The issue of painkiller addiction is receiving more attention because prescriptions for opiods have jumped tenfold in the last 20 years, according to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The study found that nearly 2 million Americans were dependent on or abusing prescription pain relievers, nearly twice as great as the number of people addicted to cocaine.

Click link for more information:
http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/crime/painkillers-among-most-abused-drugs-1350325.html

ScienceDaily (Feb. 21, 2012) — When first exposed to cocaine, the adolescent brain launches a strong defensive reaction designed to minimize the drug's effects, Yale and other scientists have found. Now two new studies by a Yale team identify key genes that regulate this response and show that interfering with this reaction dramatically increases a mouse's sensitivity to cocaine.

Click link for more information:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221212616.htm

Heroin use in the greater St. Louis area rose dramatically in 2010-2011. The epidemic has moved west, from St. Louis into St. Louis County, and now St. Charles County. And heroin users are getting younger. Increasingly, heroin use starts in high school. The statistics are jarring

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/fitness/heroin-becomes-fatal-addiction-for-more-area-teens/article_e32d16b1-e406-5e27-8a1e-b4c16aafdf32.html#ixzz1pmO9u2KF

ScienceDaily (Mar. 12, 2012) — Every year, thousands of teens and young adults celebrate Spring Break by drinking large amounts of alcohol -- binge drinking -- a dangerous right-of-passage for some and one linked to possible brain damage later as adults, says an expert.

Click the following link for more information:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120312135111.htm

ScienceDaily (Mar. 12, 2012) — When it comes to prevention of substance use in our tween population, turning our kids on to thought control may just be the answer to getting them to say no.
Click on the link below for more information.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120312152803.htm

So What is Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy? Is it complicated? Can It help someone who is struggling with drug/alcohol addiction? What does the word Cognitive even mean?

Lets Break it Down....

Cognitive: Refers to just about anything that goes through that head of yours: thoughts, images, dreams, memories, and anything else that grabs your attention.

Behavioral: Refers to anything you do, or choose not to do.

Therapy: Refers to a method used to treat a problem.

Rene Descartes, often credited with being the father of modern philosophy, famously stated “I think; therefore I am.” Following a similar ideology, CBT believers might take a stab at enlightenment philosophy and proclaim (in a snooty French accent), “I think; therefore I feel.”

You might assume that if something happens to you, like getting stuck in I-270 rush hour traffic, it is the event that makes you feel like laying on your horn or using 140 characters or less to express your vehicular bloodlust on Twitter: “There’s a psycho in your rear view mirror (It’s me!)”

But according to CBT, It is not the events that trigger the emotions, but rather the thoughts that accompany the activating event. Often times, we have adopted rigid, distorted thinking which leads to emotional distress and self-destructive behaviors.

To explain further, let’s take a peek inside the head of Mr. Road Rage as he sits in traffic; “I have already worked an eight hour day and I shouldn’t have to sit in traffic behind this slow poke in the Smart Car. What kind of jerk drives a Smart Car anyway? He probably bought that car just to tick me off.”

You may think to yourself, “Wow, good thing I’m not a nut job like that guy.” Well I want to let you in on a little secret; we all have the potential to be that "nut.” The good news is that you don't live in Crazy Town alone. Everyone on this planet is capable of adopting and adhering to their own brand of dysfunctional thinking; however, when you learn how to identify your cognitive distortions, you can challenge your thoughts, regulate distressing emotions, and finally get the heck out of Crazy Town (or at least move to a more pleasant suburb outside the city limits) So lets put CBT to the test and challenge some of Mr. Road Rage's problematic thinking.

Thoughts: I have already worked an eight hour day and I shouldn’t have to sit in traffic behind this slow poke in the Smart Car. What kind of jerk drives a Smart Car anyway? He probably bought that car just to tick me off.

Challenge:
Well if I were a behavioral scientist, which I am and so are you, it seems as if this road ragger is filtering his Activating Event (being stuck in traffic), through some faulty Belief Systems (personal thinking styles which filter the way we see the world and interpret experiences).

