Season 1 - Self Medication (aka, why your kid may be turning to Substance Use)

We focus on a self-medication hypothesis, specific to how, “self-medication factors occur in a context of self-regulation vulnerabilities”. Additionally, “persons with substance use disorders suffer in the extreme with their feelings, either being overwhelmed with painful affects or seeming not to feel their emotions at all.”  The Podcast covers high-level concepts, to allow for an in-depth discussion with your licensed therapist as to how addiction influences the addict’s ability to manage self-agency, i.e., self-regulate, and thus seek out self-medication to alleviate painful emotions. As there is a lot packed into this Podcast, the below links help to understand the core concepts of a), self-medication, b) self-efficacy, and c) self-agency. The ability to understand these concepts will hopefully help the parent understand what is driving the quest to self-medicate, as the Licensed Therapist helps the develop an increased sense of Self Agency. The goal of your Therapeutic team is to decrease your child's need to self-medicate and facilitate a journey to a deeper understanding of Self.  1) AARP - What do do when your child has a Crisis2) Alcohol and Drug Use held steady in the Pandemic3) Dr. Edward J. Khantzian's Article Abstract on The Self Medication Hypothesis4) Dr. Edward J. Khantzian’s Book, ‘Treating Addiction: Beyond the Pain’5) What is NeuroAffective Relational Model6) Article published on SAGEpub, 'Addiction, Agency and Affect'7) Self Efficacy8) APA Teaching Tips on Self Efficacy9) Article: What is the Sense of Agency and Why does it Matter?10) Science Direct: Sense of Agency11) Science Direct: Personal Agency / Self-reflective CapabilityThank you for listening and please visit www.siblinghoodofrecovery.com for free resources, links to organizations, groups and individuals who can offer help in the Journey of Recovery towards healing from substance use disorders. If you like this Podcast, please leave a rating on wherever you're listening. It will help to get the word out. If there is one message I can leave you with, the best you can offer your loved one battling addiction is love and a healthier you. Walk gently, my friend.