Alcohol Use Disorder

The Recovery of Craig K.

Posted on by Christy Weeks
“First responders are usually the first on the scene to face challenging, dangerous, and draining situations,” explains a Supplemental Research Bulletin by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). “They are also the first to reach out to disaster survivors and provide emotional and physical support to them. These duties, although essential to the entire community, are strenuous to first responders and with time put them at an increased risk of trauma.”
According to the SAMHSA Bulletin, “It is estimated that 30 percent of first responders develop behavioral health conditions including, but not limited to, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as compared with 20 percent in the general population (Abbot et al., 2015). In a study about suicidality, firefighters were reported to have higher attempt and ideation rates than the general population (Stanley et al., 2016). In law enforcement, the estimates suggest between 125 and 300 police officers commit suicide every year (Badge of Life, 2016).”
Experiencing severe trauma is strongly correlated with substance use disorder (SUD). In a study investigating alcohol use in police officers following Hurricane Katrina, there was a significant association between involvement in the hurricane relief efforts and hazardous alcohol drinking (Heavey et al., 2015). In another study, the average number of alcoholic drinks after Hurricane Katrina increased from 2 to 7 drinks per day (McCanlies et al., 2014).
Many traumatized first responders attempt to alleviate their mental health symptoms with drugs and alcohol. Former police officer Craig K. was one of them. As a young man, the Harmony alumnus entered a work environment where you “push horrible calls to the back of the head,” downplay the horror, and move on. The traditional macho culture prevalent among first responders taught him how to “party like a cop” to release the stress.
When traumatic episodes start to show an impact you still don’t think you have a problem: “They tell you about the stress but they don’t build in a mechanism to deal with it.” One time, Craig was called to the scene of a helicopter crash. The smell of the jet fumes connected with the carnage he was forced to witness is etched into his memory. Craig refers to these traumatic events in his career as demons.
One of his main demons is the Columbine high school shooting. “To this day I can’t hear fire alarms,” he says. “I freak out when I hear fire alarms.” More than twenty years later, Craig is still angry with the teenage perpetrators.
In the aftermath of Columbine, his drinking “took another level” and he could not stop watching the news about the shooting on TV. Like many of his colleagues he was traumatized and felt the police were unjustly blamed for not doing enough to stop the massacre. Craig took it personally.
Family hardships followed: his son was born without an immune system and “everything was thrown out of kilter,” including his marriage. All the while his alcohol use disorder (AUD) became steadily worse. “We started going to therapy” but talking about the health problems of my son was just “an easy way to avoid talking about my problems,” Craig remembers. The inevitable negative consequences started to pile up, he left the police force and got a divorce.
The AUD kept destroying his life, “everything after 2011 is really cloudy.” At the end of last year, Craig finally realized that something was wrong. On New Year’s Eve, he was hospitalized for four days. “I still didn’t realize why I was shaking so much.” After his discharge, he started drinking again and by February he was back in the hospital. On that occasion, “the ER doctor tells me ‘if you keep this up, you’re going to die in three months.’”
By this time, however, Craig was firmly in the grip of active addiction, so he kept on drinking. After getting fired from his job, he saw his pastor who told him about Harmony Foundation. Craig was finally ready to change.
Traumatic life experiences are extremely common among patients with substance use disorder. Because of this strong correlation, trauma-informed care is an important part of addiction treatment at Harmony. All staff have been trained in trauma-informed care. When SUD patients arrive for treatment, they often have few coping skills to deal with their traumatic memories and emotional pain. They have to learn to manage emotions and situations without drugs and alcohol.
Craig finally realized that “ego was not his amigo.” Your ego “makes you cocky and doesn’t allow you to see your real self,” he says. “I rode the ego train 24/7.”
Things are much better now for Craig. “I don’t want to be that person anymore. I’m really excited that I am getting clear and more focused. I’m starting to understand things that I read in the Big Book, that we talk about in meetings, that I’m witnessing.”
At Harmony, he began to learn how to process his trauma, acquiring important coping skills. After his discharge, he connected with a sponsor within a week and—thanks to Zoom—was able to attend several meetings a day. The Daily Reflections and two other AA books go with him everywhere he goes.
“I have to work at this every day. It’s like a diet or going to the gym – you have to put in the work.” If you don’t work on your recovery every single day, you’re cheating yourself.
Recovery is always possible. If you or a loved one is struggling with substance use disorder, or you have questions about our programs, call Harmony today at (970) 432-8075 to get the help needed as soon as possible.

