Someone to Help You
This is a song of desperation. It's a pouring out of raw emotion that I know many can relate to.
Watching someone you love turn into an unrecognizable version of themselves is pure pain. It's wrought with psychological torment and a constant agony over setting boundaries while trying to facilitate every kind of help.
We all carry our trauma differently and addiction is a symptom of deeper issues. If you're struggling with addiction, you are not alone. You are loved and worthy of healing. You were created on purpose, for a purpose. I urge you to partake in any of the resources below and take steps to break the cycle of shame and self-destruction.
If you love an addict, you’re in good company. If you’ve set healthy boundaries, you should be proud of yourself. If you’ve lost an addict, my heart hurts for you.
You are loved.
Audio Engineering by Bobby Siegfried of Studio B Creative
Video Production by Richie Ares of The Lionhearted
Resources
This is by no means an exhaustive list. However, my hope is that you'll find some help and encouragement here.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free, 24/7 confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.
Veterans Crisis Line (dial 988 and press 1 or text 838255) for free, 24/7 confidential support for veterans.
Therapies
SAMHSA's National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish). They also offer a Behavioral Health Services Locator by location and type of facility (e.g., inpatient, outpatient, residential). Call for assistance 24 hours a day 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Splankna work brings together the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of an issue all at once. This “whole person” approach can often facilitate change at a deeper level than more traditional methods. It harnesses remarkable mechanisms created by God in the mind-body connection, providing a highly effective procedure for quickly relieving a wide range of emotional symptoms.
EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy is designed to resolve unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain by encouraging the patient to focus briefly on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements), which is associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with the trauma memories.
PTSD Treatment Programs for veterans:
All Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers provide PTSD treatment, and many locations around the county offer specialized PTSD programs.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is an evidence-based treatment that helps children and adolescents recover after trauma. TF-CBT also effectively addresses many other trauma impacts, including affective (e.g., depressive, anxiety), cognitive and behavioral problems, as well as improving the participating parent’s or caregiver’s personal distress about the child’s traumatic experience, effective parenting skills, and supportive interactions with the child.
Cognitive Processing Therapy is a cognitive-behavioral therapy (treatment that focuses on thoughts and feelings) for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, and related conditions.
Prolonged Exposure Therapy is a specific type of cognitive behavioral therapy that teaches individuals to gradually approach trauma-related memories, feelings and situations. Both Emory University School of Medicine and University of Pennsylvania's Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety offer a list of providers trained in their programs.
Anxiety and Depression Association of America offers a therapist search by location, treatment options and mental health disorder.
American Psychological Association has a Psychologist Locator that allows you to search by location, specialty, insurance accepted and gender identity of provider.
Psychology Today offers a therapist directory by location, including teletherapy.
Support Groups & Education
Many of the therapies listed above align themselves with specific support groups. Below are some others.
Trauma REBOOT is a 12-week, faith-based, peer-led course empowering everyday people to overcome trauma and embrace a brighter future. Also available are Military REBOOT and First Responder REBOOT.
12-Step support groups, like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) are widely available not only in the U.S., but also around the world. The program is based on the famous ‘12 Steps’ with the objective of accepting that one is powerless over the substance (or behaviors) and that finding a ‘higher power’ is key to recovery.
Celebrate Recovery is a biblically balanced 12-Step approach to help bring sustainable recovery and healing to our hurts. It guides us toward new healthy truths and life-giving habits as we repair our broken relationships.
For Families
Families Anonymous, Al-Anon and Nar-Anon support groups are specifically intended for the support of concerned others. Similarly, Alateen is designed to help teens cope with a parent or other family member who has an addiction to drugs or alcohol.
Grief Recovery After a Substance Passing or GRASP was created to offer understanding, compassion, and support for those who have lost someone they love through addiction and overdose.
Eluna Network may be especially helpful if you have children who have lost a loved one or been impacted by substance use. They offer camps and other resources families can use to help children understand grief and loss.
Herren Project’s addiction grief support group is for individuals grieving from losing a loved one to drug addiction, alcoholism, or a drug overdose.
𝐼 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓁𝑒𝓉 𝒽𝓊𝓇𝓉 𝓂𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝓂𝑒 𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒹.
𝐼 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓁𝑒𝓉 𝒷𝑒𝓉𝓇𝒶𝓎𝒶𝓁 𝓈𝓉𝑒𝒶𝓁 𝓂𝓎 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝓅𝒶𝓈𝓈𝒾𝑜𝓃.
𝐼 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓁𝑒𝓉 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉𝒶𝒸𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝒽𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝒻𝒶𝒾𝓉𝒽.
𝐼 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓁𝑒𝓉 𝒻𝑒𝒶𝓇 𝒹𝒾𝓈𝓈𝑜𝓁𝓋𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝓈𝓉𝓇𝑒𝓃𝑔𝓉𝒽.
𝐼 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝒾𝓃 𝐻𝒾𝓈 𝓅𝑒𝒶𝒸𝑒.
𝐼 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓁𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝒾𝓃 𝐻𝒾𝓈 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒.
𝐼 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓇𝑒𝒿𝑜𝒾𝒸𝑒 𝒾𝓃 𝐻𝒾𝓈 𝒷𝓁𝑒𝓈𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈.
𝐼 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑔.