Addiction Mangles Families

Two people very close to me have battled heroin/pain pill addiction during their teen years. It was undoubtedly the worst period in our family's lives. Addiction facilitates loneliness, guilt, depression, anger, and disbelief that could knock the wind out of you. And to find out how the addict him/herself feels about all this, then you can ask them, because I can only describe primarily what a family member feels.

An article from the New York Times focuses on the mother of a teenager who lost her life to heroin addiction. If you know or suspect a family member or friend is dealing with someone else's addiction, be compassionate and empathetic. Least of all, don't embarrass them because it is not their fault that their child or loved one has an addiction. Many times, parents are made to feel like that and it makes the aforementioned feelings even worse. Read the article here: Heroin's Small-Town Toll, and a Mother's Grief


OT and Substance Abuse

For those of you visiting this blog for OT reasons, here is a brief yet informative synopsis of OT's role with substance abuse-

Occupational Therapy addresses human occupational performance affected by substance abuse and other mental health conditions (often referred to as "dual diagnosis") for the client experiencing addiction. Using a variety of approaches, an individual can learn how to restructure their cognitive-behavioral system and beliefs about themselves, how to organize their free time, and how to anticipate and manage symptoms that may lead to relapse/abuse. The American Occupational Therapy Association has published various information regarding OT's role with substance abuse on their website: OT's Role with Substance Abuse and Recovery with Purpose

Several studies supporting OT's role with substance abuse have been published in the AJOT:

Moyers, P. A. (1992) Occupational Therapy Intervention with the Alcoholic's Family. American    Journal of Occupational Therapy. 46(2) 105-111.

Peloquin, S. M., Ciro, C.A. (2013) Self-Development Groups Among Women in Recovery: Client  Perceptions of Satisfaction and Engagement. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. (67)1. 82-90

Stoffel, V.C., Moyers, P.A. (2004) An Evidence-Based and Occupational Perspective of Interventions for Persons with Substance-Abuse Disorders. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. (58)5. 570-586.

As always, visit the following websites for more detailed information:

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - Federal

New Jersey State Addiction Services

Nonprofit NGOs:
National Alliance on Mental Illness and
NAMI in New Jersey