AA Meeting

         This past week I attended a Newcomers AA meeting in Lancaster at a local church.  While there I saw many different things that both surprised me and even inspired me.  The meeting was an open, discussion meeting.  The meeting was started with an introduction by Leonard, who was running the meeting.  He talked about the purpose of the meeting and talked about other meetings that are available that people could sign up for.  After the introduction different people read sections from the AA handbook that they use, as well as the twelve steps of AA meetings.  Once the readings were concluded Leonard talked about the topic he chose for the day's meeting and shared an experience he had with the topic.  Then around the room different people would talk about things that they felt applied to the topic as well.
         Overall, there were not many people in attendance to this meeting.  There were nine men that attended the meeting.  From my observations majority of them came from Lancaster or a nearby city and from listening to their stories many of them grew up living on the streets.  About four of the men at the meeting were alcoholics who had been sober for at least more then 10 years.  To me it seemed as if they came to this newcomers meeting in order to provide a sense of hope and stability for the newcomers fighting their addictions.  One of the men there said that he had just celebrated his 26th year of being sober and another said that he made it priority to attend a meeting every night of the week in order to stay on top of his sobriety.  The man running the group, Leonard, also said how it was his birthday and he couldn't be more happy to be at the meeting and not out drinking like he use to typically do to celebrate his birthday or other events.
          Along with the members who had been sober for a good amount of time, there was one young man who was in his first 90 days of fighting his addiction.  He talked about how he had already attended a meeting that morning but felt like there was something drawing him to this particular meeting and he could not of been more happy that he had attended it.  Leonard had introduced the topic of the day to be "Just For Today", and the young man talked about how that motto is the one thing that he is trying to live by.  He told us how he takes each day one step at a time and had recently bought a book on the topic of just one day at a time and only being a quarter of the way done the book he felt more inspired then ever to take it one day at a time and beat his addiction.  I felt inspired by his story because he was so new at trying to beat his addiction and yet seemed so determined to succeed and not fall back into his old patterns.
           Another man told his life story, which also made an impact on my life.  He talked about how he grew up in a house with an alcoholic father and a mother who passed away when he was six years old. The man said how he never knew anything else then alcoholism and so from the time he was 12 to 24 he drank a great deal.  At 24 though he realized he had dreams he wanted to accomplish and decided to overcome his addiction.  He was able to overcome it and got married, had children, and became an architect, like in his childhood dreams.  After many years though he reached a breaking point again and started to go to the bars and nightclubs.  He told us how he almost lost everything in his life.  He was about to be homeless and almost lost his wife and kids.  Once again he realized that this lifestyle was not what he wanted and that he needed to be there for his family so he started attending AA meetings and now has been sober for quite a few years.  It was inspiring to see how thankful he was for overcoming his addiction and finally being able to be there for his family.
         I personally was not very involved in the meeting.  When we first arrived they asked us if it was our first meeting so we said that we were students there to observe and so they asked us a bit about what our assignment was and where we went to school.  When the serenity prayer was cited I joined in on that, and at the end of the meeting everyone stood in a circle, held hands and prayed, which I also partook in.
            Overall, I feel as though this meeting was helpful to the participants that attended.  Many of them talked about how the meetings have helped them to stay on track and give them a sense of a higher power that is guiding them through their journey.  They all seemed to be very supportive of each other and talked about how inspired they felt by the things they talked about at the meeting.
            The concepts I observed in this meeting can definitely relate to the concepts we have learned in class so far.  The biggest connection I saw was the cycle of addiction.  Every member in attendance to the meeting talked about how at one point or another they have all gone through a relapse.  Them saying this made me remember how the cycle works and when things go bad in a person's life they begin to use again and then that same order just keeps occurring.  A common concept this meeting related to was the idea of what an addiction is.  Just as we talked about the definition in class and the characteristics that come along with addiction, I saw that in all the stories told by the members.  Attending this meeting definitely gave me a better understand of how addictions can really affect a person's life and gave me a new insight to how AA meetings really work.  I enjoyed this experience and am very glad that I attended this specific meeting.

Strength-based Approaches: Narrative Therapy

           Did you ever think that you could write narrative stories to help you overcome an addiction?  Well there is an interesting intervention called narrative therapy that allows you to do just that.

