Family engagement can improve the treatment outcome for clients recovering from substance use disorder (SUD) and co-occurring mental health disorders. According to the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for helping a family member who is drinking too much, using drugs, or dealing with a mental illness, research shows that family support can play a major role in helping a loved one with mental and substance use disorders.” Knowing how to support someone in rehab increases long-term recovery rates. Samarpan Recovery encourages families to support their loved ones during treatment and continuing care. 

How Can The Family Unit Support Treatment?

Families in India often have multiple generations living close together where they can provide daily support for one another. The large family units provide essential encouragement during rehabilitation and long-term recovery.

Families in India have a much more active role in recovery compared to Western countries. The close-knit nature of families and their hierarchy has a real-world impact on how well clients cope with stress and symptoms during treatment.

Many clients need to focus on their own healing before they can repair damage caused to close relationships. Sometimes that means having less contact with loved ones for the first few days or weeks of treatment. However, family involvement in the later stages of rehabilitation significantly improves the effectiveness of treatment.

The family unit impacts recovery in a variety of positive ways, including:

• Holding loved ones accountable for their choices and behaviours

• Providing essential insights into underlying issues that might impact recovery

• Rewarding loved ones for making positive choices and improving their overall health

Families can also educate their community and improve the environment for their loved one’s recovery. Mental health awareness ensures families and communities provide a safer space for healing and personal growth. According to the Industrial Psychiatry Journal, “Some of the strategies undertaken to target awareness and address the stigma around mental illness include participation by family members” in the recovery process.

What Are Family Support Services?

Family services help people support their loved ones during treatment and ongoing recovery. Most facilities offer the following:

• Family therapy

• Mental health education

• Referrals for individual therapy

• Information on local or online support groups for family members

Not all communities have access to essential mental health resources. However, most people can access support services online or through their treatment facility. Samarpan Recovery uses various therapy and alternative methods to help clients and their families as they transition into continuing care. In addition, we facilitate weekly client contact with family members to ensure their bonds remain strong and consistent.

Is Family Therapy Right For Every Client?

Not everyone needs or responds well to family therapy. However, it can be the difference between a negative and a positive treatment experience for many people. Clients who benefit from family therapy may experience the following:

• Tension within the family unit

• Miscommunication about mental health

• Family belief in stigmas and misinformation regarding treatment, substance misuse, or mental health disorders

Families with unhealthy dynamics cannot support a full recovery unless each family member addresses their own problems and takes action to participate in their loved one’s recovery. According to the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, “Families are generally unaware and lack information about mental illnesses and how to deal with them and in turn, may end up maintaining or perpetuating the illness.” Family therapy can educate people about dangerous misinformation or disinformation.

How Can Families Support Their Loved Ones During Long-Term Recovery?

Besides knowing how to support someone in rehab, it is also important to be able to follow that support up in long-term recovery. Some of the most common ways families support their loved ones following rehab include:

• Listening and providing encouragement

• Offering practical support

• Helping loved ones overcome challenges

• Holding loved ones accountable for their actions during treatment and recovery

Not all families will be receptive to the idea of therapy. However, that usually does not stop them from providing essential support to their loved ones during treatment and continuing care. Religious, cultural, and personal beliefs may prevent some people from getting the most out of family therapy. Clients will need to collaborate with their care team to determine who would benefit from attending family therapy.

The Importance Of Mental Health Education

Mental health issues are complex, and often the side effects and symptoms impact many areas of a client’s life. Educating family and friends about the realities of addiction, mental health, and recovery ensures they understand how to support their loved ones. Families can show their support by providing love, compassion, empathy, and unconditional encouragement to individuals struggling with recovery.

Communities and family members can also do the following:

• Combat stigmas with factual information

• Offer practical assistance

• Provide loved ones with recovery resources

• Change policies or procedures within workplaces to support recovery

• Adjust family expectations and dynamics to meet the needs of the person in recovery

Our team understands the importance of engaging with the entire family unit to ensure clients get the support they need to heal. In addition, Samarpan Recovery uses mental health education to engage with communities and help them become more informed.

Family support impacts recovery. In addition, it can influence how well clients respond to treatment and retain the lessons they learn in therapy. Families prioritizing their loved one’s health and happiness often have a much better experience. The focus should be on the person being treated and not their diagnosis or past maladaptive behaviours. Clients may have families with multigenerational mental health issues. The care team at Samarpan Recovery uses mental health education, family therapy, and other services to help clients and their families repair relationships and heal from the damage of SUD. To learn more about our services and programs or find out how to support someone in rehab, call our office today at +91 81809 19090 to speak with an admissions representative.

Psychotherapy, also referred to as talk therapy, provides essential support for clients recovering from substance misuse and mental health disorders. According to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), “Even when medications relieve symptoms, psychotherapy and other interventions can help a person address specific issues,” including “self-defeating ways of thinking, fears, problems interacting with other people, or dealing with situations at home, school, or work.” Therapy actually helps clients heal and grow. Samarpan offers a range of treatment options, including evidence-based and alternative therapies.

Why Is Therapy Effective?

Therapy is a highly effective form of treatment. In fact, most people in recovery benefit from attending individual and group therapy sessions. Psychotherapy provides clients with the tools they need to address specific issues affecting their mental health, including:

• Maladaptive thoughts, beliefs, or behaviours
• Fear and negative emotions
• Self-harming or risk-taking behaviours
• Difficulties forming healthy social connections

Clients undergo screenings and assessments to help the clinical team understand which therapeutic approaches might provide the best results. However, every case is unique, and no two clients react the same to treatment. Everyone has their own preferences and belief systems. In fact, most people respond best to tailored treatment programs that allow them to control the direction of their care. Most clients collaborate with the care team and choose which therapy methods might best meet their needs.

Therapy provides essential support by doing the following:

• Alleviating symptoms of trauma, anxiety, and stress
• Helping clients identify the root causes of their disorder
• Providing an outlet for healthy self-expression
• Encouraging self-improvement and skill development

The Most Common Forms of Therapy

Some of the most common therapy methods include:

• Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)
• Motivational interviewing (MI)
• Transactional analysis (TA)
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
• Eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
• Experiential therapy
• Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)
• Contingency management 
• Anger management,
• Behaviour modification
• Relapse Prevention

Some clients benefit from participating in traditional talk therapy alongside alternative holistic therapies, including:

• Adventure and activity therapy
• Art therapy
• Creative healing
• Drama therapy
• Music therapy

Evidence-based and alternative therapies provide clients with social connections, skill development, and mental health education. Most people participate in an eclectic mix of therapies designed to address their circumstances. According to the previously mentioned research published by NIMH, “Choosing the right treatment plan should be based on a person’s individual needs and medical situation.”

Therapy Actually Works Best When Combined With Other Treatments

Most clinicians use a combination of therapeutic approaches to ensure a well-rounded care plan. In most cases, therapy actually provides the best support when used in conjunction with other forms of treatment and support services, including:

• Prescription medication
• Dietary changes
• Physical exercise
• Peer support
• Skill development
• Mental health education

Family involvement in therapy also plays a crucial role in recovery for many people. At Samarpan, we offer weekly facilitated sessions with family members and other family support services to ensure our clients and their loved ones can take full advantage of therapy.

Therapy Actually Involves Collaboration Between the Therapist and Client

Collaboration is the most critical component of effective recovery programs and therapy. The individual, group, and family therapy should involve collaboration between all people involved in the sessions. According to the Journal of Clinical Psychology, “Given its significance, therapists strive to maintain an empathic viewpoint throughout treatment.” Clinicians who prioritize empathy and compassion often have a deeper connection with clients.

Collaboration between clients and the care team at Samarpan is achieved by doing the following:

• Actively listening and communicating effectively
• Taking into consideration any details shared by the client that may impact their recovery
• Using ethical practices to ensure the client has control over their own recovery
• Educating the client about their options

Samarpan’s Director of Residential Services, Martin Peters, has said, “[T]he therapeutic relationship, is the most important factor and therefore there is a strong emphasis on our staff being empathetic, culturally competent and relatable, whilst also having the appropriate professional boundaries.” The Deputy Director of Residential Services at Samarpan, Obi Unaka, has also said, “Our approach is collaborative thereby inviting the client to be the driver of his/her treatment episode which engenders the autonomy required for them to take responsibility.”

Compassionate and Ethical Care at Samarpan

Our policies and guidelines at Samarpan ensure clients feel safe and secure while confiding in their therapist. Clients have autonomy and control over their treatment plans and therapy goals. In addition, the care team uses comprehensive screenings and assessments to ensure that they provide the most effective suggestions for therapy. The care team helps clients plan their treatment and continuing care.

Meeting Clients Where They Are Today

Samarpan meets clients where they are today and helps them set the foundation for a healthier future. Therapy actually works by ensuring that clients find some way to feel invested in their own treatment and long-term recovery. DBT, CBT, MI, and other therapy methods can help clients overcome ambivalence and feel more engaged. Clinicians meet clients where they are by doing the following:

• Actively listening to their needs, desires, and preferences
• Listening to feedback and adjusting treatment as needed
• Forging a bond of trust with the client
• Considering all current factors that might impact treatment and recovery

Samarpan helps people find healthier ways to cope with and manage their condition using therapy and other evidence-based methods.

Most people who struggle with substance misuse or mental health disorders have underlying issues contributing to their condition. Addressing those problems promotes healing and positive mental health. Therapy helps clients come to terms with their circumstances and find healthy ways to improve their quality of life and ability to contribute to society. Unlike other treatments, including prescription medication, therapy works by helping clients connect thoughts and beliefs with specific behaviours and consequences. Increasing self-awareness and providing essential insights allows therapists to guide clients through recovery. Samarpan uses multiple forms of therapy to help clients recover and move forward. To learn more about our treatment and programs, call us today at +91 81809 19090.

Proper diet and exercise can directly affect your mental and physical health. According to the India National Health Portal (NHP), “Physical activity is an important and essential aspect of our life to achieve optimum health and well-being.” Age, gender, and the severity of symptoms impact how much exercise and the type of diet a person needs to stay healthy during recovery. Samarpan prioritizes nutritional meals and physical activity to help clients improve their general health while undergoing treatment.

Diet and Exercise Enhances the Effectiveness of Treatment

Holistic treatment for substance misuse and mental health disorders looks at the person as a whole. Clients are encouraged to remain physically active and eat regular nutritional meals. The brain and body benefit from a healthy lifestyle that includes the following:

• Quality sleep
• Staying hydrated
• Physical activity
• Healthy diet
• Positive social interactions

Diet can significantly impact mood stability and a client’s ability to focus on recovery. According to The BMJ, “[I]mproving diet may help to protect not only the physical health but also the mental health of the population.” Individuals in treatment may have nutritional deficiencies or poor physical health due to the side effects of their condition. The personalized treatment programs at Samarpan ensure clients have access to the resources they need to establish healthy routines.

Diet and Exercise at Samarpan

Martin Peters, the Director of Residential Services at Samarpan, has said, “For clients who may have specific dietary needs, we will ensure that these are also managed either with a nutritionist or a dietician so that they can rebuild their physical health as well as mental. We also know that both diet and exercise can play a significant role in improving mental health, so all of our interventions from group exercise to eating as a community is a part of getting clients to reconnect with themselves, and others.”

Clients can rely on their care team to help them identify areas they can improve in their diet and physical health. We provide professional support and education that helps clients meet the health recommendations for their age and gender. In addition, Samarpan continues to monitor physical and emotional wellness, adjusting activities and meals as necessary to meet health goals.

Biological, Social, and Psychological Wellness

Diet and exercise are directly linked to biological, social, and physical wellness. The food clients eat can affect chemicals in the brain that impact thought and behaviour patterns. In addition, regular physical activity can increase focus and improve cognition. Clients should have access to treatment services that protect their well-being by providing guidance on improving their overall health.

Impact of Spiritual Wellness

Diet and Exercise affect a client’s ability to establish and maintain spiritual wellness. According to the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, “Mental health has two dimensions—absence of mental illness and presence of a well-adjusted personality that contributes effectively to the life of the community.” The researchers reported, “Recent studies show that religious beliefs and practices are supportive to cope with stresses in life and are beneficial to mental health.” Clients who feel more engaged, energized, and focused will have a more meaningful spiritual experience.

