All posts by Yolita Pavlova

Yolita Pavlova

About Yolita Pavlova

Yolita Pavlova has been a member of the EPF Youth Group since 2012. She is also a young representative of the Confederation of Health Protection (KZZ) in Bulgaria and took part in the EMPATHY project in Brussels in 2013.

Addictions – A Multi-Level Model for Efficient Treatment

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Addictions are unique and devastating diseases: they affect the body, the mind and the spirit of a person. Understanding the multifaceted impact they have is a critical step towards an effective treatment. EPF Youth Group member, Yolita Pavlova shares some of her experience as a volunteer in addiction prevention. 

The issue of effective treatment has been key to me ever since I started working as a volunteer in the field of prevention and treatment of addictions. I come from a family with addictions and understanding how to help people facing such problems in my country, Bulgaria, soon became a personal cause.

I met with doctors, attended trainings, and listened to many personal stories.  I came to realise that anyone working in addiction prevention shared a common belief – this is a multileveled condition.

The Biopsychosocial model

One model in particular explains why treating addictions is so tricky:  the Biopsychosocial model. According to this model, addictions are chronic conditions that consist of 3 components. To gain recovery, a structured approach to address each component of the condition with the adequate means, order, and length of the treatment is necessary. It is a long process that may consist of several episodes of treatment and has cumulative results.

 

  • The first component addresses the physical and physiological changes that the substance intake causes, such as withdrawal symptoms associated with physical dependence that occur when the drug is no longer taken, the delirium tremens condition, etc. These symptoms are addressed with pharmaceutical means and mainly with medications for detoxification and reduction of craving. Drug detoxification can prevent unpleasant or fatal consequences resulting from sudden cessation of substance use and supports the patient on his/her road towards drug abstinence.
  • The second one concerns the mind, models of thinking, and the behavior changes that appear as a result of excessive drug use.  This component is best addressed through therapy – e.g. cognitive behavioral therapy, group therapy to change behavioral patterns, or therapy to increase motivation. The intervention of Consultants who are themselves recovering addicts in treatment programs is crucial as they provide their unique experience and deliver a message of strength and hope to those who do not believe cutting down on excessive substance use is possible.
  • The third component of the model tackles the spiritual and moral dimension. Resocialization is the key factor to tackle this aspect – the recovering addict needs to learn how to function without the substance within his/her family, work life, and in society. Thus, resocialization groups such as the Alcoholic Anonymous self-help groups follow the model of smart recovery and the “12 steps approach”. The inclusion of the family in the recovery process is key for its success.

 

Excessive substance use is not the disease – it is a symptom

because of the multifaceted approach of the disease, addressing only one of its aspects – e.g. prescribing medicines for detoxification or drug substitution such as methadone without therapy and resocialization would probably result in less effective results.

By the same token, the misuse of the medicines prescribed to people with addictions within the framework of their treatment is more likely when there is no coordination during the long and multileveled process of recovery.

–  No single treatment exists for addictions – Both pharmacological and behavioral approaches should be combined to pursue not just a temporary abstinence, but a full and happy life without the substance.

My Young Patient’s Perspective on Self-Help and Peer Support

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My self-help story begins with the opportunity to be part of a family. This family taught me how to be open and honest, ask for help when I need it and offer support to others. In fact, my life as a volunteer started before I even realised.

I am the daughter of an alcoholic. After many years of struggles and a broken marriage, my parents found a way to change their lives. It was Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) that helped my father to recover through in-depth personal transformation. During his recovery from his addiction, my father became aware of the negative effects his choices had on us – his relatives. This is why he encouraged me to go to a self-help meeting for people who have addicts in their families.

My father’s good example was the reason I tried self-help groups, although the idea of meeting and sharing with complete strangers seemed very unusual to me.

Self-help groups, also known as mutual help, mutual aid, or support groups, are groups of people who provide shared support for each other. In these groups, members share a common problem—often a disease or addiction. Participants’ collective goal is to help each other cope with, and, when possible, heal or recover from this problem, through learning and sharing experiences.

Once I’d first entered the meeting room, I kept going back for more than 5 years. It became a place where I felt safe—like home. This was a place where people understood my problems—a place for support, good practice, mutual respect and, most of all, self-love and hope. There, I understood how important it is to share and help in return. The meetings helped me to unravel my emotions and understand more about my experience.

After I was introduced to meetings, I started to feel better about myself and was ready to be there for other people. As in the game “pass on”, I continue to pass positive messages and support to others today as a volunteer with KZZ and EPF’s Youth Group, both patients’ organizations.

I still attend meetings, work as a volunteer and deeply believe that the process of recovery starts with the single act of sharing and asking for help. Suffering is a struggle when you face it alone but can be a new beginning when you embrace it with love and support.