Our ability to connect with friends and family, to go out and exercise, to enjoy a walk, be in the company of friends, enjoy a meal in a restaurant, a walk around the shops in a mall, All the simple things we completely took for granted are now gone.
Alarming statistics are emerging that individuals worldwide are increasingly turning to substances like alcohol and other substances to help them cope with the fear of the virus and the enforced insolation. The latest statistics we have indicate that these numbers are skyrocketing.
Other alarming statistics point to an upsurge in domestic violence cases globally. Bivariate statistical analysis has long confirmed a high degree of correlation between alcohol consumption and increases in domestic violence.
Added to this, the traditional rehabilitation centres and other wellness centres that people would normally turn to are no longer accessible whilst regular psychological services are at the same time on the verge of being completely overwhelmed.
Large numbers of individuals, now forced to cope with these changes without adequate support and help are beginning to show the manifestations of: Psychological trauma
What it is has done, and continues to do is to cause a great deal of: stressed, anxious, depressed, irritable, fearful people with no means to access support or help.
But why then would that make people turn to using too much alcohol, or other substances, or online gambling, or even over exercising, and other excessive behaviours? Doesn’t that just make it worse? Can’t they just sit, chill and watch Netflix? It doesn’t make sense. It’s just crazy.
It makes perfect sense.
They use alcohol, gambling, internet gaming, pornography, shopping, eating, etc. not because they don’t work or make things worse but because they DO WORK when it comes to managing overwhelming emotional stress and they DO make things better.
UNTIL……………
At some point, the alcohol or whatever other substance/behaviour that was providing temporary relief, or pleasure, starts to cause problems. (we are using alcohol as the example here but the same principles apply to any behaviour, even “normal” ones like eating and shopping”)
But how would I know that things are beginning to go wrong? Here are some of the clues:
And this, is just the start……………………………..
WE AT THE LIVING FREE INSTITUTE BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A VIABLE SOLUTION TO THIS RAPIDLY ESCALATING PROBLEM.
This program is designed to be delivered entirely online and to fit around the needs of individuals in order to allow them to continue to stay in-doors, continue their employment, look after their children, attend to the other varying day-to-day needs BUT STILL allow them to engage with a program designed to help them with whatever issue they are struggling with
(*What we are not able to deliver are: emergency, medical and nursing services)
We don’t advocate any one form of treatment over any other, our task is to find the treatment model that works for the individual.
We don’t decide the client’s goals. We help, assist and encourage them to set goals that make sense to them, that are achievable and realistic and then help them achieve their goals. But ultimately, it is the client that sets his/her own therapeutic goals.
We don’t exclude clients from the program if they do end up drinking/using. Instead, we work with them to help improve their program.
The program is divided into 2 components:
*the living free program is a unique hybridization of formal theraputic components and informal supportive components to provide every client with a program that is designed specifically for them, and them alone, based on their clinical needs.
A Combination Of The Following