Religion or spirituality can provide clients with a supportive community of like-minded individuals who can become part of their support system. In addition, spirituality can help clients feel hopeful and motivated throughout treatment and recovery.

The Health Benefits of Regular Exercise

Regular exercise ensures people feel their best and provides the following benefits:

• Reduced risk of heart disease and cancer
• Improved circulation
• Boosted immune system
• Less severe mental health symptoms
• Mood stabilization
• Greater mental focus

Most people also find it easier to form social connections while engaging in group physical activities. Regular exercise can include walking, sports, gym routines, and other low-stress activities. Clients often benefit from having exercise activities built into their treatment plans. The structure and accountability make it easier to establish new routines.

Nutritional Meals Can Impact Mental Health

Nutrition plays a key role in mental health because it can physically affect cognition and emotions. According to Harvard Medical School, “[W]hat you eat directly affects the structure and function of your brain and, ultimately, your mood.” The brain requires certain nutrients to work correctly, and without them, people may begin to notice disruptive symptoms, including:

• Difficulty focusing
• Muscle aches and pains
• Headaches or migraines
• Unusual tiredness or hyperactivity
• Sleep disturbances
• Changes to appetite
• Significant mood swings

Certain foods and ingredients can impact your recovery by affecting your physical and mental health. Harvard Medical School goes on to report that “Multiple studies have found a correlation between a diet high in refined sugars and impaired brain function — and even a worsening of symptoms of mood disorders, such as depression.” The care team at Samarpan educates clients on how to identify and prepare meals that promote positive mental health.

Healthy Diet and Exercise Can Improve Peer Engagement

A healthy diet during treatment involves eating regular nutritional meals with peers, support staff, and the clinical team. The relationships and boundaries formed between peers at the meal table can mimic family dynamics and prepare clients for continuing care. In addition, peers provide each other with accountability and encouragement during the early stages of recovery. Communal meals can normalize a healthy diet, positive social interactions, and improve self-care. Samarpan uses mealtime as an opportunity to practice the many skills and coping techniques clients learn during therapy.

Physical and mental health is directly connected to diet, exercise, and self-care. If clients do not look after their overall health, the treatment will not have the same degree of impact. Samarpan encourages clients to exercise, eat healthily, and prioritize positive social interactions. We believe that to maintain long-term recovery, clients need to create sustainable healthy routines that support their overall well-being. We provide nutrition counselling, skill development, and other services to help clients learn how to manage their physical and mental health during and after treatment. We also educate families about the importance of diet, exercise, and social support. To learn more about our programs and how we can help, call us today at +91 81809 19090.

Every person starts treatment with certain expectations and recovery goals in mind. Clients and their families often have unrealistic expectations about treatment and recovery. According to Mentalhealth.gov, “Treatment and recovery are ongoing processes that happen over time.” Samarpan considers a client’s physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being when discussing recovery. We understand that recovery looks different for everyone.

What Is Recovery?

Just what is recovery, anyway? According to the Samarpan Director of Residential Service, Martin Peters, “This is a question that I am often asked; there remains an often-dated belief that success in recovery can only be defined as to whether someone is clean or sober after leaving treatment. Recovery is so much more than that. Recovery is not abstinence, abstinence is a pre-requisite for recovery, but we must always understand that the bio, psycho, social, and spiritual needs of a person are in balance for someone to be truly in a long-term sustainable recovery.”

The previously mentioned article by mentalhealth.gov reported, “Recovery from mental disorders and/or substance abuse disorders is a process of change through which individuals:

• Improve their health and wellness
• Live a self-directed life
• Strive to achieve their full potential”

Supportive family members can help clients recover more efficiently by providing encouragement and emotional support. Often, “success” looks different for each member of the family. In the end, the client’s goals and beliefs are the most important marker for achieving recovery.

Why Does Recovery Look Different for Everyone?

Healing from substance use disorder (SUD) or mental health-related trauma takes time, dedication to change, and a strong support system. Every case has unique factors that impact treatment and a client’s ability to recover.

A few contributing factors many people encounter include:

• The severity of symptoms and co-occurring disorders
• Ability to cope with daily stressors
• Amount of social support
• Personal dedication to making healthy lifestyle changes

Obi Unaka, the Deputy Director of Residential Services at Samarpan, has stated, “The concept of success in recovery is subjective; measuring the outcome of an individual’s treatment episode is based on an individual’s interpretation. For some, reducing the harms caused by substance use or being non-dependent may be their idea of success – one size does not fit all.”

What Does Recovery Mean for Me?

The clinical team works with clients to help them identify goals to track their progress. Everyone thinks about recovery in their own way. For example, one person may consider themselves fully recovered if they stop the unwanted behaviors. Another person may feel they have recovered only after achieving emotional, physical, and spiritual stability.

According to Mentalhealth.gov, planning for recovery does the following for people in treatment:

• “Enable [them] to identify goals for achieving wellness
• Specify what [they] can do to reach those goals
• Include daily activities as well as longer-term goals
• Track any changes in (their) mental health problem
• Identify triggers or other stressful events that can make [them] feel worse, and help [them] learn how to manage”

Some clients may need guidance figuring out what recovery means for them.

3 Prerequisites of Recovery

Clients benefit from achieving certain changes that help them become more functional and improve their quality of life. No two recovery journeys look the same. However, there are some universal mile markers that clinicians and clients can use to track progress. Below are three things people can do to recover successfully.

#1. Abstain From Substance Misuse or Maladaptive Behaviors

People unfamiliar with a holistic approach to treatment may believe that abstaining from substance misuse or discontinuing maladaptive and self-destructive behaviors constitutes recovery. However, this is not the case for people in a holistic treatment program.

Abstinence and improved behaviors indicate that the client has successfully reached a milestone in recovery that they can use as motivation to continue making progress. Abstaining and not engaging in certain behaviors does not address underlying issues that must also be resolved to ensure the client does not relapse or backslide into old habits after leaving treatment.

