Staying Sober by Terence T Gorski and Merlene Miller Essay Example

Staying Sober by Terence T Gorski and Merlene Miller Essay When a drug addict is constantly nagged and abused, condemned and ostracized by society, he turns into a viler and bitter individual. Even showering pity will not help him one bit. Heartfelt care and concern, an understanding approach, and tender regard for his feelings are necessary prerequisites to heal his inner wounds. Coupled with this, one needs to learn to forgive and forget his past in order to help him build a new identity. The inner core of every human being is essentially good, even of the hard-core drug addict. He needs help and proper guidance to enable him to align himself with his true personality. The downward march to destruction can be replaced by an upward spiral to inner elevation making him a worthy individual. This happens when the addict recoups his original physical and intellectual health.Relapse syndrome:This is the sum and substance of what Gorski means by staying sober. Every drug addict is a complex personality and the treatment varies from individual to individual. The lack of will power is the main cause of relapse. Gorski tries to trace the complex causes of relapse and explains procedures for the early identification of this malady. Addiction is bad; relapse is even worse. Gorski highlights this aspect for an individual who is about to face the relapse challenge.Some cured patients hail this book as the Bible on the subject of relapse syndrome. To attain mental stability, the ex- Inpatient Rehabilitation beneficiaries refer to the time-table and remedies prescribed in the book quite often. The book gives details about AA, numbers, sponsors, support groups to enable to remain and retain the sober condition. For a cured patient,  Ã‚   to maintain the normal position throughout life is the greatest reward.Gorski’s book is very methodical and systematic. It contains detailed review and classifies addiction as a disease and relapse prevention as a skill. How to take care of the post acute withdrawal syndrome and the stages o f recovery, and the precautions required to be taken at every step. Those with chronic relapse problem will find the steps prescribed in this book very useful. So, staying sober according to Gorski, is not a mere promise. It is an attainable realty.The methods and relapse control systems adopted by Gorski, have stood the test of practical application and he came out with the successful treatment module as explained in this book. Until then, the subject of relapse of alcoholism and drug addiction was given causal attention, not because of carelessness, but because of non-availability of proved procedures. The authors of this book did the painstaking research, watched and studied the relapses and noticed the pattern of the ‘relapse behavior.’   Ã¢â‚¬ËœTriggers’ were identified, the situation leading to relapse tendencies were analyzed. Such detailed patient-wise examination gave them clues about the possible unexpected triggers also. Putting these theories into p ractice is again a matter of deep patience and skill, both for the counselor and the patient.   This is an area of not rash actions, but that of perseverance.The approach to treat ‘relapse syndromes’ perfected by Gorski and Miller is unique for another reason. The treatment is not just about examining the patient. It goes to the root cause of the relapse, the pattern of â€Å"triggers† (both emotional and situational). Once the exact cause of the relapse is identified, the treatment pattern is finalized. The guidelines in the book, therefore, are useful for both the clients and the therapists. You work to an individual plan. The treatment becomes specialized, as applicable to that particular patient.Gorski’s relapse Prevention Model is also known as â€Å"CENAPS† relapse-model. It provides you with the solid backgrounder as for the problem of relapse, point by point. The contents of the book are methodical, such as definitions of addictive disorde rs, mistaken beliefs about relapse, â€Å"Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS)† and its relation to relapse, the importance of family support and involvement, the role of support group etc. Above all, Gorski highlights the importance of the will of the relapsed patient to change; to give up alcohol or other addictions for ever. It is reasonable to assume that since the treatment module goes to the root cause of relapse in a particular individual, the treated individual finds the inner change in him, and that prevents further relapses. When an individual makes a solid decision to change, his very thought process changes. When the thoughts are changed, the mind is changed; when the mind is changed, the man is changed; when the man is changed, the society is changed. Drug-free society then becomes an achievable reality.Strictly speaking, the stages of relapse-recovery as mentioned by Gorski, are nothing new as such.   Those six stages were earlier identified and explained by Stephanie Brown in Treating the Alcoholic: A Developmental Model of Recovery (John Wiely, 1985). But how Gorski does, what he does is important, thoughtful and meticulous. Therefore, his treatment module is hailed as a success.Conclusion:Substance abuse, violence crime and mental health are all inter-related. Gorski is an international expert on these topics. â€Å"Terence T. Gorski is an internationally recognized expert on substance abuse, mental health, violence, crime.   He is best known for his contributions to relapse prevention, managing chemically dependent offenders, and developing  Ã‚  Ã‚   community-based teams for managing the problems of alcohol, drugs, violence, and crime.   He has extensive experience working with employee assistance programs (EAP) and has special expertise in working with emergency professionals including fire, medical, and law enforcement.†Ã‚   (Article: Addiction†¦.)This book is a timely contribution in the cause of substance de mand reduction and perhaps elimination, of this serious social malady which is eating the vitals of the society, all over the world.