Cartoon of Michael White & David Espton

Based off of solution-focused therapy, Michael White and David Epston created this new kind of therapy.  These two men developed their ideas based off of anthropologist and historian Michael Foucault, who believed that generalized therapy was not the way to best help and heal clients  (Wormer & Davis, 2009).  Since the development of narrative therapy, many different therapist have taken their own approach on it and so the therapy varies depending upon the therapist (Morgan, 2000).  

        The main component to White and Epston's narrative therapy is externalization.  At the beginning of this type of therapy the client must separate them self from the label of the problem in order to make decisions on how to deal with it.  In order to do this the client and family members collaborate to create a name for the problem.  An example of this is "an alcoholic becomes a person oppressed by the alcohol bully or booze" (Wormer & Davis, 2009).  In the rest of therapy the client and therapist will refer to the problem as the alcohol bully or booze.  After creating a name for the problem the therapist moves into trying to discover what effect the problem is having on the client's life, as well as how the addiction drags the person into using again (Wormer & Davis, 2009).  A major part of this stage of the therapy is for the therapist to ask questions that do not make the client feel as though they need to defend themselves.  Narrative therapy must strive to be as non-blaming and judgmental as possible (Morgan, 2000).  It is also important for the therapist to use exception questions that work to put a hope in the client that a change is possible in the future (Wormer & Davis, 2009).

       From all of these question asked of the client, the therapist is trying to figure out the life story of the client and find examples of times that they were strong against the addicition or other aspects of life.  By finding these strong aspects, the therapist can use them, when the client is feeling down, in order to to prove that they are strong enough to overcome their addiction and change their future (Wormer & Davis, 2000).  All of these aspects talked about between the client and the therapist are then used in order to create the narrative of the client's life.  The narrative is suppose to focus on what the client sees their future as being after the problem is gone.  Therapists hope for their clients to also relate the changes in their lives to the effect it will have on other people's lives, by getting rid of the addiction (Wormer & Davis, 2000).  Although narrative therapy is typically a one-on-one intervention plan, there are times that it can be used in group settings.  Within group settings a different approach, of not focusing on personal stories and instead creating alternative stories, is taken (Wormer & Davis, 2000).
        When it comes to the cycle of addiction narrative therapy would be very helpful in trying to break the cycle.  The cycle begins with the person feeling depressed and so they commit their addiction in order to alleviate the symptoms.   After the feelings have disappeared unintended consequences arise that make the person feel shame, and guilt.  At this stage of the process narrative therapy could come in, in order to keep the cycle from continuing.  Here the therapy could get the person to talk about the feelings they are having and see that they can overcome the addiction.  Most importantly the person would begin to feel hope and would be able to avoid the depression that usually causes them to start the cycle all over again.  The positives and hopes of narrative therapy would come in great use of breaking the cycle of addiction.

         This strength-based approach would be very helpful in my career as an occupational therapist.  A main focus of OT is to understand what is important to a client and create therapy based off of activities that apply to the client's life.  This major aspect of OT can be greatly seen in narrative therapy since the whole basis of the approach is to understand the person's life and how they want to change it.  This approach could be helpful to use in an OT clinic if you are dealing with client's who have an addiction because you will be able to kill two birds with one stone, by fulfilling the OT aspect and the addictive therapy aspect. 

References

Morgan, A. (2000, December 15). Dulwich centre:a gateway to narrative therapy & community work. Retrieved from http://www.dulwichcentre.com.au/what-is-narrative-therapy.html

Wormer, K. S. V., & Davis, D. R. (2009). Addiction treatment, a strengths perspective. (2nd ed.). United States: Brooks/Cole Pub Co.

