Having enough insight to self diagnose addiction can be tenuous at best. Have a look at the questionnaire below, its a good guideline. Asking for help is always first prize!
YES
NO
1.
Do you lose time from work due to drinking/addiction?
2.
Is drinking/addiction making your home life unhappy?
3.
Do you drink because you are shy with other people?
4.
Is drinking/addiction affecting your reputation?
5.
Have you ever felt remorse after drinking/using drugs?
6.
Have you gotten into financial difficulties as a result of drinking/addiction?
7.
Do you turn to lower companions and an inferior environment when drinking/using drugs?
8.
Does your drinking/addiction make you careless of your family’s welfare?
9.
Has your ambition decreased since drinking/addiction?
10
Do you crave a drink/use drugs at a definite time daily?
11.
Do you want a drink/use drugs the next morning?
12.
Does drinking/addiction cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?
13.
Has your efficiency decreased since drinking/addiction?
14.
Is drinking/addiction jeopardizing your job or business?
15.
Do you drink/use drugs to escape from worries or trouble?
16.
Do you drink/use drugs alone?
17.
Have you ever had a complete loss of memory as a result of drinking/addiction?
18.
Has your physician ever treated you for drinking/addiction?
19.
Do you drink/use drugs to build up your self-confidence?
20.
Have you ever been to a hospital or institution on account of drinking/addiction?
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
No Obligation Addiction Assessment
Book a No Obligation Confidential Assessment at your nearest Treatment Centre Today.
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."
How to win when we’re losing. Life is a zero-sum game – the harsh reality is that there are winners and losers in every walk of life. And if we accept that there are always going to be those that are better than others, we should do our utmost to hone our life skills so we have the best possible chance of success.
But even in losing there are lessons to be learnt from being graceful in defeat. In fact, everything in life depends on our attitude towards defeat and losing – how skillful are we? Have we accepted training or do we think we know everything? How much willingness do we have to learn from our mistakes?
Do we have the grit to struggle through adversity to be our best? Only by understanding that the solution lies within, can we reach our true potential.
I hope you enjoy this podcast.
This podcast was recorded as a series of lectures given to people in 12 step addictionrecoverytreatment. The purpose of these talks was to teach and motivate individuals to search for their own spiritual solution to their addiction.
Please feel free to contact me directly or go to our site for more information:
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."
Are you a control freak? I guess if your looking at this you are wondering how this podcast can serve you? We have so much going on in our lives, as South Africans and global citizen. There is so much happening in our lives and our world that we have absolutely no control over. How we face these challenges is the purpose of this discussion.
Whether we are looking at the political sphere, the economic market or even medicine, we are at the mercy of the tides. The ebb and flow of markets and sentiment. The only real answer to living with this is acceptance. My observations are that many people are resigned to their circumstances and unable to get out of them.
We all need to start somewhere, to be pointed in the right direction. This episode deals with foundation concepts. Without which I believe we are stuck.
I hope you enjoy this podcast.
This podcast was recorded as a series of lectures given to people in 12 step addictionrecoverytreatment. The purpose of these talks was to teach and motivate individuals to search for their own spiritual solution to their addiction.
Please feel free to contact me directly or go to our site for more information:
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."