#2. Improve Mental Health and Emotional Stability

Treatment programs give clients the tools they need to achieve emotional stability. The skills they learn allow them to improve their emotional health over a period of weeks or months. Reaching a point where they can function without being overwhelmed by the symptoms and side effects of SUD or mental health issues allows the client to focus on other goals. However, achieving positive mental health does not mean someone is fully healed from the trauma that may have caused their condition in the first place. Continued healing is often necessary; it can take months or even years for a person to feel fully recovered.

#3. Establish a Support System and Healthy Coping Mechanisms

Creating a healthy coping system often means incorporating family into the treatment process. Close friends, significant others, therapists, and peers can become valued members of a person’s support system. However, a support system can only do so much, and it remains up to the client to develop essential skills to help them recover.

Coping skills make it easier for clients to heal from the effects of SUD or mental health disorders. Some benefits of a healthy support system and coping mechanisms include:

• Improved self-confidence
• Practical preventative measures
• Reduced intrusive thoughts or compulsions
• Increased stress tolerance

Recovery Is a Subjective Experience

Although there are markers that the clinical team and client can use to monitor progress, no single achievement indicates someone has recovered from their condition. Individuals in treatment need to think about recovery as a process that brings about holistic changes and gives them a sense of well-being. At Samarpan, clients work with a psychologist to determine their personal goals for recovery and how they measure success.

Defining “success” in recovery is very subjective and involves various factors that can change over time and often differ between clients. Family dynamics, the presence of co-occurring disorders, and how invested a person feels in their own treatment can all impact long-term recovery. For most clients, success involves achieving a sense of spiritual, physical, and emotional fulfillment and wellness. Sobriety, positive mental health, effective coping mechanisms, and a strong support system contribute to recovery but none of those things on their own means a person has achieved recovery. Samarpan can help clients determine what recovery means for them. To learn more about our programs, call our office today at +91 81809 19090.

Social connections and personal relationships can significantly affect a person’s ability to cope with daily stressors during recovery. Individuals in treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health issues learn how to communicate their needs and set clear personal boundaries.

Peer interactions within the facility allow clients to express their needs and desires in a safe and controlled environment. Setting clear boundaries in recovery and asserting personal values can protect clients and improve their outcomes. Samarpan educates people in recovery on how to establish and maintain clear boundaries.

What Are Personal Boundaries?

Personal boundaries are highly subjective and look different for everyone. Below are brief descriptions of a few different types of limitations clients can set.

• Physical limits: Every individual has a right to set boundaries around their personal space and how much physical contact they have with others

• Emotional limits: People should feel comfortable communicating desires, wants, and preferences with those around them

• Professional limits: Expressing opinions, beliefs, and limits within the workplace while prioritizing mental and physical health

• Relationship limits: Disclosing personal goals, needs, limits, and desires within the bounds of an intimate relationship

According to Samarpan’s Director of Residential Services, Martin Peters, “Most people, not just people with addiction struggle with boundaries. Helping our clients learn about healthy boundaries, enables them to maintain their own safety and hold to their true core values. It’s often said that the only people who get upset about someone setting boundaries are the ones that benefit from someone not having any. For the person with addiction, and their families, all will benefit from learning about boundaries, as well as practicing them whilst they are in treatment.”

Benefits Of Healthy Social Boundaries

Family or work pressure, chronic stress, and internalized negativity can all contribute to mental health issues. Limiting the impact of these stressors makes it easier for people to focus on healing and building the foundation for a better future. Healthy social boundaries can improve mental health by doing the following:

• Clarifying responsibilities within relationships

• Setting an expectation of mutual respect

• Establishing values

• Providing a clear guideline for others to show their support

According to the Cleveland Clinic, “[H]ealthy boundaries shine a light on your personal needs while acknowledging the needs of those around you.” Setting boundaries in recovery creates an environment where everyone feels safe expressing their feelings and respecting those around them.

Obi Unaka, the Deputy Director of Residential Services at Samarpan, has stated, “A major part of our treatment program includes the practice of setting boundaries in recovery and assertively communicating. Clients are encouraged to practice this amongst one another as this will help in the development of their ongoing recovery both within the family and in other interpersonal relationships.”

3 Ways To Set Healthy Boundaries

Setting healthy boundaries can feel uncomfortable and even frightening at first for people who have never prioritized their own needs. According to Healthline, “Even though personal boundaries can be challenging to navigate, setting and communicating them is essential for our health, well-being, and even our safety.” Samarpan helps clients gain confidence and improve their social skills by encouraging peers to communicate their needs and respect the needs of others.

#1 Actively Listen And Effectively Communicate

Effective communication is the foundation of healthy relationships. To create boundaries, a person must actively listen to the needs of others and express their own needs. The therapists at Samarpan guide clients through learning to engage in positive communication with the clinical team, peers, and family members.

#2 Learn Your Limits

To set physical and emotional boundaries, a person must first understand their limits. People can learn how to identify and respect their physical and mental limits by recognizing how certain behaviors affect them. Once they identify problem areas, clients can work with their care team and family to set clear limits.

#3 Don’t Be Afraid To Say ‘No’ Or State Your Needs

Knowing when and how to say “no” is one of the most important things to learn when setting limits. Personal autonomy is essential to genuine recovery. Saying “no” to things that cause emotional or physical distress improves independence. In addition to being comfortable saying “no,” people in treatment must understand how to identify and communicate their needs. Some people may use saying “no” as an excuse to avoid problems. We can help clients learn to use personal choice in a healthy way.

How Do Boundaries Impact Relationships?

Healthy relationships involve compromise, open communication, and mutual respect. Every person has certain limits and things that make them feel uncomfortable or safe. Boundaries allow people to share those limits with other people. Setting boundaries in recovery is a two-way street; both individuals should feel validated, supported, and heard.

Boundaries And Personal Safety

Setting boundaries in recovery can protect your safety by informing others of your physical limits. Many people in recovery for substance misuse or mental health disorders have experienced physical trauma caused by abuse or assault. Trauma therapy can help them identify triggers and set healthy boundaries to decrease stress and improve personal safety.