Anorexia Nervosa

         Anorexia is almost as prevalent in high schools as drugs and alcohol are.  The trend to be "super model" skinny has grown more popular as the years have gone by making many people turn to anorexia.  The consequences of being anorexic though do not always outweigh the results that occur for a person.
          According to medline plus anorexia is defined as "an eating disorder that makes people lose more weight than is considered healthy for their age and height" ("Anorexia nervosa", 2013).  It has been noticed that people affected by this order tend to diet or exercise too much, and have an intense fear of gaining weight.  Anorexia becomes a problem when it begins to effect the daily life of a person.  The disease is diagnosed when...
          > There is an intense fear of gaining weight, even if                                                                                                                 the person is underweight,
          > There is a refusal to keep their weight at a number healthy for their age and height,
         > There is a distorted body image and won't admit to their extremely weight lost,
         > For women menstrual periods have not occurred for three or more cycles ("Anorexia nervosa", 2013).
          The cause of the disease is not fully known but it is believed it could possibly be contributed to genetics, hormones, and society's attitudes.  It was once believed that family conflicts could contribute to the development of the disease but that has been removed from the list of possible causes ("Anorexia nervosa", 2013).   Anorexia is commonly found in females, typically arising during the teen to young adolescent years, but it can also be seen in males.  Below is the link to a video about a 13 year old girl who suffered from anorexia to the point that it almost took her life:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oxWpt7omA0
Below is a link to an article about a 22 year old woman in the UK who nearly died from anorexia and the story of her recovery:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/9554702/Anorexic-who-weighed-less-than-three-stone-beats-eating-disorder.html
        Symptoms of anorexia are seen in both behaviors that the person does, as well as physical changes to the body.  Some of the behaviors consists of exercising all the time, going to the bathroom right after meals, refusing to eat around other people, or taking diet pills.  The physical symptoms can be found in blotchy or yellow skin, fine hair, depression, dry mouth, loss of bone strength, etc ("Anorexia nervosa", 2013).  According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders around a total of .5 to 3.7% of women suffer from anorexia at some point in their lives.  It has also been recorded that about 20% of all women with eating disorders will die prematurely due to problems stemming from their eating disorder, whether it be medical problems or suicide.  Overall, 4% of the population dies from anorexia a year ("Eating disorders statistics", 2013).
     

A person can be tested for anorexia by doing different medical tests such as a bone density test, urinalysis, liver and kidney function test, an EKG, or many other tests ("Anorexia nervosa", 2013).  These tests will show what is going on inside of the person, so no matter how much they lie about eating they will not be able to lie on these tests.  There are many treatments for anorexia but the first major step for treatment to occur is convincing the person that something is wrong.  Due to the fact that most people will not admit to having an eating disorder they will only enter treatment once their illness has become very severe, and possibly life threatening ("Anorexia nervosa", 2013).  Typically treatment will be

administered in day programs or lengthy hospital stays.  The main goal of therapy is to get the person to accept themselves for who they are which can be done through different techniques like increasing social interaction, creating an eating schedule, and cutting back on exercising amounts.  A major part of therapy is talking.  It is important for the person to talk about what they think and what is bothering them, with the therapist helping to provide the person with helpful information and advice on how to help themselves ("Anorexia nervosa", 2013).  Trying to break through to a person with anorexia can be a very difficult tasks, but it is a very important one.  Anorexia is a very serious disease effecting people of all ages and it needs to be addressed in a very serious manner due to the ability of anorexia to kill a person.  Anorexia is a disease that effects someone their whole life and so it is always a constant struggle for a person to stay on track and keep themselves healthy and from going back down a bad spiral.


References

Anorexia nervosa. (2013, Jan. 24). Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000362.htm

Eating disorders statistics. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/

Salvia

        Hallucinogenic drugs are very popular when it comes to a social scene even though they all have serious consequences if a person were to get caught with them.  There is a drug though that allows its user to "trip" for a small length of time without the risk of getting in trouble with the police.  This drug is known as salvia.
   Salvia, properly known as salvia divinorum, is a dissociative drug originating from Southern Mexico.  It is a "soft-leaved green plant" found in nature ("Salvia divinorum basics," 2011).  The active ingredient found in salvia is known as salvinorian A, which "is the most potent naturally occurring hallucinogen" ("Salvia divinorum," 2006).  The plant was originally used by native tribes, in the form of a tea, in order to heal people ("Salvia divinorum history:," 2010).  Gordon Wasson, an anthropology researcher, was the first person to bring the salvia plant from its original home in Mexico, to America.  He stumbled upon the plant on a research trip to study hallucinogenic mushrooms.  Wasson tried on many attempts to bring the plant into America but continually failed.  He eventually was able to transport it across the borders and started the popular trend of the drug ("Salvia divinorum history:," 2010). 

