Treatment of Addictions Behavior - Research Paper Example

Treatment of Addictions Behavior Introduction Alcoholism and substance abuse are a concern for most people in USA. According to Maurer (2006), about 43 percent of the total USA population is concerned about a member of their family who is alcoholic. Approximately 23 million people are addicted to some form of substance abuse with about 18million people being alcoholic. The vices associated with alcoholism including divorce, economic problems and health complications. Alcoholism is also blamed for a significant number of road accidents and treatment of alcoholism costs the country significant resources that should be utilized to implement development projects. In light of the negative impacts of alcoholism, it is critical that the society comes up with behavior change programs that can help alcohol addicts quit (Maurer, 2006). This paper will describe the Willow Creek Substance Abuse program at Ellijay, GA which is a behavior change program. The paper will also offer a complete explanation of all the components in treatment applied at Willow Creek Substance Abuse in Ellijay. Treating Substance Abuse at Willow Creek Willow Creek Substance Abuse Group has its headquarters at Ellijay, GA. The organization is a private company formed in 2007 and incorporated in Georgia. The organization is under Substance Abuse Counseling category and offers various in its various programs including Drug Addiction Treatment, Alcohol Treatment, Drug and Alcohol Rehab and Outpatient Alcohol Treatment Program (Rayburn and Wright, 2010). The paper will discuss the treatment procedures followed at Willow Creek Substance Abuse; Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation program. The addicts coming to the program must have a desire to quit alcoholism and substance. This is followed by the rehabilitation processes which are undertaken in step by step activities (Rayburn and Wright, 2010). At Willow Creek, one goes through holistic drug and alcohol rehabilitation in a program based on a strong belief that in behavior change, all the needs of the person in the program must to be addressed rather than just the issue of addition. Consequently, in holistic rehabilitation, the body, mind and social being of a patient are assessed and treated. In addressing alcoholism, Willow Creek follows a12 step process that bear close resemblance to those listed in the Alcoholics Anonymous. The 12 step process in Alcoholic Anonymous is a international movement that started in 1935 when two alcoholics Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith met and had a discussion on how they could quit alcoholism (Gross, 2010). Following their discussions, the two were able to address their problems of alcoholism and they outlined 12 steps they adhered in ensuring that they were able to quit addiction. In the program the first step in the treatment process begins with ones appreciating that they have a problem and want to get help. It is only after one realizes that they have a problem that they are able to go through the treatment program. The second step in the behavior change as outlined by the Willow Creek rehabilitation is that appreciating that there is a stronger force that helps bring change to a person’s life. Consequently, the program offers guidance and counseling to the clients. In the program patients are encouraged that all is not lost and that through the power of the God, they can be restored again. This was the belief held Bill and Bob who concurred that some power beyond them was able to restore their sanity (Gross, 2010). It is not enough to just acknowledge that one has a problem of addiction but one has to make a commitment that they have decided to turn a new leaf. Consequently, at Willow Creek, patients are fist expected to own up their problems during counseling and make a commitment to change (Quinn, 2001). This step is critical given that for most addictive substances have negative withdrawal symptoms and going back to the vice is even more risky. Therefore, one has to have made decision that they need help and are willing to adhere to the requirements of the programs. As described earlier, the program is usually voluntary and personalized given that different individuals have different needs in addition to the privacy requirement. At Willow Creek, the therapist and the addict make a progress record to monitor changes made in behavior change. The addicts list all negative trends they are able to quit. At this stage, the patient is supposed to provide all the information truthfully and without fear. This is congruent to the alcoholic anonymous step where one has to make an account of the personal morals. In the rehabilitation program, one has to acknowledge to family members or other people close to them that they have recognized their shortcomings and ask for their understanding. This step was incorporated given that one may purse behavior just to get back to those people who have been affected by those behaviors and be viewed as a pretender or fall to receive the necessary support (Gross, 2010). In the program, an addict is reminded that God is always ready to cleanse them and accept one back. This is the seventh step and the addict asks God to remove all those things that tie them into addiction. In the counseling session, addicts are encouraged to make a list of all people they have had hurt in the course of their addiction and therefore one is able to pour out all the concerns at heart. This also helps the counselor identify the probable causes of addiction since some people get in addition to hide from the troubles caused by people close to them. The next step after spiritual healing is to offer treatment to the addicts for any negative health conditions experienced the addict due to the withdrawal from the consumption of certain substance or alcohol. Moreover, treatment is given for any health conditions that the addict could be suffering or they can be referred to health facility to seek specialized treatment. This is because all addictive behaviors have negative impacts on the health of the user. The addict to the program is also advised to maintain close relationship with the psychologist or counselor to continue encouraging them not to fall back to the negative behavior. The last step is to carry out an evaluation of an addict before they can be declared as having being freed from addiction. The main strength of Willow Cheek program is that it offers personalized treatment given that different patients have varying social and medical needs. Moreover, their efforts to address different aspects of an individual including body, social and mind helps the program achieve high success rates given that addictions problems are addressed from their causes. Despite its strengths, making an addict to write down all the people they could have hurt may discourage people from the program as they are concerned about the privacy of their information. References Gross, M. (2010). Alcoholics anonymous: Still sober after 75 years. American Journal of Public Health, 100(12), 2361-3. Maurer, R. (2006). 12 steps that can build support for change. The Journal for Quality and Participation, 29(1), 21-22. Quinn, B. (2001). The medicalisation of online behaviour. Online Information Review, 25(3), 173-180. Rayburn, R. L., & Wright, J. D. (2010). Sobering up on the streets: Homeless men in alcoholics anonymous. Society, 47(4), 333-336. Read More