Prescription drug abuse is a chronic problem in the United States. Misuse and illegal transfer of prescriptions, especially pain pills and ADHD medications are a big problem for many people. Addiction, especially to opioids are on the rise and physicians are becoming more reluctant to prescribe addictive medications. There is hope to overcome this addiction but it involves determination and desire to move away from these types of drugs.
Prescription drugs when misused can cause serious addiction problems. Please also review AIHCP’s Substance Abuse Counseling Certification
The article, “How Prescription Drug Addiction Is Treated” by Michelle Brooten-Brooks looks closer at how these types of addictions are treated. She states,
“In 2020, 1.2 million people in the U.S. misused prescription pain relievers.1 Prescription drug addiction often starts with medically-prescribed needed use, such as following surgery or injury. Gradually, use becomes misuse, resulting in substance use disorder or addiction. When that occurs, prescription drug addiction treatment is necessary.”
Please also review AIHCP’s Substance Abuse Counseling Certification and see if it meets your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Substance Abuse Counseling.
Within Christianity, the belief that God created two sentient type of creatures, namely angels and humans is universal. By sentient, one infers that an individual is made in the image and likeness of God in that the individual or species has an intellect and will that can reason beyond physical problems but actually acknowledge the issue of existence itself. In this understanding of to exist or not to exist, sentience allows one to truly understand good and evil and to also contemplate a higher power.
This is far more than mere solving of puzzles as one can see in primates or dolphins, but realizing the very essence of “to be or not to be”. Despite the intelligence of many animals and emotional ranges, animals such as primates or dolphins do not write about existence itself. Animals merely exist. Abstract concepts of existence itself and the choice to adhere or not adhere to moral principles are of a higher cognitive level, which is referred to sentience. Sentience makes one made in the image and likeness of God. It gives one knowledge, choice, and self awareness. It is spiritual in nature, but many non sentient things can have spirit, but it is the spiritual qualities of humanity and the angels that make them separate from other creation.
Is one to conclude then that only angels and human beings are sentient? From observation, no other creature on Earth possesses the qualities of sentience. While many creatures on Earth display amazing intelligence, they do not illustrate sentience. As a Christian, is it then fair to say only human beings and angels are sentient?
While it has yet to be proven or at least acknowledged, the limitless nature of the universe ultimately has other life. Is some of this life sentient? One cannot answer but one cannot also limit God’s creative power to the creation of other sentient life forms. With the creation of other sentient life forms as a possibility, speculative theology looks at the role of Christ and His redemptive act coincides with other alien sentient beings.
The cosmos is so vast that we cannot limit God’s creation.
Once asked regarding what he would do if he met an alien, Pope Francis said he would offer baptism and the message of Christ. This point may very well be true, but the appearance of another sentient life form offers many challenges and questions to Christian theology. For some, aliens offer no crisis of faith to the Christian, while to others, it may very well make them doubt the universal importance of humanity in the cosmos and reduce the Christian faith to just a religion of a particular planet.
I would like to point out a few ideas that may reassure believing Christians that alien life is not necessarily detrimental to the message of Christ. In fact, Christian theology can exist side by with other sentient life.
First, humanity exists within a temporal and fallen sphere. Hence due to the sin of Adam, humanity fell from the grace of God and the protection of the Garden of Eden. Humanity was thrust into a world of suffering, death and loss. It is possible, that other sentient life has been created before and could be created after humanity. Would this sentient form of life be immune from the sin of Adam since they are not human? Angels and humanity were judged separately. So if sentient life does exist in the universe, it could very well be immune from the temporal fall. They very well may have “passed” their test. If not, did this form of sentient life also incur the sin of Adam or their “own sin”. In this case, one of two options emerge. First, Christ’s death was for all temporal existence, or Christ’s death was just for humanity, and the Trinity has other plans for the redemption of other fallen sentient beings.
Second, other sentient life forms will have a different form of revelation. Revelation via scripture is for humanity and through the special incarnation of the Son. Alien life may have a very different form of revelation. This does not mean it is a false creed, but a different form of revelation from the Trinity. It would be difficult to determine if the alien life adhered to a false creed or the universal creed found via the Trinity. It would take investigation. Aliens could also very well be atheistic. One merely needs to look at the variety of false “isms” on Earth. A larger collection of false “isms” could exist in other sentient cultures as well.
What do we make of alien encounters? Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification
Hence the existence of aliens does not harm the faith of a Christian, but in fact opens one to the potential larger plan of God. It again is only speculative but theologians should be prepared to try to re-evaluate Christianity under the lens of the possibility of alien life and how the faith would respond to such an event.
An important aspect to note. One philosophy which has many heretical aspects are the ancient alien theories when applied to Scripture. Assuming interventions and stories about God and angels were in actuality an alien encounter. When these stories in Scripture are interpreted by ancient alien theories to dismiss the supernatural and replace it with the paranormal, Christians must dismiss those notions. Did aliens appear in the past? It is possible, but such stories cannot be used to confuse God’s communication with humanity with paranormal speculation.
