Being Myself

Being Myself

Hello Friends!

I am sheetal Bidkar, clinical psychologist working in the field of substance abuse since 2009. I decided to start my blog because wherever I got a chance to go & talk about the disease of addiction I was amazed to know that the society which I am living in is full of with hope.

Everywhere people were posting questions & they were looking forward for answers to their questions. I spent 40 min to 90 min of time in just answering there questions. I realize after doing almost fifty & more awareness programs that people are not having appropriate information about the nature of disease & treatment part.

Not only general public but also the professionals had to get appropriate information. When we conducted the seminars, workshop for Doctors, nurses, counsellors & psychologists unfortunately only 3% of them could pass the pre-test. It means the people who are the primary care givers to the general public are unaware about primary information of disease of addiction.

Last many years I have seen that patients was suffering almost  more than two years as his physician was experimenting with anti craving mediations with the patient without understanding of the chronicity; further he was misguiding him by telling to drink in control way to avoid withdrawals like tremors in hand, vomiting, hallucinations etc.  

Depressive fact in India is, Psychiatrists are admitting addicts & after detoxification of 3 to 10 days they simply ask family to take discharge. Most of them know that the therapy & counselling is required but the commercial approach doesn’t allow them to guide further or as psychiatrists they themselves are not convinced that the therapeutic help may decrease the risk of relapse.

However, I learn that the families these days are at least want to do their homework before getting admitted into rehabilitation centres. The young addicts also want to use internet to get the appropriate information about treatment. Thus I would like to address main concerned issues related to addiction, addiction treatment & recovery. I will also share my experiences during the practice, unique cases, therapies, my thoughts & feelings!

My goal is to offer significant contribution towards ADDICTION FREE SOCIETY.

I sure this blog will help me to reach to my goal.

Sheetal Bidkar

Group Therapy in addiction treatment

Counseling is the backbone of almost any major addiction treatment program.   Addiction counseling usually comes in one of two forms: individual or group sessions.  Individual counseling is private, and features the recovering addict meeting one-on-one with the therapist to unearth and address the root causes of the addictive behavior.

Group counseling in drug rehab features a counselor/therapist to lead the program, but that is where the similarities end.  Rather than privacy, discussion and openness are the stock-in-trade of a group meeting.  It is a chance for like-minded individuals to come together and discuss their addiction, their lives and their aspiration.  Here I would like to tell some rules for therapist to cunduct effective Group therapy. 

ROLE OF THERAPIST

1.    All members should sit in a half moon circle. This facilitates maintaining eye contact with the group members.

2.    Rules should be explained briefly every day before the start of the session.

3.    Introduce the topic for discussion with appropriate examples before the session. When the topic is clear, the group will progress well.

4.    Be receptive towards any positive message or activity discussed in the group.

5.    Be patient and attentive while listening to the group members.

6.    Make sure your clarity of thoughts and ideas reach the group members.

7.    Clarify and restate what is appropriate behavior related to the topic.

8.    Actively facilitate sharing with clear focus on specific issues.

9.    Handle denial skillfully and tactfully.

10.                       Motivate the group members towards positive change to lead an addiction free life.

11.                       Be alert to changes in the tempo of the group.

12.                       Encourage group participation in views expressed and appreciate important contributions made by the group members.

13.                       Intervene only to sharpen the focus and provide useful inputs to handle complex issues.

14.                       Have a non- judgmental attitude and maintain confidentiality.

15.                       Be supportive and accepting, this can be communicated through verbal and non-verbal behavior.

16.                       At the end of each session, facilitate feedback and don’t give answers readily. Help the group members give feedback, summarize their responses and than give your comments.

S       Sheetal Bidkar

A message of Hope

                                          New Thoughts & New Wings

On the occasion of Anti Dug Day we have conducted a poster competition, Talk show & interactive session with the student in the college. It was really a great experience to understand the new thoughts & new solutions for the addiction related problems. 

Before interacting with the students I was thinking that, 'will they be open to talk? how should I break the ice?' I was thinking about stigma among the recovering addicts. To my surprise the hall was full with 300+ students, Most of them were well aware about the names & ill effects of almost all the drugs. 

What I found interested is they all were thinking about the new ways to deal with the disease of addiction. The bookish theory of acceptance says denial is the first phase of acceptance but these people were exception for that. Our discussion with them brought up new perception & ideas which somebody is rarely aware in India.

All the solutions which we come up with is naturally focusing Indian culture & present phenomena.  