COVID Pandemic Drives Rise in Drug Overdose Deaths in Colorado

Posted on by Christy Weeks
Drug overdose deaths in Colorado have been on the rise since March, coinciding with the full onset of the coronavirus pandemic, reported The Gazette in September. “By May, according to state health department data, the number of drug overdose deaths reached nearly twice the average from recent years. In May, 128 people died of overdoses in Colorado, compared to 73 in 2019, 79 in 2018, and 64 in 2017.”
Denver is on pace for a record number of fatal drug overdoses, reported Denverrite on Oct 1. “It took nine months in 2020 for Denver to match the number of fatal drug overdoses from all of last year.” Data show that the majority of drug deaths in the Colorado capital involve multiple substances, “with 60 percent of deaths involving three or more drugs and 19 percent involving five or more. The increase in deaths locally has been fueled by fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that can be up to 50 times stronger than heroin.”
Alcohol consumption has also increased significantly across the country. USA Todayreported in October about a new study showing that “American adults, particularly women, are drinking more amid the COVID-19 pandemic.” Alcohol consumption has increased by 14 percent compared with a year ago, including 17 percent for women, according to a report published in the JAMA Network Open. The study also showed a 41 percent increase in heavy drinking for women—defined as four or more drinks for women within a couple of hours and five or more for men.
Mental health and addiction professionals are not surprised to see more cases of substance use disorder (SUD) and more overdose deaths as the pandemic continues. “There are certain things that we know that happen with a stressful event like a pandemic or 9/11 or if the stock market crashes,” the president of the Mental Health Center of Denver, Dr. Carl Clark told The Gazette. “Anxiety goes up, depression goes up, suicides go up, and people’s use of substances goes up.”
Alcohol and drug misuse are strongly correlated with mood disorders like anxiety and depression. Substance use disorders are frequently the result of people under significant stress trying to self-medicate intense stress or mental health issues.
And just when SUD and mental health patients need help the most, outreach programs and treatment providers struggle to help with in-person care limited to reduce the spread of COVID-19 while states—including Colorado—struggle to find the funding for urgently needed support. “In Colorado, substance use treatment and prevention services, behavioral and mental health services saw a $20 million cut in funding as the state tax revenue plunged,” reported The Denver Post.
Harmony Foundation is a dual-diagnosis-capable facility serving clients with SUD and co-occurring mental health disorders. Clients who are diagnosed with mental health issues—such as anxiety, depression, and other trauma-related responses—will meet with our mental health and medical staff to address medication management. We work with our clients to teach them healthy coping skills to help them manage their co-occurring issues.
Despite difficult circumstances, Harmony continues to serve clients during the COVID-19 outbreak and is taking extra precautions to ensure staff and client safety. If you or a loved one are struggling with alcohol or drug addiction do not delay seeking treatment. If you have questions about our programs, call us at 970.432.8075 to get the help needed as soon as possible

