For many people who struggle with addiction, the idea of moving out and leaving home is scary. While confronting substance abuse is difficult enough, leaving everything you know behind can be even more painful and make recovery feel like something foreign and not achievable. Some people simply may not be able to quit their jobs to receive treatment. Others may not want to or are willing to leave their spouses or children.

For reasons like these and many more, people turn to outpatient treatment facilities. Outpatient programs provide the opportunity to get sober safely and receive the type of addiction counseling you need to thrive without having to put your life on pause.

There are some people who feel that residential treatment is their only hope of quitting drugs or alcohol. Their home environment is filled with triggers that prevent them from focusing on their recovery. Outpatient therapy uses counseling to help people confront those triggers on a daily basis. You don’t have to worry about returning from a long-term inpatient program only to be flooded with temptation.

There are two types of outpatient therapy to consider: traditional outpatient treatment and intensive outpatient treatment, often shortened and referred to as IOP. Understanding the difference between the two programs can help you feel more comfortable with the idea of treatment and select the right program for you and your lifestyle.

Traditional Outpatient Addiction Treatment

The least restrictive form of counseling, outpatient programs are favored by many with mild addictions for their flexibility. You can attend counseling sessions when you are free, so most people get help in the evenings or weekends while they go about their daily lives.

For people whose substance use hasn’t impacted their ability to hold down a job or attend school, traditional outpatient therapy can be convenient and beneficial. However, people with long-term addictions that have significantly impacted their life, relationships and health aren’t going to receive the intensive level of support and therapy they need to get better.

Who Should Go to Traditional Outpatient Programs?

There are a few types of people who make a good fit for outpatient drug and alcohol programs. These include:

• People who have recently developed a drug or drinking problem
• People whose addiction is mild
• People who have begun experimenting with drugs or worry they’re bordering on addiction
• Recovering addicts who have relapsed and want a refresh on sobriety tactics and resources
• People who are highly motivated and committed to getting sober and have a strong family support system

hat to Expect in Traditional Outpatient Treatment

Regardless of setting, most addiction programs last around 90 days according to the addiction treatment standards provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Most outpatient programs are specified by monthly duration rather than days. Group therapy is often a large component of treatment, and many programs follow a “step-down” approach that connects clients with 12-step support groups to continue their treatment after they’ve completed a recovery program.

Most outpatient rehabs are welcoming and laid-back. The fear that you will be treated like a helpless patient can be disregarded. You are a willing, fully capable person who has decided to take back control over your life. You will be greeted by a supportive staff that prioritizes your well-being.

Your motivation plays a large role in your success and recovery. People who aren’t ready to get sober might have a difficult time showing up and participating in counseling sessions or group therapy.

Those who don’t believe they have a problem or are resistant to treatment won’t benefit greatly from the services at an outpatient program. If you are looking to help a loved one realize the extent of their addiction, you might want to consider scheduling an intervention rather than encouraging them to just attend a program.

Intensive Outpatient Treatment Programs

An intensive outpatient program, or IOP, is ideal for people with moderate addictions that do not require medically supervised detox. People with co-occurring disorders may also choose to attend an IOP program where they can receive treatment for both their addiction and any underlying psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

In IOP treatment, different therapies are used. The duration of sessions is much longer than regular outpatient therapy. A typical IOP program lasts for three hours a day, three days a week. Some highly focused IOP treatments can even meet up to 30 hours a week.

The intensity of the treatment and the duration of the therapy are ultimately up to you, but understanding the different types of treatment options and their effectiveness can help you make the right decision. Flexibility is just one aspect of choosing the right rehab. You also have to ensure that the IOP you’re interested in uses the right combination of therapy to truly help you overcome addiction.

While 12-step programs have been proven to be effective models of therapy, they aren’t the only way to stay sober. Personalized treatment is an important aspect of addiction recovery. Everyone has unique struggles and circumstances surrounding their addiction and affecting their sobriety. An IOP with a combination of therapies that work for you is the best way to achieve success.

Typical Therapies Found at an IOP</h3?

Every rehab has its own philosophy and approach to treatment. The more time you’re able to commit to a program, the more therapies you can try. Understanding the most common IOP services and treatments will make it more comfortable for you and help you make better choices when selecting a rehab.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is one of the most common forms of therapy used by psychologists and addiction counselors. CBT is designed to help you as you are now rather than focusing on your past and dredging up uncomfortable memories and painful feelings.

While past experiences such as abuse or trauma often play a large role in the development of addiction, substance use disorder is a present issue that must be addressed from various angles.

Through CBT, you work with a therapist in one-on-one sessions. During your treatment, you’ll learn how to identify negative thinking patterns and develop healthier perspectives that alter your behavior.

