Co-occurring Disorders that impact Recovery

Our objective is to discover the needs of the person as a whole, believing that addiction is often a symptom of one or more underlying problems that need to be solved or issues that need to be addressed. Simply learning to respect and administer self-control is insufficient. Underlying the symptom of addiction may be wounds that are in need of healing or skills that need to be learned. To that end we identify and address an array of co-occurring disorders, some on a physical level and others on a psychological level.

Addressing the Psychological Issues of Addiction

Anxiety is an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs (sweating, tension, and increased pulse), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one’s capacity to cope with it. Anxiety is common in our society with as many as 18% of the population suffering from the disorder at some point in their adult life. The symptoms can be unpleasant, causing those with limited coping skills to depend on alcohol and other drugs as a form of self-medication. Many who suffer from anxiety are given anti-anxiety medications such as Xanax or Valium (benzodiazepines) to ease their symptoms only to discover that these medications are highly addictive, causing an increase in anxiety when they attempt to discontinue using them. Recovery from addiction requires that the person suffering from anxiety learn healthy ways to manage their symptoms. The advantage of a holistic program is that we are able to help people heal from the underlying wounds that contribute to their anxiety and teach them healthy ways to reduce or eliminate their symptoms. An essential part of addiction recovery for those who are addicted to benzodiazepines is a carefully monitored medical detoxification program.

Depression is a psychological disorder that is marked by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentrating, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal tendencies. Depression will impact 16% of all people at some point in their lives, interfering with their ability to function and enjoy life. Depression affects women twice as often as it affects men. Sadly, many choose alcohol and other drugs as a form of self-medication because they are unaware of the extensive alternatives offered by a holistic approach. Depression can be associated with nutritional deficiencies, chronic pain, allergic reactions, and energetic imbalance in the Five Elements of Chinese Medicine, as well as structural misalignments in the core of the body. Holistic interventions that include bodywork, supplements, counseling, exercise and meditation can have a tremendous healing affect on symptoms of depression, helping people live healthier lives naturally.

Bipolar Disorder is characterized by fluctuating moods that vary from major depression to manic episodes. Medication is used to stabilize moods. Although the prevalence of the disorder is listed as about 1% of the population, the frequency of the diagnosis indicates a higher rate of occurrence. As is the case with many co-occurring disorders, those who are diagnosed with bipolar disorder may use alcohol and other drugs to self-medicate. It is important to evaluate the individual from a holistic perspective and provide guidance with respect to counseling, bodywork, nutrition, toxic overload and allergies, while encouraging them to consistently take their medication.

Insomnia is a subtle, insidious disorder that interferes with a person’s lifestyle and ability to function. It becomes quite easy for them to depend on a chemical to put them to sleep, and subsequently necessary to use another chemical to wake them up. This creates a chemically dependent cycle that can be difficult to break, unless people are willing to stop using chemicals to control their lives. Nearly 20% of the population suffers from insomnia and is therefore at risk of becoming chemically dependent, unless they address the issues that feed the insomnia. A holistic program strives to make people aware of their chemically dependent behaviors, providing healing for the underlying issues, as well as drug-free, self-help interventions to aid sleep naturally.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a special classification of anxiety disorder. It may occur after exposure to an extremely traumatic event that a person experienced, witnessed or heard about. The fear, helplessness or horror of the event leads to persistent re-experiencing of the event, numbing and persistent avoidance of things associated with the event, as well as persistent symptoms of increased arousal for at least one month, causing significant distress or impairment. These symptoms are unusual and confusing, making it difficult for people to cope. Often the symptoms are overlooked and untreated, and these individuals begin to self-medicate with alcohol or other drugs. Part of healing and becoming whole is the identification and treatment of traumatic incidents. Bodywork is highly beneficial in locating where and how the effects of such events are stored in the tissue of the body. Releasing the impact of such events allows people to let go of the trauma and move forward in their lives. Letting go of trauma removes one of the underlying factors that contributes to addiction.

Abuse Issues are often linked as an underlying cause of other psychological disorders. Sexual abuse in women alone is estimated to be in excess of 40%. Additional forms of abuse include physical, verbal, emotional, and mental. Abuse is a traumatic event and often manifests as PTSD, causing troubling symptoms to endure for years. The affects of the abuse may be held in the conscious mind where they influence thoughts, feelings and behaviors that can be traced to the traumatic event and addressed with traditional counseling techniques. They may also be trapped in the unconscious where they can control a person’s life on many levels. The unconscious triggers are often linked to body tissue and respond very well to healing through bodywork techniques that set the person free physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually as a result of the tissue release. Because of the wound to human dignity that occurs in abuse incidents, often individuals have issues of low self-esteem and poor habits of self-care. A holistic approach helps them recognize these corresponding issues and develop new, healthier patterns. Since the pain of abuse is difficult to manage, many individuals who have endured a history of abuse use alcohol and other drugs to ease the pain. Healing the pain of their old wounds can help them recover from addiction by removing some of the triggers that lead them to drink or use.

