Methcathinone, or the “cat drug” is a popular psychoactive drug in South Africa, commonly used as a cheaper alternative to cocaine. It is closely related to methamphetamine. It is most commonly snorted but can be ingested and injected. On the streets it is known as the “cat drug”. The most common form found, is a white or off-white powder. It can also be found in a white, rock-like form which can easily be crushed. A section of cat can be bought for as little as R 50 or between R200 – R 250 for a gram.
Effects of the “cat drug”:
Intense euphoria
Confidence
Rapid speech
Dilated pupils
Loss of appetite
Restlessness
Paranoia
Increased alertness
Delusions
Potential for drug induced
psychosis
The main problem with withdrawal from “cat drug” is the psychological component, which is more intense compared to any physical symptoms when coming off cat. Withdrawal syptoms can include:
Intense cravings
Agitation
Aggression
Fatigue
Hyper- Insomnia
Anxiety
Depression
Persisting psychosis
Delusions
Suspicion/Paranoia
Crossroads Recovery centres regulary treat cat addiction. It is very rare that medical intervention is needed for someone who is coming off cat. Most of the physical symptoms can be treated by geting enough sleep, eating properly and abstinence. With treatment the mental obsession, depression and anxiety will lift over time. Treatment at Crossroads Recovery Centres is focused on change in behaviour and adopting new coping mechanisms.
The road to recovery from cat abuse is not always an easy one but getting yourself or your loved one the best care from the team at Crossroads Recovery Centre, provides you with a map to sober, healthy living. No matter how bad things seem, there is hope and it’s just a phone call away. If you or anyone close to you needs help with an addiction to sex, gambling, substances, alcohol or food, please contact us for a free assessment.
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.
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.
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!
"Just for today I am more than three years in recovery. I have Cross Roads to thank for this wonderful gift. Cross Roads helped me to set a firm foundation in my recovery on which I can continue to build."
If you have a loved one who is an alcoholic or addict, you’ve probably already heard that you may be an enabler. Al-Anon is an excellent organization which helps loved ones of alcoholics, not only cope with a loved one’s alcoholism, but addresses the role played by loved ones in enabling that behaviour. But how do you know if you are being an enabler or if what you are doing is normal helping? If you find that you have been an enabler, how can you stop?
Let’s talk about the difference between enabling and helping and then we will give you some practical tips and examples on how to stop enabling your alcoholic.
What Is Enabling?
Enabling is defined as doing things for the alcoholic that they normally could and would do for themselves if they were sober. In contrast, helping is doing something that the alcoholic could not or would not do for themselves if sober. Helping does not protect an alcoholic from the consequences of his or her actions. Anything that you do that does protect the alcoholic or addict from the consequences of his or her actions, could be enabling them to delay a decision to get help for their problem. Therefore, it’s in the best interest of the alcoholic, in the long run, if you stop whatever you are doing to enable them. Enabling is not helping.
How to Stop Enabling an Alcoholic or Drug Addict
You may realize at this
point that you have been enabling your loved one with alcoholism
(though you probably thought you were helping) and wonder how to
change. In a way, learning to stop enabling an alcoholic or drug
addict is very empowering. We can’t change other people, but we can
change our behaviours and reactions towards those people. Here are
several practical ways in which you can stop being an enabler today.
Do :
Support recovery efforts
Set boundaries
Let the alcoholic
deal with consequences
Don’t :
Make excuses for
the alcoholic
Take over personal
responsibilities
Save them from legal consequences
Cease Doing Anything That Allows the Alcoholic to Continue Their Current Lifestyle `
Are you working and paying some of the bills that the alcoholic would be paying if he hadn’t lost his job or missed time from work due to drinking? Or are you providing the alcoholic food and shelter? If so, you could be enabling. You are providing them with a “safety net” that allows them to lose or skip a job with no real consequences for those actions.
Do Nothing to “Help” the Alcoholic That They Could or Would Be Doing If Not Drinking
If the alcoholic has lost his license, giving him a ride to an A.A. meeting or a job interview is helping because that is something he cannot do for himself. However, looking up the schedule of meetings in the area, researching the requirements for getting his license back, or searching the classified ads for employment opportunities are things that the alcoholic should be doing for himself.
Stop Lying, Covering Up or Making Excuses for the Alcoholic
Have you ever had this conversation: “Sorry, he can’t come into work today, he has picked up some kind of bug” when in fact he is too hungover to go to work? That conversation is enabling because it is allowing the alcoholic to avoid the consequences of their actions. You might say, “But, he could lose his job!” Losing his job might just be the thing that needs to happen in order for the alcoholic or addict to decide to seek help.