The fear of losing control is strong among millions of people, and the uncertainty that overshadows addiction can make recovery feel more like a threat than an opportunity. CBT can help you gain the security and confidence you need to confront a variety of challenges without the use of drugs or alcohol.

Addiction Education Groups

Some aspects of an IOP center around knowledge. Understanding how addiction happens and the various ways it affects your body and mind gets you more involved in your recovery. Rather than feeling like you have a problem someone else is equipped to fix, you gain the valuable information necessary to understand, explain and treat your addiction.

These sessions are usually held in groups and are relaxed. Substance abuse, its consequences, and relapse prevention techniques are covered; most people undergo this type of therapy at the start of their IOP.

The official term for this type of therapy is “psychoeducation.” While some therapeutic techniques are implemented throughout the group sessions, the focus is more on knowledge and awareness.

Family Therapy

The impact of addiction on someone’s marriage and family relationships can be devastating. Because an IOP is designed to address multiple aspects of your life, family counseling sessions are included in most programs.

The benefits of family therapy in substance abuse treatment include greater emotional support and increased accountability. When you understand how your addiction has impacted your loved ones, you may become more motivated to commit to your sobriety.

Family members who don’t understand addiction and think of it as merely a choice can also gain valuable insight during family therapy sessions. A substance abuse counselor can help parents, siblings and even children understand addiction and the best ways they can help you during your recovery.

Couples therapy at an IOP can help spouses reconnect and understand one another better. It’s difficult to maintain a healthy relationship when your entire life is consumed by addiction. Couples counseling will provide new insight, teach you both communication strategies and help you close this chapter of your life as you move on to recovery.

Skill Development Group Therapy

Skill development groups prepare you for life without drugs or alcohol. A cognitive behavioral approach is used to help participants build new skills or relearn old coping mechanisms that were replaced by substance use.

Addiction reduces the ability to make sound decisions and handle stress in a healthy way. In fact, studies show that chronic stress increases a person’s likelihood of substance abuse. Skill-building exercises with fellow patients will help you strengthen communication strategies, understand how different people perceive the same situation and build confidence in your ability to work independently and with others.

Support Groups

Group therapy is a big part of recovery treatment. Addiction often causes feelings of isolation, but group therapy proves that you are never alone in your struggle. Addiction support groups are considered a form of self-help treatment. The group leader encourages each participant to find something positive about the other members, build their own self-confidence and become more comfortable with expressing their feelings.

Support groups also provide a sense of emotional security. Treatment can produce a lot of anxiety whether it’s from fear of failure or a fear of judgment. Group therapy fosters a sense of camaraderie and acceptance. People are able to connect with others who understand their addiction and the difficulty it takes to overcome it.

IOP vs. PHP Therapy

While an IOP is a step up from outpatient rehab, it may not be enough for people with severe addictions. In more severe cases, a partial hospitalization program, or PHP, is the preferred method of treatment.

A PHP can be used to treat people who have recently left a residential center or who have relapsed and need greater access to therapy and resources than an IOP provides.

Most PHP sessions last for six hours a day and meet five days a week. The large portion of time dedicated to a PHP can impact a person’s ability to work, care for their family or attend to other responsibilities. Sometimes, a PHP is referred to as “day rehab.” The best way to think of a PHP is to imagine a residential treatment without the need to sleep over.

The same types of programs you find in an IOP program are often offered in PHP therapies. The primary difference is the duration of the treatment sessions.

Choosing the Right Program for You

The treatment program you choose for your recovery will impact you, your loved ones and the rest of your life. Weighing the options and considering the long-term effects of your addiction can help you decide whether you need a program that’s more flexible, like traditional therapy, or more regimented, like an IOP.

Don’t let fear hold you back from getting the help you need. It may be more comfortable to stay at work and only attend an outpatient session a few times a week, but many people benefit from the short but intense rigor of IOP treatment.

In the world of addiction treatment, relapse prevention is one of those areas where the only way to stay on top of it is through constant diligence and work. Unlike other diseases where the illness is gone once you have taken the appropriate medicine, addiction is a chronic disease; the threat of relapse is always something that will be with a person once they become afflicted. This has to do with the way addiction affects the brain and also how the brain is affected by outside triggers. These triggers can come from anxiety, anger, interpersonal situations and a whole host of other factors. If you aren’t constantly working in a recovery program of some sort, then the odds of relapsing jump upward.

The Disease of Addiction

In order to fully understand why relapse prevention is not only a vital but also an ongoing process in dealing with addiction, it is important to know exactly what the disease is. Addiction is defined by the American Society of Addiction Medicine as a chronic brain disease that primarily affects the reward, memory, motivation and related areas. The dysfunction that occurs in these areas leads to characteristic biological markers as well as shifts in a person’s psychological, social and spiritual bent. This change in tendency is displayed in a person’s pathological pursuit of triggering their reward center through the consistent use of certain chemical substances.