Recovery is Always Possible—Even During a Pandemic

Posted on by Christy Weeks
Harmony alumna Shayla E. was discharged after her successful treatment in March. It was a very challenging moment in her life. Recovery from addiction is hard enough in normal times, but Shayla had to stay the course in the middle of an escalating pandemic.
“Getting sober during COVID-19 definitely has its challenges,” she says. During her residential treatment at Harmony, Shayla was sheltered from the constant stream of news about the pandemic but then she found herself in a situation where “everybody was terrified of each other.”
“It was nerve-racking, in-person meetings were not necessarily taking place,” she remembers. “I was nervous about attending my IOP (intensive outpatient program) without actually meeting other people or seeing my therapist in person.”
Intensive outpatient treatment is certainly a different experience on Zoom, but Shayla was able to form great relationships with members of her group and with her therapist.
Following treatment, Shayla chose a sober-living arrangement—the “best decision I could have made, especially during COVID,” she says. Shayla had previously relapsed because she isolated herself too much after treatment but she learned from that experience. This time, she was not going it alone.
“I did not have the opportunity to isolate in that home. I was always around a bunch of girls, and we were all stuck together, always finding creative ways to pass the time.” She had clear goals and requirements—such as how many meetings to attend—and it really helped her to stay sober and accountable.
This time her recovery was all about community and building strong relationships to support her. She looked for AA meetings online and attended daily or weekly. She focused on being open and honest, talking with people—she even got her sponsor via Zoom.
The coronavirus precautions are challenging, she says, especially if you’re introverted, but it’s doable. “Just put yourself out there. Say ‘I’m new, I’m a bit afraid, this is where I’m at, and I need help.’ People will definitely reach out. I was surprised to see how many people wanted to sponsor. The amount of support is really remarkable.”
“Good communication so important,” says Shayla. “I was able to help a lot of people as well.” She came well prepared with recovery tools she acquired at Harmony.  “I definitely rely a lot on my grounding tools, my breathing exercises. I make sure I have a solid morning routine—getting up on time, making my bed, meditation, prayer, and yoga, if I have enough time. Getting involved in AA meetings definitely has been important to me, that’s how I keep building my community.”
She stays in touch with the Harmony community and journals a lot. “It’s all about staying open-minded, and not being judgmental—everybody’s different.” At the same time, don’t be too serious, have some fun, and be yourself.
Shayla has a message for addicted people who think they can’t do it, who believe that recovery is too hard for them. “I know it’s a horrible pandemic but it gave me the time, and the opportunity to slow down, to actually focus on myself and work a program. It’s definitely worth considering going into treatment at Harmony Foundation—that place saved me, I don’t think I could have done it without their support.”
Harmony continues to serve people suffering from a substance use disorder during the pandemic and has implemented a number of precautionary measures to ensure staff and client safety. Delaying addiction treatment can be even more dangerous than COVID-19.
Shayla knows recovery is not easy. “Getting sober is hard but if you know in your heart that you want recovery and you feel now is the time, do it! Reach out to anyone you know, strangers, Harmony alumni, we are here for you,” she says.
“It’s possible, it’s doable, and it’s a lot better on the other side.”

September is National Recovery Month

Posted on by Christy Weeks
Each year, Recovery Month celebrates the achievements of people in recovery from addiction. It’s an opportunity to promote new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the emergence of a strong and proud recovery community, and the dedication of service providers and community members across the nation who make recovery in all its forms possible.
Recovery Month is also an important reminder that the addiction crisis is far from over. Tens of thousands of people die from the disease of addiction each year. Drug overdose deaths increased again in 2019 in the United States, according to new preliminary data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in July. The CDC predicts that the final count for 2019 will be close to a record 72,000 overdose deaths, while 2020 is widely expected to exceed even that number because of the impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
The theme for this year’s Recovery Month is “Join the Voices for Recovery: Celebrating Connections.” Addiction is frequently driven by intense stress, trauma, extended periods of anxiety, prolonged grief, depression, and isolation.
Connections are crucial for a sustained recovery and COVID-19 has seriously disrupted traditional ways of connecting in recovery. With physical distancing measures and other restrictions in place across the US, meetings and counseling sessions for those who struggle with addiction had to be moved online in many cases. But that situation has also presented new opportunities.
“With the help of modern technology, we have the chance to be more connected than ever before,” says Michael Arnold is the director of alumni and recovery support services at Harmony Foundation. “The time COVID-19 is giving us at home is actually the greatest gift that our recovery can receive. If you are concerned about being isolated at home, pick up the phone, tablet, or use your computer to reach out to someone.”
Michael also found another engaging way to help people in recovery snap out of any dark moods they may be experiencing. In May, she started a podcast called “Monday State of Mind” to give the recovery community a positive start into the workweek. “I know the good that happens when I choose to be consciously aware of my state of mind,” she says. An alumna of Harmony herself, Michael continues to use the tools that were given to her while she was there as a patient.
The federal government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is also utilizing the internet, offering a number of webinars during Recovery Month that cover medication-assisted treatment, employment support, communities supporting recovery, and the importance of integrating recovery support services.
Millions of lives in America have been transformed through recovery. Unfortunately, these successes in the battle against addiction frequently go unnoticed. Recovery Month gives everybody a chance to celebrate these accomplishments.
Harmony Foundation continues to serve clients during the COVID-19 outbreak and is taking new precautions to ensure staff and client safety. These include strict hand-washing protocols, heightened and ongoing disinfection of all areas at facilities, as well as updated admission assessments to consider previous travel, potential exposure, and health status. All new admissions will have additional medical screening upon campus arrival.