Do Not Take on Responsibilities or Duties That Rightfully Belong to the Alcoholic
Are you doing some of
the chores around the house that the alcoholic used to do? Have you
taken on parenting responsibilities with your children that the two
of you used to share? If you are doing anything that the alcoholic
would be doing if she was sober, you are in a way enabling her to
avoid her responsibilities.
Do Not Give or Loan the Alcoholic Money
If you are providing money to the alcoholic for any reason, you might as well be going into the alcohol store and buying their booze for them. Buying alcohol for them is enabling behaviour. That’s what you are ultimately doing if you give an alcoholic money, no matter what they say they plan to do with the cash.
Don’t “Rescue” the Alcoholic by Bailing Him Out of Jail or Paying His Fines
Rushing in to rescue the alcoholic may satisfy some personal desire you have to feel “needed,” but it doesn’t really help the situation. It only enables the alcoholic to avoid the consequences of their actions. In Al-Anon, they call it “putting pillows under them” so that they never feel the pain of their mistakes.
Do Not Scold, Argue, or Plead With the Alcoholic
You may think that when you are scolding or berating the alcoholic for their latest episode, that it is anything but enabling, but it actually could be. If the only consequence that they suffer for their actions is a l “verbal spanking” from someone who cares about them, they can slide by without facing any significant consequences.
Do Not React to His Latest Misadventures by Allowing Them to Respond to Your Reaction Rather Than Their Actions
If you say or do something negative in response to the alcoholic’s latest screw-up, then the alcoholic can react to your reaction. If you remain quiet, or if you go on with your life as if nothing has happened, then the alcoholic is left with nothing to respond to except their own actions. If you react negatively, you are giving them an emotional out.
Do Not Try to Drink With the Alcoholic
Many family members, feeling abandoned by the alcoholic because of their love-affair with alcohol, have tried to become part of their world again by trying to drink with them. It rarely works. The alcoholic’s relationship with alcohol is cunning, baffling and powerful. “Normal drinkers” can rarely keep up.
Set Boundaries and Stick to Them
Saying, “If you don’t
quit drinking, I will leave!” is an ultimatum and a threat, but
saying, “I will not have drinking in my home” is setting a
boundary. You can’t control whether someone quits drinking or not,
but you can decide what kind of behaviour you will accept or not
accept in your life.
Carefully Explain to the Alcoholic the Boundaries That You Have Set—And Explain That the Boundaries Are for You, Not for Them
One thing that members of Al-Anon learn is that they no longer have to tolerate unacceptable behaviour in their lives. You may not be able to control the behaviour of someone else, but you do have choices when it comes to what you find unacceptable. Setting boundaries is something that you do for your benefit, not to try to control another person’s behaviour. In order to effectively do this, it’s helpful to detach to some degree. Detaching is letting go of another person’s alcohol problem which allows you to look more objectively look at the situation.
When You Stop Being an Enabler
Many times when an
alcoholic’s enabling system is removed, the fear will force them to
seek help, but there are no guarantees. This can be extremely
difficult to accept.
Take some time to learn
more about enabling and the family disease of alcoholism, attend an
Al-Anon meeting in your area. It may also be helpful to learn more
about the resources and information available for families affected
by alcoholism.
Attending Al-Anon in person will help you feel more empowered as you stop enabling, and less alone in the process. Unfortunately, none of us can control what another will do. Yet we do have the power to set boundaries and respect our own lives. Consider 10 things to stop doing if you love an alcoholic that can help you take back your own life whether or not your alcoholic gives up drinking.
If you or anyone close to you needs help with an addiction to sex,gambling, substances, alcohol or food, please contact us for a free assessment.
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.
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.
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!
"Just for today I am more than three years in recovery. I have Cross Roads to thank for this wonderful gift. Cross Roads helped me to set a firm foundation in my recovery on which I can continue to build."
When an individual is looking for help with their addiction, they usually seek out a recovery centre that offers various treatment programmes suited to an individuals needs. Most recovery treatment programmes start off with a detox programme- clients are given a medical detox programme under the supervision of the consulting physician. This can be anything from 3 to 7 days depending on the history of the patient. They are then declared medically fit to enter the programme once the physical side effects have subsided, they begin a process of understanding the mental side of what has led to their addiction in the first place.
Crossroads Recovery Centre is a 12-step treatment facility that believes in a complete individual treatment programme for each client. Clients are guided through their programmes by an addiction counsellor. Upon exit, clients are assisted with the reintegration into society which is sometimes done with the assistance of secondary care. Whilst in care, clients are introduced to the Narcotics and Alcoholics Anonymous fellowships. Crossroads offers a 30-day treatment programme or a 90-day programme. Our programme is based on the Minnesota Model of addictions treatment. This approach is typically characterized by a thorough and ongoing assessment of all aspects of a client as well as multimodal therapeutic approaches. It does include group and individual therapy, family education and support and other methods. A multidisciplinary team of professionals’ plan and assist in the treatment process for each client, tailoring it to their needs.