The main symptoms of addiction are the inability to abstain on a regular basis, behavioral problems, inability to recognize intrapersonal and interpersonal problems stemming from use, cravings and emotional dysfunction. Addiction is a chronic disease, meaning that there will be periods of relapse and remission. Without proper treatment, including relapse prevention programs, the disease can progress and possibly result in disability.

Addiction Treatment

If you are suffering from addiction or a substance use disorder, then the first step is to seek help from a treatment center. Depending on how far the disease has progressed and how it has affected your everyday life, you might need a high level of initial care as can be found with an inpatient program or a lesser level of care from an outpatient program. Here is a comprehensive list of options:

• Long-term inpatient programs are designed for people who have severe addiction problems and require 24/7 care in a medical facility. These programs focus on detoxification and medically assisted withdrawal, group counseling as well as individual therapy, resocialization including employment training and household management and coming up with strategies and coping mechanisms to prevent relapse. People stay at the facilities on average between 6 and 12 months.
• Short-term inpatient programs are intensive programs based around a revised 12-step approach. There are individual and group counseling sessions as well as health and wellness training. The average stay is three to six months.
• Intensive day treatment programs are designed to give a level of care compatible with an inpatient program while still allowing the patient to live at home. There are two to four-hour meetings multiple times weekly focusing on both group and individual counseling sessions.
• Outpatient treatment programs are for people who have addiction or substance abuse issues but can still function in the world by going to work and taking care of their family. A meeting takes place one to two times weekly for two hours each time and entails both group and individual counseling.
• Individual treatment options work well for people who are in the beginning stages of addiction and do not require a high level of care. Usually, the approach used will involve Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and address the issues that led to the initial substance abuse. Meeting frequency and duration vary.

The Struggle of Relapse

Once you have completed the course of recovery through one or more of the various programs that are available, the focus of treatment shifts toward a model of preventative care. For many people, by the time they reach the end of their treatment program, they will have already had a relapse. Relapse simply means returning to substance abuse after a period of sobriety. People suffering from addiction have a 40 to 60 percent chance of relapsing at some point according to the National Institute of Health. Those numbers are on par with other chronic diseases like hypertension and asthma and are significant to point out because of the shame and regret that are often associated with relapsing. Relapse is considered a common part of recovery and is actually a useful tool for signaling the need to reenter treatment or modify a treatment plan.

Triggers and Early Warning Signs

An important aspect in recognizing that a relapse is likely is understanding what might be triggering it. A trigger is something that prompts a person to feel upset and scared because they are made to remember something bad that has happened in the past. In the world of addiction, triggers can very easily lead people to relapse and possibly spiral downward if not addressed in a timely manner. Here is a list of some of the more common triggers that can spark a relapse:

• Withdrawal symptoms that come about from the discontinued use of a substance are a huge trigger for relapse. Not only are these symptoms a major cause of relapse, but they are often a major obstacle to people seeking treatment in the first place. Symptoms of withdrawal are varied depending on the substance, length of use and amount ingested. Symptoms include anxiety, nausea, physical weakness, stroke, accelerated heart rate, irregular bowel, blood pressure problems, mood swings and sleep problems.
• Everyday life can be full of stressors that can wear people down and possibly become triggering.
• Poor self-care in the form of stress management, eating and sleeping habits or leisure time can all weigh a person down mentally and physically, which can result in relapse.
• Seeing old friends they formerly used with is a big trigger for many people. The old friend doesn’t even have to be using anymore for the trigger to still be present. Many times, friends who use together develop a co-dependency that will still be present even in the face of abstinence.
• Old hangouts like bars, drug houses or anywhere that use commonly occurred can trigger the urge to pick up again.
• Anything that was a part of a drug-using life can become a trigger to use again. Old habits become etched into memories as do the memories of using that are tied to them.
• Uncomfortable emotions are difficult to deal with under normal circumstances, and for someone suffering from addiction, negative emotions can definitely trigger the urge to use. When people experience feelings of hunger, anger, loneliness, fatigue or sadness, it’s natural to want to shut them down as quickly as possible.
• Relationships and love can cause all sorts of highs and lows that can trigger someone. This is especially true of the lows that come from fighting or breaking up.
• Leading an isolated existence without contact from friends or family can cause someone to overthink things or just become generally depressed, which is never a good thing for someone with addiction issues.
• Being overconfident in your ability to abstain from using or thinking that you have it beat is a surefire way to relapse again. Acting as if nothing bad can happen blinds you to the dangers from all the triggers listed here, which leaves you open and vulnerable. It is important to remember that having an addiction is nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to pretend doesn’t exist.

