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Addiction, in any form is not a spectator sport, eventually everyone gets to play!

There are so many variables when it comes to addiction and the impact on family dynamics. Many of the articles I have read are fairly generic and not particularly clear, often painting a catastrophic view but people respond to life and addiction related trauma in many different ways. There is no shortage of families that are negatively impacted by addiction and mental health who remain helpless by adopting unhealthy coping mechanisms that keep the family stuck in unhealthy patterns of behaviour.

Why addiction can look like narcissism

Active addiction can make a person appear emotionally unavailable, manipulative, self-absorbed and seemingly indifferent to the needs of others. These behaviours can resemble some of the characteristics associated with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), but they do not automatically mean that the person has NPD.

Rehab Romance!

Falling in love in rehab is common due to intense shared vulnerability causing massive dopamine shifts and emotional distractions which derails recovery focus creating obsessive thoughts that can completely hijack the purpose of being in rehab. Most facilities discourage fraternization but rarely educate clients regarding this common problem or make it clear the consequences for individuals and the recovery community. Many rehabs cover this issue in the house rules and regulations but a signed document does not mean it has been read or even absorbed.

What is Psychosis?

Substance-induced psychosis is a serious but treatable condition in which a person temporarily loses touch with reality following the use of alcohol or other mood-altering substances. While the experience can be frightening for both the individual and their loved ones, early treatment and sustained recovery can lead to excellent outcomes.
The symptoms of psychosis vary from person to person but often include the following. Not everyone will experience every symptom, and the severity can vary considerably from one person to another.

Screen addiction is the excessive use of smart phones, computers and tablets. People of all ages are preoccupied and fixated with screen watching and scrolling which anesthetises boredom and a general sense of worldly disconnect. Dopamine (the feel-good hormone in the brain) is activated by a contrived sense of reality brought about by feeling a sense of worth and control through loose associations with profiles, stories and videos posted and general social media interaction. The temporary sense of power and control is addictive and repeated screen use contributes towards deteriorating mental and physical health. Dishonesty regarding screen watching is very common and withdrawal symptoms can cause anxiety, anger, restlessness, irritability, eye strain, neck and back pain and can negatively impact time keeping and create poor sleeping patterns.

Mental health refers to a person’s emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. It influences how individuals think, feel, behave, cope with stress, build relationships, and make decisions. Mental health exists on a spectrum. Mental Health is about YOU and not everyone else!

People may experience challenges such as anxiety, burnout, depression, trauma-related difficulties, or personality disorders.

The field of addiction and mental health is clearly struggling to meet the growing ‘needs’ of the modern-day addict and their families, further hindered with an increasing infusion of ‘specialist’ ideals that are quite frankly manipulative, and profit driven!

Regardless of whether a client attends an upmarket boutique treatment facility offering bedtime stories and a private chef or attends a government subsidised boot camp they all end up at the same lifesaving point and attend the very same 12 step fellowship meetings together!

When someone is struggling with both a mental health disorder and a drug addiction at the same time, it’s called dual diagnosis (also known as co-occurring disorders). This applies to any addiction including ‘process’ addictions such as gambling or sexual addiction. These two elements, addiction and mental health are strongly intertwined making it virtually impossible to assess which element existed first!

It is therefore more important to professionally address both addiction and mental health issues simultaneously as each element exacerbates the other in a cycle of self-destruction that is not always so easily detected by others.

A process addiction, also known as a behavioural addiction is an addiction to an activity or behaviour that does not involve ingesting any kind of mood-altering substance. In short, no alcohol or drugs play any kind of role with this kind of addiction but they all lead to serious consequences such as, isolation, alienation, jails, mental health deterioration and even suicide!

This article includes alcohol as its a mood-altering substance in liquid form and is a drug that causes a great many addicts to relapse. Viewing alcohol as different has proven to be a fatal mistake for many drug addicts who, because alcohol is legal and readily available allow themselves to believe that alcohol is socially accepted and not as life threatening as heroin or cocaine. Detoxification from alcohol, if not medically managed causes fatal seizures, heart attacks, organ failure, extreme anxiety and panic attacks as well as delirium tremors (uncontrollable shaking). A heroin detox on the other hand if not medically managed, though uncomfortable is not likely to kill you!