A Young Man Requires Treatment For His Intense Depression, Relationship Difficulties, And For His Substance Abuse
Roughly ten months ago I had breakfast with a forty-three-year-old male named Benjamin who experiences extreme depression, has relationship problems, and who is alcohol and drug dependent. As articulated by Benjamin, it is his alcoholism and drug addiction and his intense depression that has had the most to do with his constant relationship issues.
As stated by Benjamin, he is so crushed by his relationship problems and by both of his medical conditions that he in actual fact has no aspiration to accomplish much of anything. What is particularly unfortunate about this is that earlier in his life, Benjamin completed five semesters of graduate school in criminal justice.
Benjamin's condition makes me question if he is an illustration of a person who can address his drug addiction and drinking problems and do something healthy about these difficulties. Or, conversely, if he is an individual who has to hit rock-bottom before he gets alcohol and drug addiction rehabilitation that leads to long lasting recovery.
It may be asked how counseling would help his chemical dependency. For starters, there are a number of recently produced doctor-prescribed medications that can help Benjamin avoid a drug or an alcohol relapse, help him through the drug and alcohol detoxification process, and help him through his withdrawal symptoms. Second, in rehab he could also learn more about his alcoholism symptoms and also about the diverse stages of alcoholism.
Third, Benjamin would learn to concede the fact that there is entirely nothing constructive about substance abuse and negative drinking. In a similar manner, he would also learn that involving himself in one or both of these unhealthy situations is the path to legal problems, financial difficulties, poor work and school performance, shattered relationships, a premature death and deteriorating health. Fourth, therapy for his depression and for his relationship difficulties might help him deal with these mental health difficulties more successfully and help create less of a need for him to engage in additive behavior. And finally, in therapy he could also learn more about the various symptoms of alcoholism that he has exhibited.
Since Benjamin doesn't have the fortitude to do much of anything in his life, it is evident that he desperately needs a little hope for a more fulfilling existence. And the sad thing is that hope is almost everywhere around Benjamin if he could only get to the point in life to get the counseling he requires for his extreme depression and dependency and adhere to his treatment routine.
Benjamin is simply too young to be beaten in life. He doesn't comprehend this at the moment but if he can learn how to refrin from alcohol and drugs through drug and alcohol therapy and get the treatment he needs for his severe depression, he can redirect his life and start living with direction, passion, and with self-respect.
Stronger relationships, affirmative change, self esteem, and a wonderful life are clearly a reality for Benjamin. But only if he can become motivated to seek the professional treatment he requires, follow through with his treatment regimen, live his life in a dependency-free and healthy manner, and learn how to foster a more positive attitude about life.