Wilson_Challenges And Resilience Project

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Dec 6, 2023

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RESILIENCE Overcoming Substance Abuse and Taking Control of Life Julie Wilson University of West Alabama Challenges and Resilience Project CO-506 Lifespan Development Dr. Debbie Grant

RESILIENCE 2 Overcoming Substance Abuse and Taking Control of Life Narration for the PowerPoint This PowerPoint is an illustration of my volunteer’s challenges with substance abuse and having her kids taken away from her custody. She expressed having challenges in her romantic relationships and feeling like she must follow his orders. This led to her having issues with substance abuse a few years ago when she began dating someone who was on drugs. According to her, the boyfriend at the time forced her to start using drugs, and she chose to submit. While using drugs, my volunteer lost custody of her two kids, a son and a daughter. This left her feeling devastated. She realized the consequences to her actions and chose to regain control of her life. She stopped doing drugs completely on her own and coped by channeling her feelings into art and crafts. She still struggles with cravings at times, and when she first stopped doing drugs, she struggled with withdrawal symptoms. Because of her resilience, she has been successful in taking control of her life again. She and her daughter have been reunited, and the daughter now lives with her again. She has not officially been awarded custody of her yet, but the guardian of the children has allowed the daughter to live with her mother again. However, her son is still choosing to live with another family member. My volunteer has also started working in a warehouse, allowing her to have a steady income with a schedule that allows her to spend quality time with her daughter. Summary of Interview My volunteer is a Caucasian woman in her late thirties. She comes from a low socioeconomic status and a complicated familial life, both from relatives and ex-in-laws. She is a mother of two children, a son in his middle adolescence, and a daughter in her early adolescence. My volunteer recalls her struggles with substance abuse as being a choice she did not want to

RESILIENCE 3 make but felt that she had to. She stated that her boyfriend at the time forced her to begin using drugs, and she has struggled with romantic relationships for her whole life. She remembers that this began in 2018 but does not remember the month. Immediate Reaction to Experience My volunteer reports that her immediate responses to the challenges still follow her to this day. She felt that her withdrawal symptoms were difficult, and her cravings were strong. She currently still experiences cravings under stress. She felt regret for her actions, and she also felt that she was not in control of herself. She still feels guilty because she does not have custody of her kids, and regrets losing them. When she began using drugs, she felt lonelier than before, even though she was in a relationship. She especially felt lonely when her kids were gone. She did not have quality relationships. She felt like she would not be able to turn her life around and regain control of her life. Current Reaction to Experience My volunteer reported similar responses to some of the questions as her immediate reactions. She still has cravings during times of stress, but she does cope with her stress through her art. She expressed feeling guilty for the separation of her family. She is currently working on rebuilding her relationship with her daughter. She did not report any other reactions that are deemed current. Negative Life Factors Influence My volunteer recalled a few factors that could have contributed to her usage and a few factors that could have held her back in her recovery. She has a history of domestic violence with her ex-husband. This person is no longer present in her or her children’s lives, thus putting the pressure of parenthood on her as well. She grew up in poverty and never felt that she truly

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RESILIENCE 4 recovered from that, even in adulthood. She relied on other men to help her, and she felt like she depended on these men financially and emotionally. She expressed that even though she is working on change, she felt like she would always be stuck because it is stressful to be stuck at the bottom. This stress is a trigger for her substance cravings. Positive Life Factors Influence My volunteer did not report positive factors that reflected on her own abilities. She stated that she has always been thankful for her kids. So it appears that her children are her motivation to recover. She is currently working on obtaining custody of her kids. She is working a job at a warehouse that allows her to have a solid schedule. This schedule also allows her to spend more time with her daughter. Current Personal Strengths My volunteer states that she would not be here if it was not for her kids. Her kids are her motivation for change. She says that everything she does is for them. In times of stress, she has found that working on her art and crafting new projects helps her cope. When she creates something new, she feels proud of herself. Advice from Volunteer My volunteer has one piece of advice to pass along to anyone who needs to hear it. She says that people should never give up on themselves, even when other people have. This is a great piece of advice. Oftentimes when people feel like no one believes in them, they will not believe in themselves either. So it is important to always advocate and believe in yourself and relying on other’s validation is not necessary. Pathways for Exploration

RESILIENCE 5 I believe that my volunteer had some great extrinsic motivation to help her regain control of her life, and she also chose a coping mechanism that works for her. However, she still either struggled or still struggles with withdrawal symptoms, cravings under stress, and being codependent on others. I believe that anyone who has struggled with codependency, whether it is with substances or with other people, can strongly benefit from counseling to help the individual learn to be interdependent rather than codependent. I would also suggest working on obtaining more coping mechanisms that can help more immediately than art and crafts, because it may not always be accessible. For example, if she has a stressful period at work to get through, would it be more practical to pull out an art kit, or would it be more practical to implement some mindfulness techniques and breathing techniques? I know it is possible to quit using substances without help, however, the root issues may not be resolved. Pathway of Prevention Becoming codependent on a substance may not only be due to current stressors and factors. Before even developing an addiction to a substance, perhaps the addiction has begun at a much earlier stage of life. John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth have developed attachment theories that are rooted in infancy and follow the individual into adulthood. These theories suggest that the way we develop attachment in relationships is related to the attachments we have with primary caregivers. These attachments can be secure, insecure (anxious), detached (avoidant), anxious-avoidant, or disinhibited. If this model is utilized for interpersonal relationships, perhaps it may be used for relationships with substances or even material items. According to a study (Winham et al., 2015), this model determined that childhood victimization leads to attachment issues, then further develops into substance dependence. However, childhood victimization was not the sole

RESILIENCE 6 predictor for substance abuse, but rather the attachment itself. With this knowledge, parents may be able to help children prevent issues with codependency from the start. Parents can help instill interdependence, impulse control, and emotion regulation at an early age. Establishing secure attachments from the start can go a long way to instilling resilience in an individual. Pathway of Recovery Like the pathway of prevention, the pathway to recovery could also be focused on practicing healthy attachments. Substance abuse is almost always better explained by another factor in someone’s life to address rather than the person just enjoying using drugs. As a counselor, I have learned that life is centered around three concepts, control, communication, and relationships. A person can stop using drugs on his or her own, but how likely is it that he or she will relapse without proper care? A study (Fletcher et al., 2015), evaluated the use of attachment theory in the treatment of substance abuse and found this to be a successful model in care. People in recovery were far more resilient and able to handle life’s challenges without relapse. Healing one’s attachment allows for stronger resilience and a sense of support within oneself. Although it is completely healthy and encouraged to be able to rely on others for support, it is helpful to find the appropriate balance between codependency and interdependency. People in recovery can learn appropriate boundaries and foster healthy relationships with others with a healed attachment. They can also feel a sense of security and develop a healthy relationship within themselves. It is important to find the root causes of people struggling with substance abuse to not only initially treat the problem but to further help the person in long-term recovery.

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RESILIENCE 7 References Fletcher, K., Nutton, J., & Brend, D. (2015). Attachment, a matter of substance: The potential of attachment theory in the treatment of addictions. Clinical Social Work Journal, 43(1), 109–117. https://doi-org.ezproxy.uwa.edu/10.1007/s10615-014-0502-5 Winham, K. M., Engstrom, M., Golder, S., Renn, T., Higgins, G. E., & Logan, T. K. (2015). Childhood victimization, attachment, psychological distress, and substance use among women on probation and parole. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 85(2), 145–158. https://doi-org.ezproxy.uwa.edu/10.1037/ort0000038

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