This document discusses addiction, including definitions and issues. It describes addiction as maintaining a relationship with something despite known negative consequences. Key issues discussed are health impacts on individuals and families. A 12-step program is presented as one strategy for wellness. Counselors face challenges in treating addiction, but also have strengths, and self-care is important to prevent burnout.

1. ADDICTIONS
By Corrina Walters

2. INTRODUCTION
Description of addiction
Analysis of issues
One strategy of wellness
Counsellor Strengths and Challenges
Self care plan
References

3. DESCRIBE ADDICTION
maintaining a relationship with something despite the known negative
consequences.(Ngawaka-Nathan,2012)
obsessive thinking and compulsive need for drugs, alcohol, food, sex, or
anything despite the resulting negative consequences.(Recovery
Connection,2005-2012)
It is, at root, a SPIRITUAL concern, because it represents a misdirected
attempt to achieve wholeness, to experience inner completeness and
satisfaction(Weil, 2004)

4. ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG
ADDICTION ACT 1966
alcoholic means a person whose persistent and excessive indulgence in
alcoholic liquor is causing or is likely to cause serious injury to his health or is
a source of harm, suffering, or serious annoyance to others or renders him
incapable of properly managing himself or his affairs
Drug addicts: addiction to intoxicating, stimulating, narcotic, or sedative drugs
is causing or is likely to cause serious injury to his health or is a source of
harm, suffering, or serious annoyance to others or renders him incapable of
properly managing himself or his affairs.
(Parliament Counsel Office, 2008)

5. DSM-IV
CRITERIA FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Tolerance, as defined by either of the following: A need for markedly increased
amounts of alcohol to achieve intoxication or desired effect or markedly diminished
effect with continued use of the same amount of alcohol.
Withdrawal, as defined by either of the following: The characteristic withdrawal
syndrome for alcohol (refer to DSM-IV for further details) or Alcohol is taken to
relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms.
Alcohol is often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than was intended.
There is a persistent desire or there are unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control
alcohol use.
A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain alcohol, use alcohol or
recover from its effects.
Important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced
because of alcohol use.
Alcohol use is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical
or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the
alcohol (e.g., continued drinking despite recognition that an ulcer was made worse by
alcohol consumption).
(American Psychiatric Association, 2000)

6. ISSUES
“addiction is no respecter of person. It doesn’t matter whether you are working class
or middle class; young or old; male or female, or married or single. Addictions can
affect anyone of us and the way they do so varies between individuals”(Medic8,n.d)
Once an addict, always an addict
Health
Family

7. ONCE AN ADDICT, ALWAYS AN ADDICT

8. ONCE AN ADDICT, ALWAYS AN ADDICT

9. ONCE AN ADDICT, ALWAYS AND ADDICT
1. Frustration and internal pain, that leads to anxiety
and a demand for relief of these symptoms
2. Fantasizing about using alcohol and drugs or
behaviours to relieve the uncomfortable symptoms
3. Obsessing about using drugs and alcohol and how
his or her life will be after the use of substances
4. Engaging in the addictive activity, such as using
substances in order to gain relief (acting-out)
5. Losing control over the behaviour (substance use)
6. Developing a feeling of remorse, guilt, and
shame, that lead to feelings of dissatisfaction
7. Making a promise or resolve to oneself to stop the
behaviour or substance use
8. After a period of time, the pain returns, and the
addict will again begin to experience the fantasies of
using substances
(Recovery Connection,2005-2012)

10. HEALTH
Alcoholism is a major health problem and ranks with cancer and heart disease
as a threat to health. The alarming rates at which drug addiction is on the rise
make it a massive threat in its own right
Use of alcohol and drugs is one of the leading causes of death and injury
among teenagers and young adults
Around one in three adults drink at levels that put them at risk of developing
a number of related health conditions, including alcoholism and liver disease
(Lehmann,2012)

11. HEALTH
It impairs memory and thinking ability,
ranging from one-time "blackouts," in which
the person cannot remember a night of hard
drinking, to permanent brain damage and
dementia (confusion and memory loss).
It raises the risk of cancers of the lip, mouth,
neck, oesophagus, stomach, pancreas, and
breast
In men, it can cause impotence (inability to
have an erection).
In women, it can cause infertility (inability to
have a baby).
(Human Diseases and Conditions,2012)

12. HEALTH

13. FAMILY

14. FAMILY

15. FAMILY
Family members avoid sharing subjects that might lead to more pain they
often wind up avoiding genuine connection with each other.(Dayton,n.d)
Denial towards the addiction
codependent person may not realize that they are reinforcing their loved one’s
addiction with their “supportive” behavior.(The Recovery Place,2010) which
in turn is enabling their addiction

16. THE ADDICT
(The role of the family in addiction and recovery,n.d)

17. THE HERO

18. THE SCAPEGOAT

19. THE MASCOT

20. THE LOST CHILD

21. THE CARETAKER

22. STRATEGY OF WELLNESS

23. 12 STEP PROGRAM
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure
them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we
understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message
to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

24. IMPLEMENTING 12 STEP PROGRAM
Self Help Groups
Open group
Closed meetings
Participation meetings
Step meetings
Big Book Meetings

25. OPEN MEETINGS

26. CLOSED MEETINGS

27. PARTICIPATION MEETINGS

28. STEP MEETINGS

29. BIG BOOK

30. CHALLENGES
The difficulty in treating addicted people due to factors such as relapses, poor
impulse control, emotional reactivity, and/or lying to protect their addiction
The lack of knowledge (techniques) on how best to treat them
Negative personal as well as professional experiences working with addicts
Counter-transference for ex-addicted counsellors
Changes in public policy
(Miller, 2005)

31. STRENGTHS
Knowledge of own limitations
Acknowledgement of ones own past
Multicultural competency

32. SELF CARE
Counsellors “work in a demanding field that consistently exposes themselves
to the dysfunctional behavior of humans that can be discouraging,
disheartening and stressful”(Miller, 2005)

33. SELF-CARE

34. TE WHARE TAPAWHA
Wa i r u a Whanau
Shower after sessions to wash away Spend time with whanau whenever
the counselling possible
Sit in calm quiet space with no Talk to whanau, just to talk
thoughts
Go on a date
Karakia/Prayer

35. TE WHARE TAPAWHA
Hinengaro Tinana
Read books, magazines, something Go for a walk/exercise
that interests you
Food
Do puzzles, jigsaws
Sleep
Playing games

36. CONCLUSION
Description of addiction
Analysis of issues
One strategy of wellness
Counsellor Strengths and Challenges
Self care plan
References

37. REFERENCES