#familyaddictions101

By Lisa Raisbeck

Forget everything you thought you knew about addiction.

After working with and listening to hundreds of people struggling with addictions, Lisa began formulating strategies for measuring success. What works and what doesn't? She knew there is no better source than the people struggling themselves. From talking to people with years of sobriety, to those panhandling on the streets, she began to see patterns which lead to an unyielding search for answers and advocacy for those that couldn't advocate for themselves.

Have you and your family been suffering alongside a loved one affected by an addiction? Are you wondering how this happened? Are you wondering how you can support your loved one without enabling them?

#familyaddictions101 helps to answer these questions, and you will again have hope that you can be supportive and loving, meeting your loved one wherever they are at in their struggle. Within the pages of this book, you will:

* See that the path to addiction can begin as early as in the womb;

* Explore the commonly discussed causes of drug addictions;

* Look at the in-depth role that trauma has in addiction and stigma has in recovery;

* See the history and current discussions around self-medicating and dual-diagnosis; and

* Learn about tough love, coping as a family, and where to find answers.

An easy to read book, #familyaddictions101 provides you with evidence-based practices to put in your toolkit! When finished, you will want to learn more, and you will have the confidence of knowing where and how to get it!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 19, 2018
• ISBN: 9781643504032

Book preview

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#familyaddictions101

Lisa Raisbeck

Copyright © 2018 Lisa Raisbeck

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2018

Front cover photo provided by Mikayla Taylor

ISBN 978-1-64350-402-5 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-64350-403-2 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

What Is Addiction?

History

What are the Causes?

Accessibility

Genetics

Self-Medication

Protective vs. Risk Factors

Trauma

Stigma

Dual Diagnosis

Treatment

Tough Love

Coping as a Family

Answers

Additional Resources for Addiction

3. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/resources

4. https://www.asam.org/resources/public-resources/resource-links

6. https://www.addictioncenter.com/community-resources/

7. https://www.publichealth.org/resources/addiction/

With everything from prescription medications to gambling, millions of Americans suffer from addictions. These free online resources will give you the perspective you need to lead the fight against addiction.

References

American Society of Addiction Medicine. Definition of Addiction. www.asam.org/resources/definition-of-adicton.

About the Author

What Is Addiction?

No one is immune from addiction; it afflicts people of all ages, races, classes, and professions.

—Patrick J. Kennedy

While many people associate addictions with drug use, there are many addictions that people struggle with. While working at a crisis center, I used to tell my clients that if it creates a problem in your life, and others such as friends and family are troubled by it, then it's a problem; call it whatever you want.

Unlike many doctors, recovering addicts, and social workers, I happen to believe addiction is not a disease but rather a problem in our lives that needs to be addressed. If not addressed, then it will consume your life like a disease. To call addiction a disease is to give up hope of a future without this burden. Many people can move on to live a successful life after addiction, some even able to drink or use drugs sociably. Why? Because they addressed the reason for the addiction and they no longer need it as an answer to pain.

According to Chris Prentiss, the author of The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure, it is much easier to cure a dependency than an incurable disease of alcoholism and addiction. His belief is that the words alcoholic and addict should be replaced with the word dependency-ism. Doubtful that would ever happen, but I like the idea that addiction is a product of something else going on.

For example, almost everyone has seen or known someone who smoked marijuana or drank too much, causing problems in high school and/or college yet have not become addicts in adulthood. Instead they began working and having families. This concept goes against the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) philosophy which emphasizes personal accountability, abstinence, humility, honesty, powerlessness over addiction, and connection with a higher being. AA strongly professes that if complete and total abstinence is not embraced, then our lives will continue to remain unmanageable. But what if your addiction is eating? If binge eating became a problem in your life, you would not stop eating. Instead, you would address the problem until you no longer ate as an answer.

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) dedicates an entire page to their short and long versions of the definition (https://www.asam.org/quality-care/definition-of-addiction). It recognizes that addiction is a brain disease described by the inability to abstain or control the behavioral activity, as well as the emotional response. Most definitions