Ready for Change!!

Julie Messerly

Description

A workbook, this self-improvement guide helps both clinicians and clients work together to make the changes for a better life for the substance abuser.
This workbook was written and carefully constructed to help persons with substance use disorders begin to have successful lives. It will also help the substance users loved ones and mainstream society understand how to have a healthier non-judgmental approach to helping persons with substance use disorders. We may theorize that there must be some moral deficit in many who use substance’s as we did in the 1970’s. This has created an atmosphere of judgement and toxic shame making it more difficult for the substance user to achieve recovery.

Sujets

• Santé et bien-être
• Santé mentale & traumatisme
• Santé mentale
• Santé mentale
• Change
• Addiction
• Self-help
• Changes
• Neurological disorder
• Helping behavior
• Materials

Informations

• Publié par: iUniverse
• Date de parution: 31 janvier 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781663225115
• Langue: English

Extrait

READY FOR

CHANGE!!

J ULIE M ESSERLY
READY FOR CHANGE!!

Copyright © 2023 Julie Messerly.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or

mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the

written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the

views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

iUniverse books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

iUniverse

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since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do

not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6632-2510-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-2511-5 (e)

iUniverse rev. date: 01/30/2023
Contents
Module 1  Understanding Addiction Phases/Brain Patterns
Module 2  Detterent to Shut Off Addictive Patterns
Module 3  Developing Identities to Support My Negative Self Image VS Positive Self Image (True Self)
Module 4  Change Self Image
Module 5  Sustaining My Recovery

Author Biography:
Julie has almost 20 years of working with substance use clients as a licensed professional with the state of Montana. She has been awarded “Outstanding Student in the Field of Chemical Dependency Award” by the University of Great Falls in 2001, graduate of the Leadership Institute of Reno Nevada with ATTC (Addiction Transfer Technology Center), counselor of the year in the state of Montana 2010, and President of MADDAC (Montana Association of Addiction Counselors.) She has dedicated the past 20 years on working in the addiction profession changing stigmas that create barriers for substance use clients to sustain their recovery. Her biggest hope of her career is that this workbook can be a guide for both clinicians, and clients to work together to make life changes that result in a better life for the substance use client.
WELCOME,
This workbook was written and carefully constructed to help persons with substance use disorders begin to have successful lives. It will also help the substance users loved ones and mainstream society understand how to have a healthier nonjudgmental approach to helping persons with substance use disorders. We may theorize that there must be some moral deficit in many who use substance’s as we did in the 1970s. This has created an atmosphere of judgment and toxic shame making it more difficult for the substance user to achieve recovery.
We will explore the role of the brain’s neurochemicals in a substance user. The messages are sent through an indirect or direct experience that turns on the brain using dopamine beginning with obsession to avoid a stressor or seeking a reward. This leads to overwhelming urges and develops into compulsive patterns that lead to substance use. These patterns are previous conditioned patterns that have been recorded and stored in the memory part of the brain with an intensity that overrides memories or thoughts of reasoning.
The 2 nd barrier to the substance user’s ability to be successful in recovery is toxic shame. Some people have been subjected to having toxic shame, and if not prior to use then a substance user upon repeated conditioned patterns of use creates toxic shame . Toxic shame creates the user to feel helpless and loss of motivation to stop using, thus continuing to violate values creating ongoing toxic shame and guilt.
Lastly, as repeated use patterns continue, compulsion, toxic shame and guilt builds in the user. A false identity is developed that is very different from the substance user’s true identity or true self.
The assignments in this workbook are focused on helping the substance user recognize what experiences indirectly or directly turn on the brain and creates obsessions, that lead to urges and ultimately ends with the act of using. Helping the substance user to identify how to interrupt the compulsion pattern early on in this using cycle with deterrent thinking. This not only interrupts the use episode,
but empowers the user to be able to be more successful in sustaining recovery and replaces the experience with natural rewards rather than unsuccessful using rewards.
Completing and using this workbook for ongoing guidance can help the user continue to recognize their use patterns and help them to disconnect feelings of shame and guilt. By interrupting toxic shame and guilt, they can understand that using patterns can be changed, and will be able to experience natural rewards through finding their true self and potential.
We will explore memories that are stored in the unconscious part of the brain and call them experiences. We typically do not recall these experiences unless there is a direct or indirect response to the memories to activate them.
In substance use, we can think of memories as cues, or triggers that are both directly or indirectly activated by obsession and urges.
Note: Pictures that are drawn need to be appropriate. The drawings should depict the nature of what is being asked of you to draw. As you share each, it is a time for self-reflection to look at the core of how our self-image was being created and developed. It gives you a better understanding of who you are and how you can change beliefs that lead to self-defeating behaviors and judgment.
Below on page 2, is the using cycle to educate you about the using pattern of addiction. The brain continues to obsess about the experience. This leads to an urge based on the experience that activated the brain. The compulsive pattern ends with the act of using the substance.
Understanding Addiction

Phases/Brain Patterns

Module 1
The Brain Disorder
Turning On the Brain (addiction phases)
Turning on the brain to begin obsessing on the Indirect and direct triggers / memories/ experiences..(blue)
As the brain obsesses the urges increase (purple)
Lastly, compulsion ends the obsession (yellow)

OBSESSION PHASE

AWARENESS TO STOP THE ADDICTIVE CYCLE

COMPULSION PHASE