacity to make realistic plans and take steps to carry them out;

● Develop positive self-esteem and confidence in your strengths and abilities;

● Skills in communication and problem-solving;

● The ability to control and deal with strong feelings and impulses.

One of the most relevant theories to understand the capacity for resilience is the theory of locus of control. It initially comes from social psychologist Julian Rotter in the 1950s and has been expanded on in many areas of behavioural science, most notably by Bernard Weiner, who was on the psychology faculty at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) from 1965 into the early 2000s.

Your locus of control is the extent to which you believe you have control over the outcomes of events in your life, as opposed to external forces that are beyond your control. People with a strong internal locus of control believe outcomes result primarily from their own actions and abilities: for example, they feel the capacity to stay clean and sober comes down mostly their own efforts. They view their success or failure as being dependent on their ability to beat the disease.

A person with a strong external locus of control will assign using triggers and behaviour to external factors and circumstances over which they have no control.

Research has also shown that there are 5 key factors that contribute significantly to the chances of post discharge recovery.

● Support from others:

Does the person have a supportive and understanding environment of people in their lives that will aid the recovery process in a mature, stable manner? This could be family, a partner, a group of positive friends, a supportive employment environment and of course the AA and NA fellowship with meetings sponsors and all that goes with the recovery environment.

● Flexibility and adaptability

Has the person developed a set of flexible behavioural skills and tools to deal with adversity when it arises?

● Action planning

Do they have a plan of action in place to manage their daily monthly and yearly activities and have they built in contingency plans to adjust these plans when things do not work out according to their plan? Covid-19. Do we need to say anything more?

● Self-awareness

Have they developed a strong sense of self-awareness so that they can manage their behaviour in the most appropriate way in different situations?

● Hopefulness

Do they have a sense of hope for the future or are they consumed by despair and depression?

Resilience can be learned or taught. It involves developing thoughts, behaviors, and actions that allow you to recover from traumatic or stressful events in life. “When we learn how to become resilient, we learn how to embrace the beautifully broad spectrum of the human experience.” – ― Jaeda Dewalt.

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Stories of Recovery

The encouragement, love and support from the team at Crossroads allowed me to eventually see that I was worth something - that my life could be turned around and that I could accomplish the things that had long been a forgotten dream.
Oliver VG
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On the last day of my stint at Crossroads I could only express gratitude towards all who works there. A wise councillor once commented on my question when one is ready for rehab by explaining that when one is ready for rehab, rehab is ready for you.
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I was lost and my soul was broken until I ended up at Crossroads and was introduced to the Twelve Steps. With the help of their excellent staff and amazing support I have recently been clean for 18 months, I could not have done it without them!
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Foetal Alcohol Syndrome – The Dangers

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Home / Posts tagged "jhb rehab" (Page 22)

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome – The Dangers

12 August, 2020Articles, News

The consumption of alcohol, though legal, is not without its risks. Prolonged and frequent drinking can have serious consequences for the heart, liver and brain. During pregnancy a whole new set of possible consequences arise for the child. They can take the form of spontaneous abortion, premature labour, stillbirth and a range of disorders known as foetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Foetal alcohol spectrum disorders cover a wide range of birth defects related to alcohol consumption during pregnancy, this article will explore the one of the most common ones, Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).

What causes it

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome is caused directly by drinking during pregnancy. When alcohol is consumed it passes through the placenta and is processed by the internal organs of the foetus as well as the internal organs of the mother. The organs of the baby, the liver especially, are still busy developing, therefore the foetus cannot process alcohol the same way an adult can. This is particularly damaging to the rapidly developing cells of the brain, though other organs can also be affected.

There is no “safe” time to drink during pregnancy. It is even recommended that people attempting to get pregnant, avoid alcohol because it can even be damaging to the foetus before a pregnancy is detected. There is also no safe amount to drink. Even as little as one unit of alcohol can be enough to have a severe impact on the neurological development of a child.

During pregnancy, mother and child share a circulatory system. All the chemicals processed in the mother’s body pass to the child through the placenta, thus when drinking, the alcohol ends up in the child’s blood stream. There is no was to ensure that the alcohol is only processed by one and not the other. Due to the brain developing so rapidly during pregnancy, it is the organ most susceptible, though other organs are also affected.

Implications

FAS is a lifelong developmental disability. There is no cure or way to reverse the damaging effects that alcohol has on the brain. A person with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome will have it until the day they die.

Children with FAS have distinct facial features, other signs and symptoms are grouped into 2 categories, developmental and behavioural.

Developmental symptoms are a result of the brain structure not developing as it should. Therefore, a host of symptoms can occur. These include but are not limited to:

Intellectual disability
Learning Disorders
Delayed development
Poor coordination and balance
Poor memory
Difficulty problem-solving and reasoning
Difficulty paying attention, general jitteriness and anxiety – which may include a diagnosis of ADHD
Poor judgement and difficulty making connections between choices and consequences
Rapidly changing moods

The second category for symptoms are social and behavioural issues. These are a result of development symptoms in the first category. These are the only symptoms that can be worked with and adjusted for throughout life. They may be lessened or addressed through adjusted schooling, therapy, life skills and coping skills training. It is however important to note that the success of these strategies is dependent on how severe the brain development issues are, not just the quality of the therapy received. Signs include, but are not limited to:

Struggling in school and in traditional working environments
Poor impulse control
Poor social skills and difficulty making friends and forming social connections
Hyper focus, and difficulty adjusting to a different task or a different way of doing a familiar task.
Difficulty in planning and working towards a non-immediate goal
Poor concept of time and poor time management
General behavioural issues, such as destructiveness, aggression and hostility
Trouble communicating effectively, (may even present as mute)

South African Stats

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome is the third highest cause of congenital mental retardation and the most common form of preventable mental disability. South Africa has the highest incidence of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome in the world. This varies from area to area with certain parts of the Western Cape having an incidence of 12.9%. This number is alarmingly high when compared with The European Union where incidences of the full range of alcohol spectrum disorders are between 1% and 5% depending on region.

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome is an entirely preventable form of mental disability. Should you or a loved be pregnant, or trying to get pregnant, and are struggling saying no to alcohol despite the possible negative consequences, this may be indicative of alcoholism. Contact Crossroads for a free assessment to determine if intervention is needed.