However the most interesting things which came up after the talk show was as below: 

1.     There should be awareness & orientation about the disease of addiction in high schools.

2.     There should safe homes in each school, so that an addict will get the help at earliest 

3.     Each Govt officer should undergo the training which will help them to indentify an addict & provide the right help.

4.     All the industries must implement the employee assessment program (EAP).

5.     Legal information about the criminal cases, accidents etc should be assessable to employers so that the preventive measures can be provided. It should be used for relapse prevention.

6.     Every school, college, hospital, industries has to appoint the peer educator who can build up a rapport to the individual & his family who are suffering with addiction. 

7.     Driving licence should get renew after every 3 years considering the accidents under influences.

8.     Paramedical students, HR staff, Teachers, Professors, Supervisors should have 6 to 8 months internship for assessment, referral services & primary counselling. With this we can provide the treatment in abuse phase itself & can prevent the damage to happen.

9.     There should be research unit for addiction treatment & high risk among the addicts.

10. The De-addiction & rehabilitation centres should have one common protocol to follow.

Would you like to add something? I will be happy to get suggestions from you.

Sheetal  Bidkar

Aggravating Factors

Why are you drinking & creating hell every time? 

Why can't you behave normally? You have spoiled my life & kids as well.

Why you are giving false promises? Cheating all the family members.

Harita was shouting on top of her voice when her husband came home drunk. She was shouting, crying & confronting him. He simply went into his room drank more. Next day she was waiting for him to get up & answer her questions.

With a hangover he got up & was sitting restlessly, she again started posting questions. This time he irritably answered that I drink because of you & your insulting behaviour towards me etc. She was astonished, hurt & confused. She called me for an appointment.

Harita came to her first counselling session. She was not able to understand that is she really responsible for her husband’s increased drinking?  Her husband accused her many times earlier but this time it was horrifying her to consider even for a while that she might be responsible for his drinking.

I allow her to talk & educated her about the disease of addiction. We even discussed about the things she can do to come out of present situations. She was talking about her uncontrolled emotions, her impulsive behaviour, suspicious thoughts, anxiety for future, fear for uncertainty etc. How she is getting affected by her husband’s behaviour she was narrating. Her enabling behaviour was very evident.

Her behaviour was a spontaneous reaction to her husband’s intoxicated behaviour. Most of the time she uses to change her decisions about hospitalization, taking him to AA or admission in rehabilitation centre. She is even become submissive & will become depressed about the situations. There is no consistency in her reactions. No one is able to understand this; what exactly the message she is willing to give to her husband about this drinking.

Many times she has threatened him that she will file a case against him, she will give divorce or she will put him in mental asylum etc. She never did any of this till now; rather day by day her husband started using this behaviour as a reason for his drinking.

Ignoring his manipulations, giving him chances, clearing all the damages which he is creating outside for supporting his addiction, saving him form legal cases or assaults by paying money etc will definitely become aggravating factor for addiction. As all this above mention activities eats lot of time & not allow the family or patient to reach to treatment centre. Meanwhile the risk of damages increases. The tolerance level increases, physical damages become visible. Love, social reputation, fear of damages i.e. job loss, loss of academic year, payment loss, denial of problem are the main reasons for family to postpone the treatment. By wasting the time they only experience the progression of disease & damages.

Family, well wishers, friends are supposed to support recovery & not drinking. Everyone has to keep in mind that no one can be a reason for drinking but avoid being an aggravating factor also; who may directly or indirectly help an addict to continue drinking.

Sheetal  

मुखवटा

मुखवटा

ही कविता मुखवटा वापरणाऱ्या माझ्या रुग्णमित्रांचे वर्णन करणारी आहे.

मी सवरतना तो स्तब्ध् पाहतो
मी पडताना तो अचूक हेरतो


मी वर्तवितो हकीकत खोटी
आतून करितो तो मज आर्त विनवणी

मी लपतो अनेकदा त्याच्या पाठी
मग अनेक नव्या तो मांडतो अटी


मुखवटा माझाच हिणवतो मला
म्हणे.....  का वास्तवाची वाटे लाज तुला ?


जगासमोर मुखवटा चालतो
पण एकट्याने असता पुरता बोचतो


व्यसनाच्या हव्यासापाई  मुखवटा वापरला खरा
आता मात्र। ……  माझ्या चेहऱ्याची ओळखच विसरलो पुरता

मला कळेना मी कसा?
मुखवटा की आरसा खरा ???
मुखवटा की आरसा खरा ???



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