Alcohol Dependence and Withdrawal - 12 Step Meeting - Essay Example

"Alcohol Dependence and Withdrawal - 12 Step Meeting" is a wonderful example of a paper on addiction.
An ‘Alcohol Anonymous’ (AA) focused 12 step meetings are attended by alcoholics and their families because people get fair chances to reveal their experiences and beliefs regarding their addiction, obtaining knowledge to have self-control, and be inspired by other similar individuals.

The 3 DSM IV diagnoses for Axis I are schizophrenia, depression as well as social phobia (AllPsych, 2013).

AA meetings are held in a confidential manner where attendees are requested not to leak information shared in the meeting. Respectively, confidentiality assists individuals in attending AA meetings without losing anonymity (Sweeney, 2004).

The 12 steps assist in offering adequate treatment assistance to alcoholics. Accordingly, to facilitate better health among alcoholics, this 12 step program also provides sobriety maintenance and aftercare services.

Individuals visiting 12 step meetings are awarded a chip signifying that they will always be welcomed to visit any 12 step AA meeting. There are different colored chips given to the attendees, signifying the period of them being sober, which include white (1 day), silver (30 days), red (60 days), yellow (6 months), green (9 months), and blue (1 year and beyond) (Garrett, 2012).

Alcoholics visiting 12 step meetings are identified to reveal signs of withdrawal from alcohol when they are depressed, anxious, and have hallucinations. The most usual symptoms during alcohol withdrawal are sweating and shaking (Drugs, 2013).

The two defense mechanisms used by individuals during 12 step meetings are denial and rationalization. In often instances, it has been witnessed that alcoholics tend to deny that alcohol is the major cause of their problem. They also tend to rationalization their addiction to alcohol as a justified reaction by blaming others (Garrett, 2012).
The medications commonly used for the treatment of alcoholics are Ativan Oral, Valium Oral, Diazepam Oral, and Lorazepam Oral among others (WebMD, LLC, 2013).
The three important factors to be discussed at the time of discharge of a substance user are listed as follows.

• Take medication as directed by a healthcare provider
• The substance user should take adequate self-care
• Should acquire a caregiver in order to assist with important information and during needs

Source: (Drugs, 2013)

Substance abusers should be committed to a treatment facility with the intention of recovering their alcohol problem in an appropriate manner. Moreover, treatment facilities will also assist substance abusers in reviving from symptoms of alcohol withdrawal (Garrett, 2012).

The ‘Involuntary Commitment Form’ i.e. ‘Examination and Recommendation to Determine Necessity for IVC 5-72-09’ can be used for substance users consuming substances involuntarily.

A person can be held for a period of three months involuntarily (Drake University and Drake University Law School, 2013).

The introductory phase of the meeting was commenced by the chairperson stating the aim of the meeting to individuals attending for the first or the second time. The chairperson then welcomed and acknowledged the effort made by everyone to attend the meeting. The chairperson then asked people to share their opinions and information in relation to substance abuse and recovery (Garrett, 2012).

I feel that the 12 step meeting was an important approach on the basis of which, alcoholics can be offered adequate support by means of mental development programs to trigger their quick recovery. From the meeting, it was observed that people share their opinions as well as stories about substance abuse and how they recovered, which as an inspiration offers significant information to others about recovery from substance abuse.
‘Higher power’ in 12 step meeting in AA signifies to God (Garrett, 2012).

Relapse prevention is a procedure on the basis of which, intimation or sudden eruption of desire for substance abuse is aimed to be mitigated. In AA meetings, consultation taken from an expert develops an effective plan about daily activities in order to control the desire for alcohol or drugs to a certain extent. It is worth mentioning in this context that substance abusers should develop avoidance behavior as an effective tool in relation to relapse prevention, as expert consultation may always not be possible (Recovery, 2013).

The sponsors play an effective role in supporting as well as assisting the organization of 12 step meetings in a locality. It is the sponsors who assist in offering adequate medication and treatment services to individuals attending these meetings (Garrett, 2012).

I was able to observe from the AA meeting in Lawrenceville that the groups organizing the meeting intend to provide adequate assistance to alcoholics in restraining them from their addiction. As I could view, the meeting addressed one particular step, i.e. revival from the 12 steps of AA in an appropriate manner with a vision to aid alcoholics to recover from their addiction (Garrett, 2012).