April is Alcohol Awareness Month

Founded and sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (now Facing Addiction with NCADD), Alcohol Awareness Month was established in 1987 to help reduce the stigma so often associated with alcohol addiction by encouraging communities to reach out to the American public each April with information about alcohol, alcohol addiction, and recovery. Alcohol addiction is a chronic, progressive disease, genetically predisposed and fatal if untreated. However, people can and do recover. In fact, it is estimated that as many as 20 million individuals and family members are living lives in recovery from alcohol use!

According to the NCADD, “Alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in the United States. 17.6 million people, or one in every 12 adults, suffer from alcohol abuse or dependence along with several million more who engage in risky, binge drinking patterns that could lead to alcohol problems. More than half of all adults have a family history of alcoholism or problem drinking, and more than 7 million children live in a household where at least one parent is dependent on or has abused alcohol.” Warning signs of alcohol abuse include:

• Drinking to calm nerves, forget worries or boost a sad mood
• Guilt about drinking
• Unsuccessful attempts to cut down or stop drinking
• Lying about or hiding drinking habits
• Causing harm to oneself or someone else as a result of drinking
• Needing to drink increasingly greater amounts in order to achieve desired effects
• Feeling irritable, resentful or unreasonable when not drinking
• Medical, social, family or financial problems caused by drinking

How is AMHC addressing the issue?

• Individual Outpatient Therapy (IOP)
• Outpatient and Intensive Outpatient Treatment programs, which require regular attendance for a set period of time.
• Maine Mothers Network https://www1.maine.gov/dhhs/samhs/osa/help/mainemothersnetworkflyer.pdf
• Driver Education and Evaluation Program (DEEP) services for individuals seeking to regain their license following an operating under the influence charge.
• Peer support
• MAT services including Opioid Health Home
• DMS (Detox management services)
  • Money available for medication
  • Treatment IOP, individual, residential
• Residential Treatment Facility “The Farm”
• Criminogenic treatment services
  • Working with local probation services
  • Diversion Academy
  • Mark Nelson working in Jail (Breaking Free program)
• The Roads to Recovery Community Center services in Caribou and coming soon to Houlton
  • Various recovery meetings
    • AA
    • NA
    • Al-anon
    • Refuge recovery
    • men/women group
    • father/mother group
    • Recovery writing, art groups, music
    • Families Anonymous
  • Substance use and domestic violence
  • Maine can work
  • Narcan training
  • IOP has been attending every two to three weeks
    • High-power box
    • Jeopardy
    • music
    • Benefits are that our customers have increased confidence to participate in various recovery meetings