A “should” statement immediately merits a “red flag.” Shoulds/Musts are a quick way to identify Demand Making, a common cognitive distortion. Placing demands on self or others always leads to emotional distress. Psychologist Albert Ellis called these demands The Musts; The world must be a certain way, I must be a certain way, and others must treat me a certain way. Ellis believed that as long as we hold on to these musts, we are in for a world of hurt.

To balance these thoughts lets try some flexible/preferential thinking instead: “I have worked an eight hour day and would prefer not having to sit in traffic.”

OK, sitting in traffic still stinks, but that seems less rigid. But what about the jerk in the Smart car?

Hmmm, Are we sure that guy in the Smart Car is a jerk? How do we know that he is not just petite? Or a clown? Or European? Or eco-friendly? How do we know that he hasn’t just had an exhausting work day too?

In fact, there is no real evidence that suggests that the jerk in the Smart Car has any malicious intent. He may be driving too slowly, but again, it is unrealistic to think that this guy set out this morning with the intent to ruin some stranger’s day. And in my experience, laying on the horn has never helped speed up rush hour traffic.

So, I guess it's possible that he may not be a supreme jerk after all?
Well, I guess he might not be a Supreme jerk, maybe just a regular jerk.

As Mr. Road Rage continues to identify and challenge cognitive distortions, he can move from a state of rage to a healthier emotion, irritation.
Ta-Da! Emotional Regulation!

If Mr. Road Rage's thoughts had gone un-challenged, the result could have been devastating. He could have driven erratically, hurt himself or others, faced legal consequences, and if he was a person with the disease of addiction, used drugs or alcohol.

Instead, Mr. Road Rage took a deep breath, turned up his favorite radio station and focused on all the pleasant leg room in his Hummer. Finding small ways to achieve more balanced thinking equals SIGNIFICANT BEHAVIORAL CHANGES.

Mr. Road Rage offers a light perspective on the beginning process of CBT; however, drug and alcohol addiction is a life threatening disease. Reseach shows that most addicted people have low stress tolerance (a result of both brain chemicals and environment). An addicted person’s inability to regulate distressing emotions, cope with past trauma, practice impulse control or manage cravings, can and will result in death if left untreated. CBT skills help addicted people take back their life and leave behind the emotional chaos that has become their status quo.

When do you tend to do your most rigid thinking? Challenge yourself this week to find a more balanced thought.

Happy Thinking,

LZ

By Lauren Zehnle MA, PLPC

When we are in a “fixed mind,” we are not open to new experiences. We are instead controlled by our past and our own rigid rules. Albert Ellis calls these rigid expectations, “musturbation,” – I swear I’m not making this up!

Ellis said that if we hold fast to the belief system that the world must be a certain way, we must be a certain way, or others must be a certain way- then we are setting ourselves up for feelings of bitterness, resentment and anger.

When we are in “fresh mind” we are unaware of the dangers we might face. We do not consider past mistakes or experiences when evaluating a new situation. We are overly trusting of a person or situation that is potentially dangerous.

Both of these polarized states of mind are problematic.

Instead, we want to be in “fluid mind”, or “wise mind”; that part of ourselves that knows and experiences personal truths.

“Fluid mind is being peacefully aware of each moment as a new beginning that is based, in part, on previous moments. It is willingness to try something new but not just because it is “new.” It is focusing on where you want to go, while still honoring where you have been. Fluid mind knows that living effectively requires genuine adjustment to an ever changing environment over time. What worked once may not work now" (Dimeff, 2007).

What area of your life do you need to use fluid mind? Are you more prone towards being in fixed mind or fresh mind? What consequences have you experienced when engaging in either of these problematic states of mind? What needs to happen in order for you to stay in wise mind/fluid mind?

References
Dimeff, Linda. "Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Clinical Practice. New York: New York, 2007.