The Prevalence of Substance Misuse and Addiction in Sports

Posted on by Christy Weeks

Jessica Joiner, LCSW, LAC, has over a decade of experience working with those suffering from addiction, complex trauma, and co-occurring disorders. She uses her experience along with the extensive skills gained to address the many issues that arise for athletes.

In her workshop hosted by Harmony Foundation, Joiner discussed the prevalence of substance misuse among athletes, various ways of identifying “red flags,” and evidence-based interventions that can be helpful in combating the misuse of drugs and alcohol.

As Joiner explained, there are three main reasons athletes misuse substances: pain resulting from injuries, stress from incessant pressure to win, and the desire to enhance performance artificially. Over the years and decades, these reasons have stayed the same but the drugs involved are now more sophisticated than ever, with more options.

The statistics paint a grim picture. Substance misuse is prevalent in high school: approximately 19 percent of males and 14 percent of females binge drink in high school. 21 percent of teens use marijuana and up to 6.6 percent have used performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs).

It gets worse in college where 42 percent of students admit to binge drinking, 28 percent use cannabis, and around 11,000 NCAA athletes admit to taking PEDs. There is a strong correlation between concussions and alcohol use. “Having a concussion is actually predictive for alcohol use,” said Joiner. “If a high school student is entering college with a history of concussion, and we know about the correlation, we could put some measure in place to intervene before things get out of control. We don’t want them to get overwhelmed by the pressure of performing and the grades required to continue.” It’s much better to support them on the front end before things get out of hand.

Should players get drafted into the National Football League, the pain from injuries, the pressure to win, and the temptation to use PEDs get even worse. In the NFL, 51 percent of players use opioids and 71 percent of those athletes admit to misusing them. Many of the pills are not prescribed by medical doctors: 68 percent say they got them from other sources.

It takes only a few days to get addicted to opioids, Joiner warned, and professional athletes have easy access. Professional athletes tend to play through the pain and then “fix it” with opioids and other substances after the game, putting themselves at risk for greater injury and addiction.

Joiner then went over the possible consequences of such risky behavior, which include the impact on performance, health, relationships, and career—and in the worst-case scenario, death.

While substances were initially taken to enhance or maintain performance, escalating use will eventually compromise performance and wreak havoc with the athlete’s health. As is the case for all people with substance use disorder, addiction has “a definite negative impact on relationships.” If there is no intervention and treatment, players may end up with legal problems, a league suspension, or just get kicked off their team.

There are many examples of athletes falling into this trap. Former Boston Celtic Chris Herren struggled with substance misuse for much of his NBA career. While playing for the Celtics, Herren started to use opioid painkillers. In December 2007, he was charged with possession of heroin in Rhode Island and in the following June, Herren overdosed on heroin in Fall River, Massachusetts. According to the attending paramedics, he was clinically dead for 30 seconds.

Abby Wambach—widely considered the best female soccer player ever—was arrested for driving under the influence in 2016. Following the incident, Wambach published an autobiography revealing that she had misused prescription drugs and alcohol for many years.

After going into recovery, Herren started raising awareness of drug addiction and has now spoken to over one million students, athletes, and community members, promoting frank discussions about substance use disorder and wellness.