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is often associated with children and adolescents with an incidence of 3-7%. It can be quite troubling to adults as well. ADHD may be characterized by difficulty focusing or paying attention, as well as hyperactivity and/or impulsivity. There may be a tendency to self-medicate to control these symptoms. Self-medication can lead to addiction. A holistic alternative might include an improved diet with supplements to address nutritional deficiencies; detoxification from metabolic and environmental sources, including heavy metals; allergy testing and treatment using bodywork techniques; and structural bodywork to release bound tissue in the core of the body, as well as in the nervous system.

Addressing Physical/Physiological Issues

Chronic Pain that manifests in the physical body can be a significant source of distress that leads to impairment in relationships and at work. Depending on the degree of severity, pain can be debilitating in ways that interfere with physical, mental or emotional functioning. It is difficult to comprehend the magnitude of distress caused by pain. If we limit the focus exclusively to back pain, the statistics indicate that 80% of individuals experience at least one episode during a lifetime.

There are 4.7 million Americans who are presently dependent on painkillers; 7% of those who are given pain medication become addicted. Currently, addiction to pain medication is the fastest growing area of addiction with more than twice as many people hooked on painkillers as there are people addicted to cocaine. Clearly, this is an area of serious concern, since the substance that is publicly recognized as the solution to the problem of pain is, in fact, highly addictive and prone to causing rebound-pain. This reality leads us to stress the importance of our holistic program. People who are prone to addiction must find alternative methods of pain relief. We offer a wide range of natural ways to manage pain, including highly effective physical therapy and other bodywork modalities, self-help techniques, yoga and meditation, as well as nutritional support.

Fatigue is an important national issue. Many Americans complain of fatigue: a daily lack of energy, an unusual or excessive whole-body exhaustion that is not relieved by sleep. Fatigue can be the result of a hectic lifestyle that has no sense of balance, a medical condition, burdensome psychological issues, stress, poor nutrition, lack of exercise, depression, insomnia, or the use of alcohol or nicotine. Those who suffer from fatigue may seek stimulants to boost their mood or energy level, instead of addressing the underlying problem. A holistic program teaches participants to recognize and correct these issues at the source, rather than turning to chemical crutches that keep them caught in the cycle of addiction.

Nutritional Deficiencies can contribute to anxiety and depression, as well as cravings for particular foods and drugs. For instance, nutrients play a big role in the body’s ability to produce neurotransmitters, the substances that facilitate communication through the nervous system. These chemicals influence our moods, thoughts and actions in different ways. The body requires certain nutrients to ensure that neurotransmitters are available in sufficient quantities to help us achieve optimum functioning. Personal assessment, along with selected medical tests, can indicate a need for particular nutrients that can be supplied through dietary changes and whole food supplements. Rather than depending exclusively on drugs to regulate mood and influence thoughts and behaviors, a holistic program helps individuals discover nutrient deficiencies and supply what is missing through natural means.

Allergies are an additional dietary consideration, since food allergies are an underlying factors in poor health and certain cravings. Often people have a physiological craving for substances to which they are allergic or highly sensitive. Once these substances are identified, they can often be eliminated from the diet to improve a person’s sense of well-being. Treatment for allergies is also an option. Our state-of-the-art BioMeridian equipment, in combination with NAET (allergy elimination) technology, provide a means to discover and treat underlying allergies that contribute to addiction and mental health conditions.

Food Addiction and obesity, its corresponding health problem, are currently at an all-time high. The food industry has discovered the formula for sugar, fat, and salt that make us want more and more and more. Research has shown that rats that have become addicted to certain foods will work harder to get those foods than rats that have become addicted to cocaine. Professionals who have worked in the field of addiction have seen how people who are working toward recovery from drugs and alcohol easily substitute food as their drug of choice. This is especially true of foods that are high in carbohydrates. In a holistic program, people are made aware of this pitfall in recovery and educated about making healthy choices in food selection as they work toward recovering from their addiction.

Toxic Overload has a negative impact on the body/mind. Toxins enter the body through the food we eat, the air we breathe, the medications we take, and the personal care products we use. The body has to work hard to eliminate both external toxins and the metabolic toxins it produces. The liver and the kidneys need to be at optimum functioning in order for the body to rid itself of toxic substances. Alcohol and other drugs impair the function of many internal organs, especially the liver. When the liver is impaired, the body fails to eliminate toxins, leading to toxic overload that hinders physiological functioning and ultimately a person’s ability to function physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The great value of a holistic program is its focus on health and wellness, providing natural methods of detoxification, as well as nutritional support to facilitate healing for the organs and tissues of the body.