The Stages of Relapse

There is a misconception that a relapse is an event when, in reality, it is a process. Before a person picks up a substance and begins to use again a whole process has taken place leading them to that point. This process is cumulative and can begin weeks or even months before the actual use occurs. This is why one of the main goals of treatment and relapse prevention is to recognize these warning signs in their initial stages and deal with them at their easiest. Recognizing triggering events such as those listed above is one great way to prevent a relapse. Another way is to recognize the stages of relapse listed below so that you are prepared to deal with them.

Emotional relapse is the first stage and occurs long before a person even thinks about using. They are still cognizant of their last relapse and want to avoid future use, but their emotional and behavioral states are setting them up to do just that. Denial is a big part of this stage and takes shape in many forms including isolating, bottling up emotions, not going to meetings, not sharing if they do attend meetings, focusing on other’s problems rather than their own and poor eating or sleeping habits. The underlying theme here is the denial of the person’s addiction and the need to stay vigilant during recovery.

The two important areas to address during this stage are denial and self-care. With the former, there is a mindset developing that the person is immune to or in control of their addiction. This sets up a false sense of security that will leave them open to triggers and eventual use. The latter can be problematic because neglecting oneself whether physically or emotionally will also leave them vulnerable to triggers.

Mental relapse is the next stage; at this point, a person is involved in an internal struggle between using and abstinence. As they progress through this stage, the desire to escape starts to overpower the will to abstain. Some important indicators of mental relapse include cravings for drugs or alcohol, fixating on people, places and things from when they used, minimizing or glamorizing past use, lying, bargaining, thinking of ways to control their use, looking for an opportunity to use and planning a relapse.

Avoiding high-risk situations is important in helping a person step back from this stage. If they are reminiscing about an old bar they used to go to, they might try visiting it, or they might glamorize their past use and trick themselves into believing they should have never stopped in the first place. This stage can be seen as a tightrope walk where the person walking it can fall off at any moment and start using again.

The final stage is the physical relapse where the actual process of using again. Some clinicians split this stage into a “lapse” which involves one use and “relapse” which involves multiple using events. However, this can be problematic for the person lapsing by tricking them into a false sense of security that can quickly lead right back to this point or further. It is best to minimize the potential negative consequences of any use by rejoining a treatment program whether it is a 12-step program, outpatient facility or some form of individualized care.

Relapse Prevention Tips

There are certain steps you can take to help ensure that the risk of relapse is minimized throughout the recovery process. There are many people who have gone years and decades abstaining from use, so it is definitely possible. Here are some tips that can help you avoid that next pitfall down the road to recovery:

• Stay in treatment for its duration and follow the aftercare guidelines.
• Eat a healthy diet low in refined sugars and simple carbohydrates. These two substances can cause energy spikes and crashes as well as emotional swings.
• Have a regular exercise regimen.
• Try natural ways of reducing stress such as meditation and yoga.
• Join a support group or 12-step program and make connections with people in similar circumstances.
• Avoid people, places and things that are associated with drug or alcohol use.
• Surround yourself with positive family and friends who will support your decision to stay clean.
• Pick up a hobby or creative endeavor to give yourself a positive output for your energy.

With this knowledge and these tips in hand, you can prepare yourself to deal with whatever curveballs life may throw at you in a positive way while maintaining your sobriety.

When someone with substance use disorder becomes sober or first gets out of rehab, there’s a lot of excitement involved even when they know that there is a hard road in front of them. It is exciting to get free and change your life even if it can seem a bit scary at the time. Consider the advice below to maintain your motivation in sobriety.

Set Goals

It can seem like a lot to you to remain sober and have goals at the same time. Being sober is amazing in and of itself, and your life is going to continue to open up to amazing possibilities as a result. You might want to gain back what you have lost or reach for something you put off long ago. You can do this.

In fact, it helps your sobriety a great deal to work on other aspects of your life. Addiction has most likely negatively impacted your health and personal relationships. Setting and working toward goals can help you to take back what was stolen, and it will give you additional motivation to remain sober.

Choose large goals, but break those goals up into smaller ones. For example, if you want to run a marathon, you can’t start off running the whole thing just because you used to do it. Instead, start by working toward smaller milestones. You might want to build up to running 5 miles, but you need to start with simply walking. Then jog before moving on from there. Achieving smaller goals will help to boost your confidence, which will also prevent you from sabotaging your own efforts.

Understand That You Are Worth Your Sobriety

Speaking of self-sabotage, you need to understand that you’re worth your sobriety, and you deserve a fulfilling life. You are not damaged goods, and you are not too far gone. Don’t believe that nonsense. You were meant for something great. You have been through the worst, which means you can help a great many people. People will listen to you because you have been where they are, and you can show them that awesome things await them in their sobriety.

You might become fearful or suffer from a feeling of inadequacy while on your journey, but don’t let that stop you. These feelings are temporary, and you can change them with the right mental attitude. You know what’s important to you. Staying motivated in recovery means being honest with yourself. So, when you feel tempted to drink or get high, ask yourself what’s really going on. You could just be afraid of success. It happens to more people than you might think.