Salvia in its plant form

         Since the introduction of salvia in America, the plant has been able to be bought online through websites governed by Wasson ("Salvia divinorum history:," 2010).  The fact that the drug can be easily bought online may come shocking to many, and leave many wondering how this possible since the drug is probably illegal.  That idea is incorrect though.  As of right now salvia is still a legal drug within the United States and many other countries ("Drug facts: Salvia," 2012).  Although the drug is legal it has been placed on the list of concerning drugs and is being considered to be identified as a Schedule I drug  ("Drug facts: Salvia," 2012).  Because the drug is typically sold in the amount of leaves the prices of the drug can vary anywhere from fifty to two-hundred dollars.  Different amounts of leaves are needed depending on the way that the drug is going to be used ("Salvia divinorum basics," 2011).  Although no progress has been made on it yet, researchers are hoping to study the potential of salvia for medical uses.  Since salvia is a cousin to marijuana there is belief that there could be medicinal uses to come from it.  Scientists are worried though that the government's concern over whether to add the drug to the Schedule I list would diminish the opportunities to study salvia for medical purposes (Monarez, 2012).

Salvia in its extract form

     Salvia can be taken in a variety of ways.  The most common way is to smoke the plant extracts mixed with the leaves of the plant ("How to use," 2010).  Another popular way to use salvia is to chew it.  In order to use this method a person should soak the leaves in cool water and then squeeze the leaves into a ball to place under their tongue.  For the next thirty minutes the user should keep the ball in their mouth and chew on it about every ten seconds.  The juice that 
develops from chewing on the ball should not be spit out or swallowed ("How to use," 2010).  The newest method to use salvia is to make a tea out of it.  Although the native tribes who first discovered the salvia plant used it in a tea form, this form of ingestion is new to the American population ("How to use," 2010).  Although there are many different ways to use salvia smoking it is the most popular choice of usage since it tends to create the most effect on the user ("How to use," 2010).
           The effects of salvia tend to only last for a short period of time.  After smoking, chewing, or drinking salvia the effects will hit a person anywhere from 2 seconds to 2 minutes afterwards.  These effects range from feelings of dreamlike experiences, having an insight to personal problems, feelings of being in a different dimension and unrealistic visuals.  Along with these happy feelings a person can have overly intense experiences, fear, or panic ("Salvia divinorum effects," 2010).  As with any hallucinogenic drug salvia can have both good and bad effects on its user.  The fact that salvia's effects only lasts for a short period of time has led to the increase in popularity and the inviting nature of the drug to try it.  As of now the long term effects that salvia has on a person are unclear and so there are not really any type of treatment options for those who develop a dependence on salvia ("Drug facts: Salvia," 2012).   
       Personally, I feel that salvia should be added to the list of Scheduled I drugs.  Salvia can be just as dangerous as marijuana or any drugs that make you hallucinate.  Accidents of people injuring themselves while on the drug have been reported in hospitals so I do not understand why the drug is still legal.  The fact that the plants can be so easily bought off of the internet is slightly absurd.  Little kids or other people that should not be exposed to things like this could easily come across the websites and possibly even order the drug without knowing what it is.  A drug like salvia, that has become so widespread in recent years should definitely not be legal.  
              
References

Drug facts: Salvia. (2012, December). Retrieved from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/salvia

Monarez, J. A. (2012, Jan 7). Hallucinogenic salvia may also have medical use, causing controversy. Retrieved from http://www.utepprospector.com/news/hallucinogenic-salvia-may-also-have-medical-use-causing-controversy-1.1006995

How to use salvia, smoke salvia extracts, salvia tincture. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.salvia-world.com/usage.html

Salvia divinorum. (2006, June 29). Retrieved from http://www.cesar.umd.edu/cesar/drugs/salvia.asp

Salvia divinorum history: The beginning of salvia. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.salvia-world.com/history.html

Salvia divinorum basics. (2011, Nov. 16). Retrieved from          http://www.erowid.org/plants/salvia/salvia_basics.shtml

Salvia divinorum effects. (2010, Oct 29). Retrieved from http://www.erowid.org/plants/salvia/salvia_effects.shtml