Conventional or Alternative Treatment?In My Sobreity I investigate anything that can help
In My Sobriety any
treatment is worth investigating
Getting into Recovery from Alcoholism and
Depression is the key. In My Sobriety and with Alcoholic tendencies I had to
get it right.
Treatment of the 'Big 4' is an important
and crucial part of the recovery journey. Basically No Treatment, No Recovery.
In My Sobriety and with alcoholic tendencies I know the right treatment is key.
For instance ECT for Depression worked for me. Once the charade is over and you
know it is time to get better, where to from here? I have in
previous articles dealt with the various options open to you in the
conventional medical field, but what about the Alternative field? Treatment for
Alcoholism, treatment for Anxiety, treatment for Depression and treatment for
Addiction. You will have no time to do anything else. But they have to be
tackled if you want to return to a normal life.
My own recovery was relatively straightforward. Sleep Therapy stopped my
Alcoholism slide and ECT stopped my Depression slide. Along the way I had doses
of Psychotherapy, Counselling, Medication, 'Tough Love', Cognitive Behaviour
Therapy and more pills. It all worked for me but we are all different. We all
respond to differing treatments in various ways. Some just do not work. End of
story. When you are fast approaching the "end of the road" getting
the right help is key to your eventual recovery from the symptoms of the 'Big
4'.
I like to divide the phases of your illness into 3 distinct stages. Depending
where you are will determine the treatment necessary to bring you back to
reality:
Phase 1-As you develop the symptoms of Alcoholism, Depression, Anxiety and
Addiction you are still in a stage where you can have some leeway with
treatment choices. You are not ready to be hospitalised or shocked back to
Planet Earth but you need help getting out of this mess.
Phase 2-Too late old friend. The diagnosis is not good. You are now a member of the club that you never wanted to join. Write Alcoholic, Addict and Depressive after your name. The treatment choice are now more limited and generally will involve conventional medical methods.
Phase 3- Recovery. You are out of the woods as such and back in the land of the living. This is the phase where the alternative medical choices have a larger role to play.
The conventional and traditional medical treatments are well known and for the sake of keeping this post not too lengthy I will dive into the alternative methods. With Alcoholic problems you have to dry out. ECT for Depression and Anxiety works for many. Interestingly enough my experiences of them are limited but I still feel they have a role to play. What worked for me worked for me and in my sobriety I am grateful. This is not an definitive list but the following could help in the phase before you are sick enough for medical intervention and also during the phase where you are struggling with recovery issues:
Hypnosis and Relaxing Techniques.
Meditation.
The Power of Positive Thinking (books, speeches,audio aids, videos etc.)
Herbal and Natural Remedies.
Educate yourself about your conditions with Self-Help aids
Old fashioned relaxation. Take a walk. Read a book. Watch a movie.
Support Groups such as Alcoholics Anonoymous, Alanon and Narcotics Anonymous.
Once again not all these treatments appeal to everyone. It really is a case of finding what works for you. Always keep in mind that the bottom-line object is to get you better and then keep you better. Simple and not rocket-science.
I have been asked to review a new book that might help. Richard Fields Ph.D has written "Awakening to Mindfulness: 10 Steps for Positive Change."
It has a positive message regarding addiction and recovery. If you have a look in my Sidebar under Amazon you can order a copy. Let me know what you think.
Like most issues Alcoholism, Depression, Anxiety and Addiction require a common-sense approach to treatment and recovery. ECT for Depression. Drying out forAlcoholism. Maybe with alcoholic genes in my blood I am always watchful. There is no replacing the traditional methods of hospitalisation and medication with more serious cases. In my sobriety I say use what works. It is worth it. However we can cast the net wider occasionally and see what benefits other alternative treatments might bring to these potentially fatal illnesses.
They are Mind Doctors,not Mind
Readers-Help them help you.
The Anxiety of telling the truth and your Addiction to the Mind and Body can stop you spilling your guts.
The Anxiety of spilling your guts to your Docor and the devastation effects of your Addiction of the mind and body can work against you.
