Essay Essay

The area I chose to focus on for my group is substance abuse. In today’s society, many individuals battle with issues that result in them engaging in many different acts that will steer them down the wrong path. There are many positive solutions, or outlets one could take; however, there are many negative solutions that individuals choose to easily escape their pain. Addiction can be defined as a condition in which a person engages in use of a substance, or in a behavior for which the rewarding effects provide a compelling incentive to repeatedly pursue the behavior despite detrimental consequences.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 21.5 million American adults aged 12 and older battled a substance use disorder in 2014. The survey also stated that eighty percent of individuals suffering from a substance use disorder in 2014 struggled with an alcohol use disorder. (NSDUH) and over seven million Americans in 2014 battled a drug use disorder, per NSDUH. Lastly, one out of every eight people who suffered from a drug use disorder in 2014, according to NSUDH, struggled with both alcohol and drug use disorders simultaneously.

After reviewing many articles, I found one that I fully understood regarding drug addiction and the effects that it has on a person’s family. It’s extremely easy for people to continue enabling their family members, but sometimes you have to let them get past it and seek help when they deem necessary. The article I chose to research and see more knowledge on is Family intervention for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addiction: an exploratory study. This article explained the effects of a family of eight undergoing an intervention to help another family member with their addiction. Anyone suffering from a drug addiction initially tries to hide their drug addiction by covering up their deviant acts. Many of them will continue to live

their lives as if everything is normal; however, certain patterns begin to become displayed because of their urge to seek their next interaction with their drug of choice.

Furthermore, when the addiction begins to takeover, many individuals stop going to their employer and eventually will be in need of funding to buy their drug of choice. Without money, many drug users tend to start asking other family members for money to support their habit or begin stealing from those around them.

Drug abuse and dependency has a strong negative effect on the family. There will be times where family members will get frustrated with the hope of them getting better, but always being let down by the power the drug has over them. There have been numerous articles posted stating that certain family members will become enablers due to guilt, or some form of responsibility to the drug abuser. It will take some time for them to understand that using and abusing the drug doesn’t have anything to do with them.

In addition, the family also has to deal with the absence of that family member for reasons other than their own. The drug abuser will choose to become distant from their loved ones whether if it’s for embarrassment to the family, or if some have shunned them out of the family for their addictive habit. It’s easy to try and persuade them to remain on the right path, but if an individual isn’t engaging in that behavior, one can’t assume they fully understand why that is put first over everything that was once important to them.

Moreover, when a family has a drug user, it’s easy to try and cover up how bad the addiction may be in front of others. It’s easy to try and make them feel everything is going great when knowing that it isn’t. There will be constant memories where everything was once great, then slowly took a turn for the worse. Once it gets to this point, as the research article stated, it’s best to attempt and intervention to get the user back on the right path.

In order for a substance abuse user to get back on a positive path, it’s extremely important for them to seek assistance through a twelve-step program. Twelve step therapy is an active engagement strategy designed to increase the likelihood of a substance abuser becoming affiliated with and actively involved in twelve step self-help groups, thereby promoting abstinence. (NIDA)

?There will be a total of six sessions that each member will have to attend in order to assist with them getting their lives back on track. Each session will be focused on a specific topic and area of need that will keep them moving forward. I would like to get their informed consent beforehand for the privacy of themselves and others. I wasn’t each individual to know that anything that is discussed within the group, will stay solely in the group.

Session I:

•Identifying and discussing triggers for substance abuse

-This session will focus on identifying and discussing those areas that may cause them to relapse. It will also focus on identifying the group members surroundings, friendships and relationships, to see what causes them to think about their substance of choice

Session II

•Individual background

-In this session, group members will give us a background of their lives up until this point. Members will share their stories with others and identify the point where they knew it was time to seek help.

Session III

•Selecting Other Alternatives

-In session three, our focus will be to develop ways and strategies to utilize our time. The beginning stage is the most crucial time for relapse, so in this session we will develop a plan to focus our attention on positive tasks.

Session IV

•Recognizing temptation

-During this session, group members will identify the symptoms linked to their cravings and identify ways to stop this way of thinking before it progresses.

Session V

•Society and Substance Abuse

-Group members will discuss what role society has played in their abuse. Has society made it acceptable to use certain drugs? Group members will create ways to deter this thinking.

Session IV

•Self-exploration

-In this session, group members will develop their short term and long terms goals, uncover obstacles that may have hinder them from moving forward, and identify areas in their lives that they want to change.