Get Rid of the “All or Nothing” Mentality

On your journey, things aren’t always going to be great. You’re not going to have perfect days, and that’s okay. The important thing to remember is that you don’t throw in the towel just because things aren’t perfect. Don’t beat yourself up or quit because you didn’t work out or didn’t complete something else you set out to do. Pick up where you left off and keep going.

Imagine that you’re walking down a road. Let’s say the road is 5 miles long, and you want to reach the end. Along the way, you stumble on some rocks or veer off the course to take in some pretty views. Maybe you take a nap under a tree for a few hours and start back down the road. Would you be upset that you stumbled on rocks, looked out over the landscape, or took a nap? No, of course not.

Just because you’re not steadily walking down the road, it doesn’t mean you’re not going to get to the end, and it doesn’t mean you haven’t crossed the same amount of road to get to where you are. Progress is progress. Don’t disregard all of your previous achievements and beat yourself up for getting off-track. Just get back on the road and keep going.

Keep a Journal

It’s easy to forget where you’ve been, all you have struggled with, and how you used to think. If you keep a journal and read your earlier entries, you will find that you have grown a great deal.

In fact, with a record of what you’ve been up to, you might find that you have drastically changed in just a few months, which is nothing short of amazing. This can be incredibly encouraging on days when you feel down or think you aren’t progressing.

If there are areas you haven’t been able to overcome, don’t lose heart. It happens, but don’t forget to celebrate your successes. When you find yourself in a difficult situation, look at it as a learning opportunity and use it to continue on your path to personal growth. Be sure to take things as they come, and don’t forget to write down your thoughts, feelings, and actions along the way.

Keep Your Eye on the Prize

On your recovery journey, you’ll discover many reasons why you want to be sober. In the beginning, it might simply be because you’re done living the way you did before sobriety. For others, they might want to be sober for their kids.

All of the reasons you have for being sober are valid and will help you stay committed, but it’s important to remain diligent. When life gets hard, because it will, you will need to stay focused on what you want. You will need to get rid of all of the distractions keeping you from your goals. Also, be sure to constantly remind yourself why sobriety is important and why you’re worth the effort.

Don’t Chase the Past

Addiction has a way of robbing people of precious moments that occur on a daily basis. After the storm has cleared, you might have this overwhelming desire to make up for lost time. However, it’s important to remember that you can’t change the past, and you don’t live there.

What’s more, if you’re busy worrying about the past, you’ll never live in the present, and you’ll rob yourself of your future. So, allow the past to teach you and propel you in the present so that you’ll have brighter days ahead. Ask yourself, “What am I going to do with what I have today?” Then, stay focused on the present and remember that looking back at the past with regret will not help you reach your goals for a more hopeful future.

Decide What You Want in Life

It might be beneficial to you to create a vision board. Put everything on it that you want in life. This could be as simple as taking cuttings of things you want from a magazine. During the process, avoid focusing on superficial things and think of what it is you truly value in life.

This might be family, friends, or health. Think big and small. Eventually, you might want to get your dream car or pay off debt, but you also might want to enjoy the morning air on your front porch with a good cup of coffee. Put that on your vision board, and look at it often. Whenever you do one of the things on your vision board, put a star or some other mark to see how much you have accomplished.

Take Time to Love Yourself

You’ve been through a lot, and it’s time to love yourself. Along the way, you might have caused harm to others, but you have been harmed too. Taking time to love yourself helps to undo some of the harm you have experienced.

Self-care lets you know you matter and will give you fuel to keep on moving. You will start to feel better about yourself and begin to grow physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Self-care activities that can boost your overall well-being include yoga, jogging, and other exercises. You can also start daily meditation or take time out of each day to read an inspirational book. Life can get busy, but it’s important to focus on healing, especially during the recovery process.

Keep a Schedule

Along with maintaining a self-care routine, keeping a schedule is vital to your success. When you keep a schedule, you will prevent yourself from not achieving your goals and having fruitless days. Having a schedule in place is also one of the best things that you can do to properly manage your activities so that you don’t begin to feel overwhelmed.

If you have unhealthy people in your life, your schedule can also help you to maintain your personal boundaries. It’s vital that you attend to what’s important and avoid putting your needs on the backburner for the sake of “helping” others. A schedule will ensure that you avoid distractions, meet your daily responsibilities, and remain focused on your sobriety.

Reach Out

You weren’t meant to carry all of your burdens on your own. Consider attending AA, NA, or other meetings to talk with people who have been where you have. You’ll find “old timers” and new people at these meetings who can help you both learn and grow. Meetings will also give you the opportunity to work with a trustworthy and wise sponsor who can provide support along your recovery journey.