In the webinar, Joiner, too, stressed the importance of prevention and early intervention to attack this problem. Prevention should include educating everybody involved to raise awareness of mental health issues that often drive substance misuse, so parents, teachers, and coaches learn to recognize red flags. “From the outside, it often looks like they have everything”, explained Joiner. That’s why depression and anxiety disorders are often overlooked. Testing, screening and other interventions should be used in a supportive, not punitive way.

“We should stop just being reactive and be more proactive,” Joiner said. Coaches and trainers of athletes should not wait for a crisis to unfold and athletic programs should provide adequate mental health services for players (and other students). Treatment should not be perceived as punishment for bad behavior but as a concerted effort to heal psychological problems. “We need effective collaboration between therapists, doctors, school departments, and the community that facilitates integrated care,” Joiner said. Currently, too many people fall through the cracks because many athletic departments don’t provide nearly enough mental health professionals. Ultimately, a culture shift is required: our society’s approach to athletic injuries and mental illness needs to change significantly and we need more trauma-informed and stigma-free care—and not only for athletes.

Beware the Early Signs of Alcoholism

Posted on by Christy Weeks
Early Signs of Alcoholism

by Michael Rass

Addiction can sneak up on you. You may be unaware of it, but you might be genetically predisposed to develop a substance use disorder (SUD) more easily than other people. The alcohol-related SUD listed in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) is termed alcohol use disorder (AUD), featuring eleven diagnostic criteria. The presence of six of those criteria indicates a severe AUD or an alcohol addiction.

Early Warning Signs

Several of the DSM-5 criteria can be regarded as early warning signs. Is alcohol taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than was intended? And has there been a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control alcohol use?

Many alcoholics remember periods early on when they tried to slow down their drinking, only to find that it didn’t actually happen. According to the DSM-5, the presence of these two criteria already indicates a mild alcohol use disorder. If these early warning signs are ignored, the AUD is likely to escalate. More and more time could be spent on obtaining alcohol, drinking alcohol, or recovering from its effects, and “continued alcohol use despite having persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems caused or exacerbated by the effects of alcohol” may ensue.

The Drinking Escalates

Continued, excessive alcohol use despite negative consequences is a serious red flag that should not be ignored. Take a step back and honestly ask yourself, why is this happening? Why are you drinking more than you should? For many recovering alcoholics the answer is that they were self-medicating emotional pain or intense stress.

Do you drink to reduce social anxiety? Are you suffering from an anxiety disorder or depression? Then you should not drink alcohol in an attempt to reduce the symptoms of those conditions. While drinking may initially suppress symptoms of mental health disorders, it will eventually make them worse. If you suffer from too much stress, you need to address the cause of that stress instead of fleeing into alcohol misuse.

Unfortunately, many users start to rationalize their excessive alcohol consumption at this point and deny any warning signs to themselves and to others. They keep on drinking even though it is beginning to cause serious problems in their relationships, for their professional career, and physical health. They start to experience craving, or a strong urge to use alcohol, as their alcohol use has begun to hijack the reward cycle of the brain. They need alcohol just to feel normal.

Recognize the Real Drivers

Stress (especially if caused by a traumatic experience) or any mood disorder, combined with frequent alcohol use and a possible genetic predisposition may now unleash a severe alcohol use disorder or alcohol addiction. Individuals may experience blackouts after heavy alcohol use. Uncontrolled, persistent drinking will eventually lead to tolerance—more and more alcohol is needed to achieve the same effect—and withdrawal symptoms will increase if alcohol consumption is discontinued.

Don’t let it get that far. Heed the warning signs. Be mindful of the real reasons you’re drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. Seek professional therapy for any mental health condition you might have and counseling for any trauma you may have suffered. Be aware of people with alcohol use disorder in your family and be extra-cautious if close relatives have an AUD. Engage in activities that relieve stress but don’t involve using addictive substances.

If you are unsure if you have developed a substance use disorder, seek an evaluation to assess your drinking behavior. Don’t despair and don’t drown in your addiction. Help is available and recovery is possible!