
Roughly eleven months ago I had breakfast with a thirty-eight-year-old male named Alexander who suffers from acute depression, has relationship difficulties, and who is drug and alcohol dependent. As explained by Alexander, it is his alcoholism and drug addiction and his intense depression that had the most to do with his recurring relationship and friendship problems, especially those that concern love.
I recollect reading that a history of mental health problems, drug addiction, and negative drinking commonly occur in the same family. In addiction, I have read that in such situations, a person needs to get treatment for both medical situations and that dependency and mental health issues tend to take place in the same person.
As articulated by Alexander, he is so dejected by his intimate relationship problems and by both of his medical problems that he essentially has little or no desire to accomplish much of anything. What is particularly sad about this is that earlier in his life, Alexander managed to complete five semesters of graduate school in gender and sexuality studies.
Alexander’s condition makes me question if he is an example of a person who can look within and see his drug abuse and alcohol drinking problems and do something meaningful about these difficulties or if he is an individual who has to hit life’s bottom before he gets drug and alcohol counseling that leads to lasting recovery.
The Need For a Rehab Regimen He Can Believe In and a Healthcare Practitioner He Can Trust
If it would be beneficial I would think that I could recommend quite a lot of blogs and websites that could possibly help him locate info about drug abuse symptoms, the stages of alcoholism, chemical dependency information, and relationship issues. From where I stand, nonetheless, Alexander needs to locate a rehabilitation protocol he can believe in and follow over the long term and locate a doctor he can trust.
I could be wrong but it seems logical to conclude that Alexander more likely than not needs to look in the mirror regarding his drug addiction signs and alcoholic symptoms and understand the fact that he cannot use drugs or drink at all if he wants to get sober, remain sober, and start on the route to long-term sobriety.
It may be asked how counseling would help his alcohol and drug dependency. For starters, there are more than a few recently created doctor-prescribed meds that can help Alexander through his withdrawal symptoms, through the alcohol and drug detoxification process, and help him avoid an alcohol or a drug relapse.
Second, Alexander would learn to accept the fact that there is utterly nothing helpful about drug abuse and unhealthy and excessive drinking and that involving himself in one or both conditions is the road to deteriorating health, a premature death, shattered relationships, financial difficulties, poor work and school performance, and legal problems.
Third, treatment for his depression and for his relationship problems might help him manage these mental health difficulties more effectively and possibly create less of a need for him to involve himself in addictive behavior.
The Significance of Support Groups Like Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous
There are reasonably quite a few friends, family members, and other individuals who would desire to help Alexander with his substance abuse and his hazardous drinking. He more likely than not would experience greater acceptance from a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, on the other hand, instead of listening to people who rarely drink or who have never used drugs.
When Individuals Do Things They Like and About Which They Are Passionate
There’s a philosophical attitude that stresses that individuals who do things they love and something about which they are fervent attain a great place in life. Stated more explicitly, when people do what they love, they rarely if ever go through boredom or an uneventful life. If they get involved in something that is gratifying, moreover, they become more whole and experience more happiness and joy in life, in their friendships, and in their relationships.
When this is thought about for a few minutes it becomes clear that this positive outlook is poles apart from a life that is rooted in alcohol and drug addiction because such a lifestyle removes the gratification and joy that life has to offer.
Because Alexander lacks the grit to achieve much of anything in his life, it is evident that he definitely needs a little hope for a more productive life. And the sad thing is that hope is all around Alexander if he could only get to the place in life to get the treatment he needs for his severe depression and addiction and continue with his treatment program.
More Meaningful Relationships, A Meaningful Life, Self Respect, and Beneficial Change Are Possibilities
Alexander is simply too young to be dejected in life. He doesn't comprehend this at the moment but if he can learn how to stay away from drugs and alcohol through drug and alcohol rehabilitation and get the treatment he requires for his acute depression, he can reorient his life and start living with passion, direction, and with self-respect.
More solid relationships, a wonderful life, self respect, and affirmative change are certainly possibilities for Alexander if only he could get motivated to seek the professional treatment he needs, follow through with his therapy regimen, live his life in a dependency-free and healthy way, and learn how to develop a more positive attitude about life.