Temporary Child Custody

Around eight months ago I had lunch with a forty-nine-year-old man named Alexander who suffers from extreme depression, has marital issues, and who is drug and alcohol dependent. As articulated by Alexander, it is his drug and alcohol dependency and his acute depression that had the most to do with his recurring divorce difficulties.

I recollect hearing that a history of mental health concerns, drug abuse, and abusive and unhealthy drinking routinely take place in the same family. Not only this, but I remember hearing that in such situations, an individual needs to get counseling for both medical problems and that chemical dependency and mental health difficulties often occur in the same person.

As stated by Alexander, he is so overwhelmed by his divorce problems and by both of his medical conditions that he in effect has little or no driving force to accomplish much of anything. What is especially unfortunate about this is that earlier in his life, Alexander managed to complete one semester of graduate school in French history.

Alexander’s condition makes me question if he is an illustration of a person who can look in the mirror and perceive his drug abuse and alcohol drinking problems and do something healthy about these issues or if he is someone who has to hit the bottom of the barrel before he gets drug and alcohol addiction counseling that results in long lasting sobriety.

The Need For a Counseling Protocol He Can Believe In and a Physician He Can Trust

If it would be helpful I would assume that I could suggest quite a lot of blogs and websites that could possibly help him learn more about drug abuse symptoms, the stages of alcoholism, chemical dependency information, and relationship issues. From my perspective, nevertheless, Alexander needs to find a treatment program he can believe in and follow through over the long term and find a therapist he can trust.

I could be mistaken but it seems to me that Alexander more likely than not needs to look honestly at his life regarding his drug addiction signs and alcoholic symptoms and understand the fact that he cannot use drugs or drink at all if he wants to get sober, remain sober, and start on the path to lasting sobriety.

It may be asked how counseling would help his alcohol and drug addiction. For starters, there are quite a few recently created doctor-prescribed meds that can help Alexander through the alcohol and drug detoxification process, through his withdrawal symptoms, and help him avoid a drug or an alcohol relapse.

Second, Alexander would learn to concede the fact that there is absolutely nothing useful about chemical dependency and abusive and excessive drinking and that involving himself in one or both circumstances is the map to a premature death, shattered relationships, deteriorating health, legal problems, financial difficulties, and poor work and school performance.

Third, treatment for his depression and for his marital problems might help him cope with these psychological difficulties more successfully and help create less of a need for him to engage in addictive behavior.

The Relevance of Recovery Groups Like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous

There are probably several family members, other individuals, and friends who would offer to help Alexander with his drug abuse and his abusive drinking. He more likely than not would experience greater understanding from a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, however, instead of getting guidance from people who do not drink or who have never abused drugs.

When Individuals Do Things They Love and About Which They Are Fervent

There’s a philosophical viewpoint that contends that individuals who accomplish things they love and something about which they are fervent reach a wonderful place in life. Stated more exactly, when people do what they love, they rarely if ever go through boredom or an uneventful life. If they get involved in something that is enjoyable, what is more, they become more complete and experience more gratification and joy in life, in their friendships, and in their relationships.

When this is thought about even for a few moments it becomes clear that this affirmative mindset is poles apart from a life that is rooted in chemical dependency because such a lifestyle removes the happiness and delight that life has to offer.

Due to the fact that Alexander doesn’t have the grit to carry out much of anything in his life, it is evident that he desperately needs a little hope for a healthier lifestyle. And the sad thing is that hope is almost everywhere around Alexander if he could only get to the place in life to get the therapy he requires for his acute depression and chemical dependency and stay with his treatment protocol.

Better Relationships, Constructive Change, Self Respect, and a Wonderful Life Are Possibilities

Alexander is simply too young to be beaten in life. He doesn’t realize this at this time in his life but if he can learn how to stay away from alcohol and drugs through alcohol and drug rehab and get the counseling he requires for his extreme depression, he can turn his life around and start living with self-respect, passion, and direction.

Enhanced relationships, constructive change, self respect, and a wonderful life are certainly a reality for Alexander if only he could get motivated to seek the professional rehab he needs, follow through with his therapy protocol, live his life in a healthy and drug and alcohol-free way, and learn how to acquire a more positive attitude about life.