A few examples of physical limits a client may set include:

• No physical touching or touch limited to specific actions like shaking hands

• Requiring several feet of personal space 

• No touching personal belongings unless specifically given permission

Feeling physically safe and secure during treatment and recovery can decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression. In addition, many clients find it easier to identify and articulate physical limits. Emotional boundaries may not seem as easy to determine or request. Samarpan uses aspects of trauma-informed care to encourage clients to express limitations. We can help clients build healthy boundaries and prepare for long-term recovery. Clients have an opportunity to develop essential life skills that will make it easier for them to establish and maintain personal and professional limits.

Recovery is a long process that requires people to make significant changes to their thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors. Individuals in recovery need to set clear boundaries to communicate their needs and desires to others in their life. Boundaries can fluctuate and change as a person begins to heal. The physical and emotional limits clients set during their recovery will influence their long-term recovery and how well they reintegrate into society. Family members can support their loved ones in recovery by respecting boundaries and setting their own. Samarpan facilitates the creation of boundaries using positive peer interactions and family support services. To learn more about our programs, call us at +91 81809 19090.

According to the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, “Unlike the West, in India, family is the key resource in the care of patients with mental illness.” In addition, “Psychologically, family members feel an intense emotional interdependence with each other and there is strong interpersonal empathy, closeness, loyalty, and interdependency.” Samarpan educates families about how mental health issues may manifest and effective ways to support loved ones in treatment.

The Importance of Family Engagement in Treatment

Treatment is a complicated process that requires significant changes to how clients think and behave. Family engagement increases the effectiveness of psychotherapy and other mental health treatments by providing the following:

• Emotional and social support
• Motivation for positive changes
• Stability and accountability

According to the previously mentioned research published by the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, “In India, there has been a long tradition of involving families in the treatment of mentally ill relatives.” The benefits of family involvement include less severe symptoms, faster recovery time in some cases, and a decreased risk of relapse. Families that engage in treatment are better equipped to support their loved one and better understand potential challenges they may face.

Creating Healthier Dynamics

In some cases, unhealthy dynamics within families can cause chronic stress that contributes to the development of substance use or mental health disorders. Introducing healthier family dynamics is essential to the treatment and recovery process. Samarpan educates families about how their beliefs or behaviors can adversely affect their loved one. The care team may suggest that certain family members participate in individual or family therapy to help them identify and adjust maladaptive behaviors.

Treatment can help families grow closer by doing the following:

• Providing insight into how specific relationship dynamics can cause emotional distress
• Offering effective and practical solutions
• Educating on mental health or substance misuse
• Setting realistic goals for treatment and recovery
• Ensuring everyone has access to mental health resources
• Providing solutions for potential issues that might affect recovery during continuing care
• Ensuring family and clients have a safe space to voice concerns and needs

Most clients benefit from having weekly facilitated sessions with family members. According to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for helping a family member who is drinking too much, using drugs, or dealing with a mental illness, research shows that family support can play a major role in helping a loved one with mental and substance use disorders.” In addition, SUD and mental health issues affect everyone, and involving families in treatment can help them all heal together.

Family Services at Samarpan

Samarpan offers multiple services and treatment options that allow families to play a vital role in the recovery process. Every client is unique, and some may not have a strong family support system. Our clinical team collaborates with each client to determine if they would benefit from our family support services.

According to Martin Peters, the Director of Residential Services at Samarpan, “Addiction is a game that all the family gets to play, it’s imperative that as a treatment program, we also offer the family the opportunity to be part of the healing process, not just for the client who is in treatment, but also for the family who will have endured a lot through their loved ones addiction. All clients have facilitated family sessions throughout their treatment episode, and we also run specific family groups in person and online on a weekly basis.”

In addition to providing services for families during treatment, we continue supporting people who complete our programs. The alumni services and continuing care planning we offer ensure clients and their families continue to receive support during long-term recovery.

Weekly Education Sessions

Samarpan facilitates weekly online and in-person family sessions to help loved ones and their family members learn and grow. The Deputy Director of Residential Services at Samarpan, Obi Unaka, stated, “Educating the family enables them to be better equipped at responding to the challenges posed by the clients substance use and associated behaviours – the family education sessions are important in helping them become aware of the nature of addiction and its various presentations.”

Family Therapy

Clients and their families are encouraged to participate in family therapy sessions during treatment. In some cases, families benefit from attending family therapy after the client completes their program.

A therapist can resolve conflicts and help family members identify areas within their relationships that can change to increase the client’s quality of life. The primary benefits of family therapy include the following:

• Improved communication
• A neutral, safe space for voicing concerns
• An outside perspective that can provide critical insights
• Improved and strengthened relationships

Not all families require therapy. Clients can work with their clinical team to determine if family therapy would help them build healthier relationships.

Additional Support During Continuing Care

Continuing care is a period of transition between structured care and ongoing recovery that usually involves the following:

• Attending community-based peer-led support groups
• Continuing individual psychotherapy
• Prescription medication when appropriate to manage any lingering symptoms or side effects
• Alternative holistic therapies that encourage mindfulness and relaxation

Continuing care looks different for everyone. Some people may only require a few weeks of outpatient therapy, while others might need more comprehensive support for longer. Family involvement plays a vital role in continuing care. For most clients, their families remain a critical part of their support system, and they will need to feel comfortable relying on family during difficult moments in recovery.

Families that have been educated about what to expect from treatment and recovery can provide better support for loved ones struggling with SUD and mental health issues. Family education often happens during treatment. Samarpan facilitates weekly in-person and online family sessions to ensure they remain a central part of the recovery process. We also provide other family services and continue supporting alumni and their families after they complete the program. In some cases, families benefit from attending family therapy during treatment and continuing care to address any trauma or underlying issues that may have affected their relationships. To learn more about our services, call us today at +91 81809 19090.

Mindfulness And Recovery From Addiction

Mridula Mishra BA! MA (Fine Arts) ABT

When you’re in recovery, you need all the resources you can gain access to so you can stay away from substances while remaining on a rewarding and fulfilling path. One of the most potent tools you can have at your disposal during recovery is mindfulness. In this blog from Samarpan Recovery, we explore how mindfulness and recovery from addiction are a winning formula.