Specific treatment programmes include welcome groups, didactic groups, powerlessness and damage, recovery coaching, occupational therapy, AA meetings, NA meetings, topic groups, spirituality, resident house meetings, goal-setting and farewell groups. Individual counselling is part of the process. This includes one-on-one therapy, addiction counselling, spiritual counselling, step-work counselling, trauma therapy, family counselling and co-dependence counselling.
Most treatment programmes make use of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. This is very relevant for addiction treatment because it is behaviourally based, and most substances abusers need a practical approach to dealing with their abuse. The core element of any personal behaviour change is based on the relationship between the client and either the personal counsellor or the approach of the treatment centre.
Treatment facilities focus on both long-term and short-term clients. Usually, clients will come through the centre with short-term stays in mind, due to finances. Long-term treatment is usually suggested as this will give clients the best possible chance of recovering from their addiction going forward.
Treatment centres may also make use of the Jelinek Curve as an assessment tool to help members of the community understand addiction when they come for an assessment for themselves or their loved ones. The Jelinek Curve is a chart that describes the typical phases of alcoholism and recovery.
If you or anyone close to you needs help with an addiction to sex,gambling, substances, alcohol or food, please contact us for a free assessment.
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.
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.
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!
"Just for today I am more than three years in recovery. I have Cross Roads to thank for this wonderful gift. Cross Roads helped me to set a firm foundation in my recovery on which I can continue to build."
Rehabilitation Centres-What Process do they Follow?
13 November, 2020Articles, News
While there are many different approaches and processes to rehabilitation from substance use, the goals are constant.
The Goal of Rehabilitation
The goal of rehabilitation is to help restore an individual to a level of functioning that existed prior to the powerlessness and unmanageability of their addiction and secondly, to try and enhance and build an even greater level of functioning and coping within their lives.
Some of the Approaches.
There are several approaches and models that have varying degrees of success. This is because so much of successful recovery lies in the hearts and souls of the “client” or patient.
There are many options that have been successful in treating drug addiction, including:
Behavioural counselling primarily focused on using Cognitive based therapy
Use of a 12-step programme.
Medication -where practitioners use mainly psychiatric medication to help the person cope with the underlying psychological aspects of their addiction
Medical devices and applications. These are used to treat OR discourage usage (particularly when it comes to alcohol abuse). These applications are also used to counteract withdrawal symptoms during the detoxification process.
Evaluation and treatment for co-occurring mental health issues such as depression and anxiety
Long-term follow-up with the goal of relapse prevention
A range of care within a tailored treatment programme and follow-up options that are crucial to success
Treatment should include both medical and mental health services as needed
While there are numerous approaches most substance recovery centres follow a similar pattern.
At Crossroads we follow a comprehensive step-by-step approach to the admission, treatment and relapse prevention process.
The admission process is essentially an administrative process where the persons give their basic details, grants permission for treatment and all the financial aspects are dealt with at this point as well- if possible.
Since the advent of the Covid 19 pandemic, this has at times proved challenging and we have put very strict and necessary protocols in place to ensure peoples safety during the pandemic.
People are required to isolate either at home or in our specially equipped isolation facility on-site, until we are sure they are negative for Covid-19 prior to admission to the treatment centre.
Following this, the client has an extensive assessment both by the resident nursing sister on-site and our specialist addiction medical practitioner where a full medical assessment is undertaken and the medication requirements for a safe and effective detox process take place.
Our experience is that, unless withdrawal symptoms are severe, the client is able to participate in most of the recovery activities within a day or mostly three after the consultation with the medical practitioner.
The next major process activity is a full psychosocial bio. which is done by a registered professional and encompasses a full history and assessment of the persons psychosocial status as well as an in-depth understanding of the substance abuse. This is then presented to the addiction counselling team and an initial recovery approach is planned for the clients’ rehabilitation.
Individual therapy is supplemented by information sessions, life skills workshops and an introduction to 12-step fellowships such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Being familiarised with these 12-step fellowships is a key ingredient to successful treatment. For many, it is the bridge between treatment and the world outside the doors of the facility.
If you or anyone close to you needs help with an addiction to sex,gambling, substances, alcohol or food, please contact us for a free assessment.
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.
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.
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!
"Just for today I am more than three years in recovery. I have Cross Roads to thank for this wonderful gift. Cross Roads helped me to set a firm foundation in my recovery on which I can continue to build."