There comes a time when it is time to see
a Professional. Be it a Doctor,Counsellor,Social Worker,Psychologist or
Psychiatrist. The Anxiety of telling it like it is and your ongoing Addiction
of the mind and body will, more than likely mean you will lie through your
teeth. Try not to. Normally by this stage of your journey you are not
feeling too great. In many cases you will going just to keep the family off
your back. Fair enough. At least you have started on the road to recovery.
Those inital appointments are probably conducted with you as a disbelieving
shell of your former shelf. "How in the hell can these guys help me? They
have no idea how bad I feel. Look at them with their sweet smelling offices and
a grumpy receptionist at the front?" In you go, more than likely fuelled
by your favourite brew or pill. I recall leaving one appointment and
immediately cracking a brew open in my car followed by an old fashioned puke.
My attention span could be measured in seconds rather than hours.
The terrible truth is that all those
Professionals are way ahead of you. Been there.Got that T Shirt. They generally
have seen it all before and nothing you can tell them will knock them out of
their stride. So you got pissed three weeks ago,stayed pissed, wrecked the
family runaround,shagged the pastors wife, knocked the boss on his behind and
ran up a debt of thousands at the local betting shop. All this while your wife
and kids had no food at home. And you think you are unique and hard done by.
Well have I got news for you. YOU ARE NOT. Join the club and
take a number please.
As I staggered into their offices I used
to wonder what they thought of me. Pity? Disgust? Compassion? The reality is
that the vast majority are well qualified and experienced in dealing with the
difficult cases. You are probably nothing unique to them. Alcoholism and
Depression account for a large percentage of their daily time. Many reputable
studies put these "silent killers" at the top of the illness charts.
The circumstances of individual patients vary slightly but the treatments, end
results and patient attitudes have much in common. You may feel that you are at
the end of the road, so unique and hard done by but fortunately your care-giver
has seen it all before. He will try every trick in the book to gain your trust.
I fought against this for a long time and it cost me both physically and
mentally. Having made the effort to go and see someone for help take the next
step and hand over your trust.
Now that we have got you sitting in front
of somebody who could save your life there is one "Golden Rule" that
I feel obliged to pass on to you. This one is key. SPILL YOUR GUTS
OUT. Do not hold back. Even though your Anxiety of the diagnosis and
your Addiction of life can prevent you taking that brave step.The more you say
the easier it is to get you the right help. These guys are MIND DOCTORS
NOT MIND READERS. This example sums it up:
"How are you feeling today?"
"Shit."
"Why? What thoughts and feelings are
going through your mind?"
"I think I drank too much last
night."
Oh really. This guy was more than likely
drinking up to the moment he arrived and all he could think about was where the
next beer or pill was coming from. Harsh but mostly true. In a perfect world he
would have gone on to explain that he was feeling suicidal and lost in a sea of
darkness and despair. He should have opened up about the withdrawal symptoms
and ongoing hallicinations. Instead he chose to keep quiet. He should have
talked about his sense of alienation from his wife and children and the
hopeless situation he found himself in at work. All in all he should have
described a world gone horribly wrong and with no apparant hope.
This is when the medical professionals
have to use their best judgement and experience to assess how far down the road
this guy is. The timing of the critical interventions such as hospitalisation
and in extreme cases of Depression , ECT, are crucial to bringing the patient
back to Planet Earth. But give the care-giver a break. They need to know
precisely where you are in this journey of self-destruction. The more they know
, the easier it is to treat you. In fact with the very good Psychologists etc.
you will eventually believe that they are Mind Readers. They seem to know your
very thoughts and feelings. There is no magic here. Years of experience are
brought into play. The important thing to remember here is that they have your
interests at heart. Forget the words Embarassment, Humiliation and Reputation.
Leave that all behind in the waiting room.
I know from my own experience that it is
not easy to sit in front of a stranger, not matter how nice they are, and
reveal the most intimate details about your life. For what is worth you are
protected by Doctor/Patient Privelege.
Seize these opportunities and make the
most of them. Help the Mind Doctor to be less of a Mind Reader. They are aware
of your Anxiety of coming forward and they are also aware of your Addiction of
self preservation due to the place that you find yourself in.You will in time
just look back at this time as part of a painful journey to regain your
rightful place in the human race.
