Substance abuse is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A large percentage of my clients over the years have been alcoholics and addicts. However, only those completely willing to accept the help from any of the thousands of well trained, well meaning, psychotherapists and addiction counselors, recover from this potentially fatal disease. It is my professional understanding that a majority of addicts/alcoholics “are constitutionally incapable” of staying clean and/or sober. They are unwilling to do what it takes to recover. They refuse to accept that they have this fatal disease. They are not willing to join support groups that offer help to stay clean and sober, one day at a time. Many individuals are pushed into treatment by family intervention or are court mandated into detoxification centers and/or treatment centers. They “do their time” and then “revert back” to their former behaviors, and people places and things. This disease is a disease of denial. How many clients have I seen over the years that claimed that they were not addicts and/or alcoholics. They claimed they could quit anytime they wanted to. They just did not want to. They did not drink during the day. They were just having fun or it calmed them down, or any number of other excuses to keep the insanity going. How easy it was to forget the times when using was not so pleasant? Over the many years as a therapist have I heard the words, “I just want to die”.
Addiction spreads across generations, race and ethnicities, socio-economic sectors, professionals even doctors, lawyers, religions. It spares no one…..
If you are or a loved one are questioning if you have and/or are experiencing any of the signs of addiction, please feel free to contact me at 561-714-1028 or email me at carlamul@aol.com.