How Can Mindfulness Benefit Addiction Recovery?

A healthy brain rewards healthy behaviours like exercising, eating, or bonding with loved ones. It does this by switching on brain circuits that make you feel wonderful, which then motivates you to repeat those behaviours. In contrast, when you’re in danger, a healthy brain pushes your body to react quickly with fear or alarm, so you’ll get out of harm’s way. If you’re tempted by something questionable like eating ice cream before dinner or buying things you can’t afford the front regions of your brain can help you decide if the consequences are worth the actions.

But when you’re becoming addicted to a substance, that normal hardwiring of helpful brain processes can begin to work against you. Drugs or alcohol can hijack the pleasure/reward circuits in your brain and hook you into wanting more and more. Addiction can also send your emotional danger-sensing circuits into overdrive, making you feel anxious and stressed when you’re not using drugs or alcohol. At this stage, people often use drugs or alcohol to keep from feeling bad rather than for their pleasurable effects.

We all have desires, but what takes desire that extra step into addiction? Addiction can be described as a disease of the brain that is defined by cycles of compulsive substance use. An addict’s behavior is characterized by limited control over their actions, intense cravings, and continued destructive conduct despite harmful consequences.

Regular mindful practices like meditation or yoga can help cultivate a sense of clarity. This clarity facilitates informed decision-making and serves as the basis for noticeable changes in everyday life. Training in mindfulness increases attention and clarity and makes it possible to actively monitor thoughts, emotions, and sensations without allowing them to develop into uncontrollable cravings.

Because mindfulness fosters non-judgmental awareness of habits that are usually given free rein–like cracking open a beer after a day’s work, heading for that poker game, or seeing a doctor for an unnecessary prescription–it teaches us that we have choices. What’s more, for people in recovery, mindfulness directly exercises the underlying neurological functioning associated with resisting addiction and can help prevent relapse. In addition, mindfulness has been shown to refine executive functioning by providing a higher degree of cognitive control. What this all adds up to is that mindfulness-based practices improve memory, attention, response inhibition, and decision-making.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy or MBCT in particular has been shown to help prevent relapse. When a person who has struggled with addiction finds the right therapeutic path, the recovery that once seemed like a pipe dream finally becomes attainable.

Is There Any Evidence That Mindfulness Works When Battling Addiction?

The short answer is yes. For example, a study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in 2018 found that following a mindful awareness training program led to increased positive outcomes for women in addiction treatment. During the study, women learned to identify and perceive internal signals related to their emotions. This helped them regulate their reactions to the emotions and also be kinder to themselves in a healthy way when emotions were triggered.

Mindfulness involves cultivating moment-to-moment, nonjudgmental awareness of thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP), is a program that combines practices like sitting meditation with standard relapse prevention skills, such as identifying events that trigger a relapse. Rather than fighting or avoiding the difficult states of mind that arise when withdrawing from a substance, this combination tries to help participants to name and tolerate craving and negative emotions. MBRP helps people to relate differently to their thoughts, and use tools to disengage from automatic, addictive behaviors. The success of MBRP is not just anecdotal. Bowen and her colleagues recently published a study in JAMA Psychiatry investigating how effective the Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention program is in comparison to a standard relapse-prevention program as well as a conventional 12-step program. Six months following the intervention, the mindfulness-based program, and the standard relapse-prevention program were both more successful at reducing relapse than the 12-step program. One year later, the mindfulness-based program proved better than the other two in reducing drinking and drug use.

Bowen says that when people cultivate mindfulness, they’re developing a tool to become aware of that inclination to want only pleasurable things and escape uncomfortable things. This makes mindfulness and recovery from addiction a winning formula.

Mindfulness also helps people learn to relate to discomfort differently. When an uncomfortable feeling like a craving or anxiety arises, people like Sophia are able to recognize their discomfort and observe it with presence and compassion, instead of automatically reaching for a drug to make it go away.

Bowen says that awareness of our experience and the ability to relate to our experience with compassion gives us more freedom to choose how we respond to discomfort, rather than defaulting to automatic behaviours.

Mindfulness is likely an effective tool in helping people with addiction because it is a single, simple skill that a person can practice multiple times throughout their day, every day, regardless of the life challenges that arise. With so much opportunity for practice rather than, say, only practicing when someone offers them a cigarette people can learn that skill deeply.

According to a recent study, Individuals with substance use disorder come to experience “increased reactivity to stress and negative emotion.” Gradually, a person may become dependent on substances as a means of regulating the dysphoria and anxiety stemming from increased stress reactivity, ensnaring them deeper into the cycle of addiction. These neurocognitive processes contribute to craving and elicit substance use behavior long after an individual has stopped using substances. Even when total abstinence is achieved, substance-related cues and negative emotional states can continue to trigger a relapse. Thus, interventions are needed to target the manifold processes undergirding substance use disorder and relapse. MBIs (mindfulness-based interventions) hold special promise in that regard.

Mounting evidence suggests that mindfulness and recovery from addiction work well together, as mindfulness strengthens basic positive cognitive processes. Mindfulness-based interventions may be clinically beneficial for treating a variety of substance use disorders, including addictions to alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, and prescription opioids.