In addition to attending meetings, it’s important to reach out to true friends and beloved family members who really have your back. Also, consider getting in touch with your higher power. Learn from those around you, and remember that you don’t have to go through life alone.

Take Time to Enjoy Life

It’s time to start living the life you always wanted. Trying to stay sober can be hard work, and you might feel it’s an uphill climb. Because of this, you need to take time to enjoy life to avoid getting burned out.

Enjoy fresh air, take a bath, get out in nature, and find other healthy things that bring you pleasure. This may be something as simple as an exciting TV show, a good book, or some comfy clothes. Whatever it is, embrace it. Doing so will make the process of staying sober easier.

Make a Gratitude List

When you start thinking of all the things that have gone wrong in your life, it’s time to be grateful for all the positive things that have happened to you. Make a list of all the things that are good, no matter what they are. You can be grateful that your bed is comfortable or that at least you have a bed. If you went through rehab, be grateful for the opportunity and don’t forget to express gratitude daily for being able to live life sober. Keep a list of all the positives in your life and refer to it often. Say “thank you” to your higher power and work hard every day to keep a feeling of gratitude in your heart.

It can be difficult to give yourself time to achieve everything you set out to do or to stay motivated in recovery. However, it’s very important that you don’t look at everything you need to do and get discouraged or overwhelmed. Staying motivated in recovery is about understanding where you’re going while focusing on achieving your goals in doable steps. You weren’t meant to do it all overnight. Recovery is a process, but step by step, you’re going to do this. You’ll see.

Larson is a well-respected man. He participates in community outreach programs, regularly donates chunks of his wealth to charity, and even hands out soup to the homeless on every holiday he can.

By day he is a stock broker, and by night a humanitarian… except when he goes shopping. Larson lives a double life. When he goes to the mall, he obsessive-compulsively steals items, some he wants, and some he doesn’t even care for. When grocery shopping, he hides things on the bottom of his cart and walks out with them. Even his friends feel the wrath, as many small things seemingly disappear around him. Larson has a stealing addiction.

Kleptomania VS Addictive-Compulsive Theft

According to the Shulman Center for Compulsive Theft, Spending & Hoarding, which hosts Kleptomaniacs Anonymous, kleptomania is a rarely-diagnosed disorder with different characteristics than the more common addictive-compulsive theft. Basic differences between the two are as follows:

Kleptomania	Addictive-Compulsive Theft
Steals for no monetary gain	Steals to better self
Tension increase beforehand	Tense entire time
Pleasure at time of theft only	Pleasure after theft
No remorse, may even be unaware	Remorse usually felt
Not angry when stealing	Likely to be angry when stealing

Basically, if you find yourself stealing random items for no purpose, and you cannot control this urge, you likely have kleptomania. However, if you find you cannot stop stealing things you desire and you feel guilt or shame afterward, chances are you’re an addictive-compulsive thief  Either way, there is help available to you, although currently that help is limited. (See bottom of article.) More and more experts are agreeing nowadays that stealing can be an addiction, just like drug and alcohol abuse can be, as reported by CBS News.

Theft as an Addiction, not just a Crime

Terrence Shulman, founder of the aforementioned Shulman Center, is the leading expert on theft as an addiction. A former addictive-compulsive theft himself, (as well as a lawyer), Shulman realized he was addicted, not just breaking the law. He set out to help himself and others like him, and founded the Shulman Center, which is the largest stealing-addiction recovery network available.

In an article written for Addiction Professional, Shulman notes that 10% of Americans shoplift regularly, nearly 70% of arrested shoplifters will repeat the offense, and a whopping 75% of Americans have stolen from the workplace.

The fact that 10% of Americans admit to shoplifting regularly is simply astounding. Further research on these 32 million people may show a majority of them to be addicted to stealing.  Foundations like Mr. Shulman’s serve to treat these addictions, but perhaps because stealing is a private and taboo thing, many people do not treat their addiction. This is perhaps illustrated most greatly by the fact that 70% of those caught stealing go and do it again.

In Conclusion

If you took a Milky Way from a gas station once and also borrowed money from your uncle but never paid him back, you are not addicted to stealing.  If every Thursday night you steal a Milky Way, and borrow money from people constantly without paying them back, you may be addicted to stealing.  This is all to say that only you know the difference.  If you believe you may be addicted to stealing, there is help:

The Shulman Center

Help for Shoplifters

The Pathways Institute for Impulse Control

Also, there are conference calls available three times a week, open to anyone anywhere who wants to discuss their addiction to stealing.  Click here for the days, times, and phone numbers.

Children of addicts are the real victims of drug abuse. Of the 586,000 heroin addicts in America, surely a large number of them are parents. With heroin addicts dying from overdoses at a rate of over three per hour, surely a large number of them leave small children behind. The average age of a heroin addict in America is 23, so it’s fair to assume that the majority of heroin users who are parents have children well under 18.