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??????Part II

Within my group, I wouldn’t have a designated number of participants that could come and seek treatment if needed. I feel as though they are taking a big step in their lives and limiting the amount of individuals will only hinder them and myself from getting back on a healthy track. I also would allow anyone, regardless of their background, to become a member of the group as well. We are all individuals and shouldn’t judge others based on the color of their skin, religion, gender, cognitive ability, maturity.

Furthermore, there will be new and returning members that will attend the group sessions. My plan is to keep a folder for all attending members, whether they come once or several times within a week. I would like for them to understand that as the group facilitator, I will be with them every step of the way. Substance abuse is an addiction that someone can immediately fall back into if they aren’t receiving the correct help needed.

There will be a few individuals that I would have to exclude from attending a meeting as well. Everyone is invited to attend as many sessions as they’d like; however, anyone that chooses to engage in discrimination or has a judgements attitude will not be welcomed. I would like to have an atmosphere where everyone feels accepted regardless of whom they are as individuals. By setting this standard, it sets the tone for the meeting and let’s my members know that I fully support them and their willingness to make a change for themselves.

Many individuals aren’t comfortable with coming forward about their personal struggles. Having an individual in attendance that will have a rebuttal or comment negatively about someone’s personal struggle will only cause many of them to shut down internally and not share their stories to help another individual. As stated previously, everyone will be welcomed to the counseling session; however, once this behavior is observed, they will be asked to leave and not to return for the respect of others.

There are many obstacles that come with helping someone seek a sober life from substance abuse. For example, an individual may attend a group meeting; however, it doesn’t mean that they are ready to be an active participant. It’s my role to ensure a safe, warm, non-judgmental environment so that everyone feels comfortable enough to share their story. Moreover, recognizing that a problem even exists is the number one factor in an individual seeking help.

If an individual is struggling to identify that they are an addict, it is sometimes helpful to have the assistance of a family or trusted person to intervene. When a drug abuser has exhausted all of their options and has taken themselves to an area of life that seems irreversible, their family members will attempt an intervention. An intervention can be defined as something that happens when the loved ones of an addict see their life spiraling out of control, and they want to do something to help them, and they want to also end their own enabling. (TRV)

In the intervention, there are ways to get the user to have full participation in the process. If they feel overwhelmed or forced into seeking help, they are less susceptible to beginning the steps necessary to get back on a positive track. It’s also important to have family members there that are close to the individual so that they can see how much they mean to them, the value, and how they are affecting their loved ones. There should also be a professional counselor in attendance to provide the necessary resources and be of assistance to them as well.

When intervening, if the user is opposed to therapy, the family can offer their suggestions and concerns, but ultimately, it’s up to that individual to want to seek help for themselves. Substance abuse counseling won’t be beneficial for them if they haven’t made a strong, solid decision to seek help for themselves.

On the other hand, there will be many opportunities for group members to create and share their personal short- and long-term goals within the group. One of the main objectives of the group session is to see past their addiction and make a plan for their life. There will be designated days where we will discuss where they want to be personally and professionally and a timeline of when each goal will be met.

In addition, group goals will also be created through collaboration with everyone in attendance. As the group leader, it is my role to ensure that they are creating smart goals that are achievable and are within reach. At each meeting, I will remind them of their goals and coach them as a group and individually to meet these goals. My role is to be as supportive as possible to ensure that they are meeting these milestones in order to live a successful life.

Part III

Leadership can be defined as both a research area and a practical skill, regarding the ability of an individual or organization to lead or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. One must be fully capable of promoting a fair and open environment to ensure adequate success of all employees. An effective leader is a person who creates an inspiring vision of the future, motivates and inspires people to engage with that vision, manages delivery of the vision, and coaches and builds a team that is more effective at achieving the vision.

Before I began teaching, I was a manager of a large banking facility. As a manager, it was my role to provide each employee with the skills necessary to become successful with their careers. In addition, I’m a firm believer of treating every individual with respect. A good leader is always willing to assist and not just give out orders. Throughout my journey as a leader, I’ve trained and motivated many individuals to be successful in their job roles. I’ve shown a great amount of passion in teaching others how to flourish and give the same amount of compassion for the output they relay.

In regard to the counseling session, I would like to be the sole facilitator within the group. I feel that this is important because I can create a warm, open environment for my members. The attending members might not be able to adapt or connect with two facilitators. Moreover, sometimes it can be harder at times to build a connection with two separate individuals, so I believe it would benefit me to facilitate a group on my own.

Lastly, I will evaluate the group at closing by giving them all an opportunity to share feedback regarding the meeting and also filling out a survey regarding their opinion of the group session. I can take the responses given and use this to improve my group sessions and continue bettering myself to give them a life of endless possibilities.