With the help of addiction neuroscience, many treatment providers and medical practitioners are turning to the ancient practice of mindfulness to address unhealthy behaviors associated with substance abuse. Some mindfulness-based practices that have recently been integrated into recovery programs include:

• mindfulness-based stress reduction

• mindfulness-based cognitive therapy

• mindfulness-based relapse prevention

• mindfulness-oriented recovery enhancement

Mindfulness training is a promising intervention option for SUDs (substance use disorders) and relapse prevention. Mindfulness can be conceptualized as a state, trait, and practice. The state of mindfulness is cultivated during mindfulness practice and is characterized by non-judgmental, non-reactive, present-centered attention and metacognitive awareness of cognition, emotion, sensation, and perception. Two primary mindfulness practices are focused attention and open monitoring. The focused attention meditation practice involves attending to an object (eg, the sensation of breathing or walking, parts of the body, or visual stimuli) while acknowledging and letting go of distractions. The open monitoring meditation practice involves maintaining a metacognitive stance in which the practitioner remains cognizant of both the field of awareness and the flux of internal and external stimuli (e.g., thoughts, sensations, emotions, perceptions) arising within that field, without fixating on any specific object of attention. These practices are often combined during a single meditation session

As repeated mindfulness practice evokes the state of mindfulness, MBI participants exhibit increases in trait mindfulness over time. Trait mindfulness may be defined as the tendency to exhibit mind-full qualities in daily life, including non-reactivity to distressing thoughts and emotions, as well as the tendency to observe and accept one’s momentary thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and sensations. So, beyond the context of acute mindful states, mindful traits may decrease cognitive, emotional, and behavioural tendencies that help sustain substance misuse. Indeed, trait mindfulness has been found to be positively associated with heightened executive control functioning, and small but statistically significant negative correlations have been found between trait mindfulness and craving as well as substance use. As individuals with SUDs engage in mindfulness practices within MBIs, they learn to cultivate trait mindfulness, providing a bulwark against substance use and relapse.

For many people who are tackling the arduous, life-changing process of addiction recovery, combining the ancient practice of meditation with modern therapies may be the best course of action. By learning about and practicing mindfulness-based exercises, cognitive control can be restored and healthier behaviors can lead to durable recovery.

To learn more about the benefits of mindfulness and recovery from addiction, or to find out about how we use mindfulness at Samarpan Recovery, call our office today at +91 81809 19090.

Mridula Mishra BA! MA (Fine Arts) ABT

Most of us know that drugs and alcohol are injurious to health. They are bad for our bodies, and bad for our emotional and mental health. However, how do drugs affect the brain during the teen years? 

Why Is Brain Development Crucial During Teenage Years?

Adolescence is a critical stage of brain development. During these years, teens’ personalities are emerging they are effectively growing into who they will be for the rest of their lives. Teens are also learning many new skills and developing the capacities they need to become well-adjusted, responsible adults. Teenage brains are more adaptable to all types of experiences, and it is easier for them to learn new things at this stage than it will be for them as adults. But this also makes them more driven to try mind-altering substances and more vulnerable to sustaining harm as a result.

Right now, you may have a teenager who is experimenting with drugs or staying out late at parties with alcohol. You may be concerned about his or her health, but may dismiss this substance use as “just a phase.” Maybe you are looking to learn more about teenage drug use, wondering how exactly drugs affect the brain of a teenager. As a parent, it is important to get educated about how do drugs affect the brain of teenagers, so that you can take the proper steps to get your teen back on track.

The “Everybody is Doing It” Mindset

We often hear from teenagers (and parents) who justify early drug use as an experimental phase. You likely have heard from your own teen that “everybody” is drinking and using drugs. In some sense, this is true, and your teen is certainly not alone. Across the world, more than 27 percent of high schoolers have used an illicit drug in the past year, with marijuana being the most common.

However, the frequency of drug abuse among teenagers does not make it okay. The risks are great, yet often overlooked. Throughout the nation, 10 million young people (ages 12 to 29) need substance abuse treatment. This is because of the very negative effects that early drug use had on their brains. If you are wondering, “How do drugs affect the brain of a teenager?”

Some Background On The Teenage Brain

As parents, you likely know the importance of a child’s toddler years and how their brains are developing and making connections at rapid speeds. Early childhood is one of the most crucial phases of learning and brain development, but what many do not know is, so is adolescence. In adolescence (from age 13 up to a person’s mid-twenties), the brain goes through another wave of major, dynamic changes.

It is during this time that the brain conditions itself for future experiences. It prunes back the brain cells that get used the least and strengthens the cells and connections that are most engaged. If a teenager is taking several science courses, for example, but dropped their piano class years ago, their connections to music might get pruned away, while their knowledge (and retention) of the sciences might grow.

It is for this reason that adolescence is considered the most critical window for learning. The brain is still malleable, and highly capable of absorbing new things. As seen in the example above, the knowledge that is obtained and emphasized from ages 13 to 25 will be strengthened and retained for the future. However, the knowledge that is not utilized will dissipate. As a parent, it is important to ensure your teen is gaining positive learning experiences because what he or she learns now will shape his/her success down the road.

Not only is the teenage brain going through major developmental changes, but it is also unique in its level of maturity and capability. The frontal lobe of the brain, the brain’s thinking centre, which is responsible for decision-making, problem-solving, judgment, and self-control is not fully mature in adolescence. In fact, this lobe is the last to mature and does not usually happen until age 25. That said, teenagers neurologically are more likely to engage in risky behaviours. You may have noticed your teen has:

• Difficulty controlling or holding back his/her emotions

• An inclination towards high-excitement, yet low-effort activities

• More impulsive and risky behaviours (e.g., drinking and drug use)

• Poor planning and judgment (e.g., rarely thinking of negative outcomes)

Due to hyper-rational thinking and lack of impulse control, teenagers seek thrilling experiences at the moment but are not always able to weigh the consequences that may result. Teens also have baseline levels of dopamine in their brains, meaning they are bored and seek thrilling experiences more often. In adolescence, excitement is much more rewarding than in adulthood, reinforcing a teen’s inclination to do these things again. That is where the high risk of substance use comes into play.

What Is Normal Brain Function For Teenagers?

One aspect of a healthy brain’s complexity is its delicate balance of chemicals that keep the body and mind functioning normally. These chemicals are called neurotransmitters, and they carry messages between nerve cells and neurons, or nerve endings. Everything a person thinks and feels including their mood, energy level, consciousness, memory, ability to feel pleasure, and need for food and rest is affected by neurotransmitters, so it’s important to keep your child’s brain healthy as they grow.

Some Examples Of Neurotransmitters Are:

• Glutamate affects your memory and thinking abilities.

• Dopamine is responsible for your feelings of pleasure and reward. When you laugh or feel good, that is your dopamine at work.

• Serotonin helps you sleep, and affects your appetite, arousal level, and mood.

• Norepinephrine/noradrenaline helps you deal with stress.