Brenden Bickerstaff-Clark’s son is eight, and last week in a video that’s gone viral, Bickerstaff-Clark told him how his mother had died from a heroin overdose the previous night. After grabbing his hand and taking a deep breath, Bickerstaff-Clark looks his son in the eye and says, “Mommy died last night.” The unnamed boy is unsure how to process the information at first, but after a moment responds, saying, “What? What do you mean, my mom?” He then cries hard as Bickerstaff-Clark explains the truth: that his mother had died from a fatal heroin overdose. It’s the saddest thing online right now.

The 29-year-old father posted the video to Facebook “for any and every addict with children.” Bickerstaff-Clark himself is a recovering heroin addict with (at the time of the post) 94 days clean. Regardless of whether or not you agree with his method, the message was definitely spread. The video currently has over 34 million views.

Already an Epidemic

This happened in Youngstown, Ohio, which is in Mahoning County, which is just one of the several Ohio counties in the middle of a heroin epidemic. In fact, according to the Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring Network (OSAM), the Youngstown area is oversaturated with heroin. A recent report stated that on a scale of 1 to 10, the overall availability of heroin in the area is a 10. Local law enforcement commented on this, saying “Heroin is still our biggest problem; we’re just so inundated with the heroin.…”

One woman from Youngstown recently begged the police to take her to jail in order for her to beat heroin. Her quote given to NBC makes it clear how badly the area is affected: “There’s no help out there anymore. There’s a three-month waiting list for any rehab around here because of the heroin epidemic. It was faster to go to jail.”

Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the US, and the Mahoning County Coroner reported that 42.4% of the drug-related deaths processed in the last six months were due to heroin. The drug is so rampant in the area that even a 97-person drug bust in Warren, OH didn’t even make a dent in the amount of heroin around. Actually, OSAM reported that the amount of heroin in the area “has either remained the same or has slightly increased during the past six months.”

Evidence suggests there is an entire drug-smuggling operation in Youngstown. Last year, the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force issued fifteen arrest warrants for suspected drug dealers in the area. Also last year, a “drug trafficking organization operating in Mahoning County” was taken down. A locally-based criminal gang called the Vic Boys is the most likely culprit. Ohio is in the middle of a heroin epidemic.

Ohio is by no means the only state with a heroin problem. The entire country faces a serious threat. The Centers for Disease Control reports “The United States is experiencing an epidemic of drug overdose (poisoning) deaths.” It just happens that Ohio is where Mr. Bickerstaff-Clark lives, and is also one of the states affected the most. Still, regardless of where it happens, children of addicts are the true victims. Remember, for instance, the Ohio couple who recently passed out in their car from heroin overdoses, the woman’s young son in the back seat.

Silent Victims

Parents die from heroin overdoses, leaving their children behind. This is a cold reality. Also, babies are born with heroin addictions due to their mothers’ abuse. Last year in Whitefield, New Hampshire, as reported by WMUR, Tanya Fleury’s granddaughter found her father (Tanya’s son) dead from an overdose. Told that her father was sick and went to heaven, the little girl said, “I’m not going to have my adventures with daddy anymore.” Often, the two would surf or play guitar.

Lieutenant Nicole Ledoux of the Manchester Police Department told WMUR that children are usually the callers-in of heroin overdoses. “Kids as young as 8 or 9 are calling us to say their parent or their guardian or caregiver is unconscious and unresponsive, and we come out, and we find out that the person is suffering from an overdose,” said Lt. Ledoux.

Earlier this month, in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, a seven-year-old girl spent an entire day trying to wake her parents up. The next day she went to school, and upon being dropped off afterward, she told the bus driver about how she couldn’t wake her parents up. Police later found both parents dead from heroin overdoses. Also inside the house were three other children, aged 5 years, 3 years, and 9 months. All four children are now heroin orphans. Allegheny County, where McKeesport is located, suffered 422 opioid-related deaths last year, a new record for the county.

Take a look at Huntington, West Virginia, where one in ten babies born at Cabell Huntington Hospital suffer from drug withdrawal, usually from heroin and other opiates. The national average is one in 150, still a number far too high. The drug-addicted babies shake, vomit, and scream inconsolably. The symptoms can last months. Usually the hospital has room for 12 babies, but numbers haven’t been that low in years.

One out of every four people who live in Huntington has a heroin (or other opiate) addiction. Lieutenant David McClure of the local police “has grown accustomed to drug overdoses,” and “his crew responds daily to such calls.” What exactly is he accustomed to seeing? “Moms passed out with their kids still seat-belted. Dads sprawled on floors, their toddlers within an arm’s reach of heroin.”