• Epinephrine/adrenaline which interacts with norepinephrine/ noradrenaline, also helps you deal with stress.

• Oxytocin helps you relax, socially bond, and maintain a reproductive drive.

• Endorphins reduce your feelings of pain and stress.

Overall, these chemicals help you stay healthy and have feelings that are appropriate for whatever experiences you are exposed to. When you are in danger, your brain should make you feel scared, and give you a burst of energy the fight or flight response. When you are with friends, your brain chemicals should help you feel a sense of relaxation and trust. When your body needs food, your brain should make you feel hungry. And when your body needs rest, your brain should help you feel tired and ready to go to sleep.

Overall, these brain chemicals are designed to help you take care of yourself to eat right, sleep right and form social connections. Your brain chemicals, when working correctly, provide you with motivation to do the things required for your survival and happiness.

How Drugs Disrupt The Brain Of A Teenager

Because the parts of the brain dedicated to judgment, rational decision-making, and self-control are not yet fully developed, teenagers have a higher propensity to experiment with drugs and alcohol. And because of their stage of brain development, they do not always understand the potential risks. The problem is, early drug and alcohol use in adolescence and young adulthood bears the greatest risks, particularly the risk of chronic addiction. More on that in a minute.

When a teenager uses drugs, the drugs get absorbed into the bloodstream and carried to various organs, including the brain. When drugs enter the brain, they interfere with its normal processing, including the development of cells and the function of the brain’s neurotransmitters, such as dopamine.

Dopamine is the chemical in our brains that allows us to experience pleasure or feel good. It reinforces reward. For example, when we eat food, dopamine is released telling us that food makes us feel good and that we must continue to eat to feel satisfied and to survive. But when drugs enter the brain, they release an excessive amount of dopamine and overload the body with pleasurable feelings. The human brain, at any stage of development, is wired so that we repeat activities associated with great pleasure and reward. It is wired to feel as though these pleasurable activities are life-sustaining. Because teenagers have a greater tendency to seek pleasurable activities already (and a reduced ability to measure the consequences), they are highly vulnerable to the temptations of drugs and alcohol.

When drugs are used repeatedly, they make lasting changes in the brain and the way it functions. But when teenagers use drugs repeatedly, the consequences can be even worse. The teenage brain is learning and absorbing new behaviours. When something releases a high amount of pleasure such as drug use the brain considers that a very important activity. The brain remembers it and strengthens it, pruning back on other areas, instead. But because teenagers’ reward circuits are still being developed, their ability to bounce back to normal after using drugs is lessened, due to how drugs affect their brains.

Drugs are chemicals that tap into the brain’s communication system. Certain drugs can activate nerve cells improperly, damage brain connections, and send abnormal messages throughout our brain circuits. When drug use is introduced and repeated, the brain will send messages to the rest of the body saying that it needs the drugs to function. The body will feel this (through withdrawal symptoms, or intense cravings) and cause a user to seek out drugs once again. This is part of the addiction cycle, and therefore addiction is considered a brain disease. Users often cannot stop using drugs, even when they want to, because of the consequences that the brain and body experience.

You see, in response to an overload of dopamine, the brain will eventually send fewer “feel good” signals out to the body. This contributes to the low or down period after a drug wears off. And over time, as drug use is repeated and a user’s dopamine levels are reduced, a tolerance will build. That person will need more of the drug, more often, to feel the same pleasurable effects. This is a tell-tale sign of drug addiction, but the risks extend beyond that. Often, addicted teenagers will increase their drug dosages without thinking twice, and later overdose by taking too much.

The Risks Of Drug Use For Teenagers

So how do drugs affect the brain of teenagers? The impact of addiction on the teenage brain is great, in that long-term substance use can cause long-term issues with memory, learning, attention, coordination, and even IQ levels. According to one study, youth who drink heavily (20 drinks per month) or binge drink (more than 4-5 drinks on one occasion) show abnormalities in their brain structure volume, white matter quality, and activation of cognitive tasks involving attention, memory, spatial recognition, and executive functioning.

Even occasional drug use during the teenage years can cause severe effects, in that it can put a teen at an increased risk for a substance use disorder (i.e., clinical addiction). Remember, addiction is a learned disease. Introducing drug use just a few times in adolescence can put a teenager on the path to using them again (and again) in the future, assuming their brain remembers the pleasure from it.

Teenagers who begin using any addictive substance before age 18 are 6.5 times more likely to develop a substance use disorder. Those who start drinking before age 15 are 4 times more likely to become addicted than those who start at age 20 or later. 9 out of 10 people with substance addictions first begin using before they turned 18. The risk of substance addiction is highest for those who start using before their brain is fully developed.

So how else do drugs affect the brain of teenagers? In addition to the lasting cognitive effects of drugs on the adolescent brain, teenagers who use drugs or alcohol are more likely to perform poorly in school, get in trouble with the law, and have health-related, family, or social issues. However, there is hope. Teenage substance abuse and addiction is very treatable, with early intervention and professional help.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “When substance use disorders are identified and treated in adolescence, especially if they are mild or moderate, they frequently give way to abstinence from drugs with no further problems.”

If your teenager is using drugs even if recreationally, with mild or moderate use it is important to intervene. The effects of drugs on the brains of teenagers can be long-lasting if left unaddressed. Remember that you can always reach out for help.

REFERENCES:

Drug effects on developing brains – teens. Sandstone Care. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://www.sandstonecare.com/resource-library/drugs/effects-of-drugs-on-teens-developing-brains#:~:text=Drugs%20can%20also%20permanently%20change,develop%20properly%20in%20these%20areas.

Tadmin. (2021, January 26). How do drugs affect the brain of a teenager? Turnbridge. Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://www.turnbridge.com/news-events/latest-articles/how-do-drugs-affect-the-brain-of-a-teen/

Effects of drug use on the teen brain. Drug & Alcohol Rehab at Windmill Wellness Ranch. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://windmillwellnessranch.com/blog/2018/09/11/effects-of-drugs-on-the-teen-brain

Health effects of teen substance abuse. Addiction Center. (2021, September 29). Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://www.addictioncenter.com/teenage-drug-abuse/health-effects-teen-substance-abuse/