The story of Maycie Nielsen is hard to forget. She was four years old when her parents started doing heroin. Her sister was nine and her little brother was two. Early on, her parents would physically fight, use heroin in the open, call the cops on one another, and generally create chaos for the children. Eventually her grandmother took her in, as her mother was arrested and her father a homeless junkie. She spent her childhood wondering where her father was and with her mother in jail.

This last example truly shows how bad the heroin epidemic can be for children. In January of this year, the seven-month-old child of Wesley and Mary Ann Landers was a patient at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Upon visiting one day, the parents went into the bathroom of their child’s hospital room together, and proceeded to shoot heroin. Both of them overdosed. Mary Ann died, and Wesley was rendered unconscious when medical staff opened the locked door. Narcan saved his life.

Wesley was found with a needle in his arm, two on the bathroom sink, and a loaded gun in his pants pocket. He faces drug possession and concealed weapon charges. The child went into the hospital with two parents, and left with one. Also, that child will someday have to face the fact that his or her mother died just a few feet away.

More than the Loss of a Parent

Obviously, losing a parent is one of the toughest things any child ever has to endure. With nearly 80 people dying from heroin a day, this is happening too often. However, there are countless other ways parental drug abuse negatively affects children.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health revealed that 2.2 million children in this country have at least one parent dependent on illicit drugs. According to the Children’s Bureau, “Parental substance use can affect parenting, prenatal development, and early childhood and adolescent development.” Furthermore, parental drug use can lead to a lack of proper nutrition, a lack of supervision, and a lack of nurturing, even neglect. Oftentimes, affected families experience mental illness, are victims of domestic violence, or suffer from unemployment.

The Children’s Bureau offers a wealth more of information regarding children of addicts. The following are typical outcomes for children with drug-abusing parents:

• Poor cognitive and/or social development
• Depression and/or anxiety
• Mental health issues
• Physical health issues
• Substance abuse
• High stress
• Difficulties concentrating and learning
• Difficulty controlling responses to stress
• Difficulty forming trusting relationships

In the case of Brenden Bickerstaff-Clark and his 8-year-old boy, a parent was lost at the merciless hands of heroin. That is a worst-case-scenario. As a parent, simply doing drugs already puts your child at much greater risk for the above outcomes. However, even children without parents are being affected by the heroin epidemic as well.

Heroin Affects Foster Children

Parental substance abuse is “a major reason for the growing number of children in foster care,” according to Pew Charitable Trusts. In Ohio’s Clermont County, over 50% of children placed in foster care have at least one parent addicted to heroin. When case workers investigate claims, whether they be of abuse, neglect, malnutrition, etc., “What we’re finding more and more is that the parents are addicted to opiates. And more often than not, it’s heroin,” said Timothy Dick, assistant director of child protective services in the county.

Dealing with the same issue, the state of Indiana recently had to hire 113 additional caseworkers to keep up. One-third of children in foster care in the state of Vermont have parents who abuse heroin. Last year, the number of US children in the foster care system reached an all-time high of 415,000. Nancy Young, director of the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, talked about how it’s not entirely clear just how many child welfare cases involve parental drug abuse. She said that she suspects most of the cases do. This is also “what all the caseworkers and judges are saying,” according to Young.

In Conclusion

Maybe you think that Brenden Bickerstaff-Clark posting the video of telling his son that his mother had died was helpful. Maybe you think that he went too far. Either way, it cannot be argued that Brenden’s son is not alone. Using related statistics, it’s safe to assume that every single day at least one child loses a parent to heroin. Bickerstaff-Clark included a caption with his video, explaining his actions. Whether you agree with his method or not, it’s difficult to disagree with his words:

“THIS FOR ANY AND EVERY ADDICT WITH CHILDREN. TODAY I HAD TO TELL MY 8 YEAR OLD SON THAT HIS MOMMY DIED FROM A DRUG OVERDOSE LAST NIGHT. THIS IS THE REALIZATION AND REALITY OF OUR DISEASE. DONT LET THIS DISEASE HAVE TO MAKE SOMEONE TELL YOUR CHILD THAT YOUR DEAD BECAUSE OF DRUGS. THIS WAS ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS IVE EVER HAD TO DO. MY SON HAS NO MOTHER BECAUSE OF HEROIN… KINDA HARD TO HEAR BUT U CAN HEAR WHAT WE’RE SAYING.
PLEASE GET HELP SO OUR CHILDREN DONT HAVE TO SUFFER. THIS WASNT STAGED. THIS WAS REAL. I HAD SOMEONE RECORD THIS SO ADDICTS WITH CHILDREN CAN SEE THE SERIOUSNES OF OUR EPIDEMIC. I AM A RECOVERING ADDICT MYSELF WITH 94 DAYS CLEAN TODAY… PLEASE SHARE N MAYBE HELP SAVE A CHILDS PARENTS LIFE.”