As for those who are faced with alien encounters, counseling, especially Christian Counseling must approach the individual carefully. The individual may be psychotic, on drugs, or not mentally well. This is why it is important to refer anyone with such encounters to a professional counselor who can better attest if someone is suffering from delusion or a true event.
In such events as well, Christian theology teaches the possibility of demonic influence under the guise of alien presence. Under such theories, the alien presence shares false ideas that weaken the faith, or push the faithful to doubt the importance of Christ. Obviously it is very difficult to ascertain what is occurring to the individual when paranormal or supernatural events occur and this is why it is important to refer an individual to appropriate mental health professionals.
Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification and see if it meets your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Christian Counseling.
Hypnotherapy is emerging as a more common approach to helping individuals face trauma, phobias, bad habits and grief. It is a alternative type of treatment but nevertheless a very effective treatment for some in helping the mind heal. It is safe and can help many individuals suffering from a variety of mental issues.
Hypnosis has numerous benefits and is safe. Please also review AIHCP’s Clinical Hypnotherapy Certification
The article, “Is Hypnosis Therapy Real? Here’s How It Works” by Michelle Brooten-Brooks takes a closer look at the many things hypnotherapy can help someone with. She states,
“Psychotherapy helps people with mental health conditions improve their well-being, usually through methods like talk therapy. Hypnotherapy, also known as hypnosis therapy or clinical hypnosis, is the therapeutic use of hypnosis in psychotherapy with a trained mental health provider.1 Hypnosis is a state of trance-like consciousness that makes the mind more open to suggestion.”
Please also review AIHCP’s Hypnotherapy Certification and see if it meets your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking to utilize clinical hypnotherapy in their practice.
Spirituality is part of everyone. The whole person, mental and physical. While spirituality is more individual than social, many doctors do not give the holistic care to the entire being of the patient. Doctor sometimes focus more on the body, recovery and failure based on life or death. Many times the pastoral and spiritual issues are not identified. The patient has multiple needs and even for the non religious, many have spiritual needs or at least spiritual acknowledgement during grief and loss during care.
Many patients would like a more pastoral approach in healthcare. Please also review AIHCP’s Pastoral Thanatology Certification
The article, “Does spirituality belong at the doctor’s office?” by Jen Rose Smith takes a closer look for the need of pastoral and spiritual care of patients. She states,
“In fact, many patients would like to discuss spiritual matters with their health care providers: One study found that 83% of patients want physicians to ask about their spiritual beliefs, especially when they’re facing life-threatening illness, serious medical conditions and bereavement. “A high percentage of people, if they’re in the hospital for a physical illness, would like to talk to their physician about spiritual matters and have a conversation,” said Dr. John Graham, president and CEO of the Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center, a cosponsor of this month’s conference.”
Please also review AIHCP’s Pastoral Thanatology Certification and see if it meets your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Pastoral Thanatology
St Teresa of Avilla laid out the a map for a closer union with God in her classic, “The Interior Castle”. She details the numerous levels of spiritual union with God that a soul undertakes. This is a long journey for many as they let go of the world and embrace Christ.
Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Christian Counseling.
With war comes a type of traumatic loss than many experience. Whether soldier or civilian, the pain and loss is very traumatic. The losses can vary from loved ones to home to identity itself. They can long term consequences of depression, prolonged grief and PTSD. The losses are so severe that they can implant a death imprint on the very person.
Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Grief Counseling.
Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome or PTSD is the inability of the human mind to process traumatic memory. It remains fragmented and left to haunt the person through various triggers and arousals that return to the person to the original trauma. Emotions remain raw and the individual is trapped in the past and it repeats itself.
The first step to recovery is to confront the trauma and begin the long and sometimes painful process of properly storing the memory and integrating it, good and bad, into one’s life narrative. The process to dismiss the past, face it and integrate it can be difficult. The trauma is very difficult to face but for those who take the initial steps to confront and learn new coping methods to deal with PTSD can reap the rewards of a return to one’s very own existence and life. Many are unable to reach this due to PTSD.
Trying to recover from PTSD can be delayed over distortions about the event. Licensed counselors through Cognitive Restructuring can help individuals find the truth to move forward. Please also review AIHCP’s Crisis Intervention Program
Treatment is key. Professional counselors can help individuals through a series of treatments. One type of treatment is Cognitive Restructuring. Cognitive Restructuring helps the individual integrate dissociated memories with associated ones in the long term memory. Part of the process is to remove unproductive ideas and ideals that limit the mind to restructure and keep arousal high. Functional thoughts can help remove higher arousal, while dysfunctional thoughts prevent the individual from healthy integration. It is not the activation to think about the trauma that causes the consequence of arousal but more the dysfunctional thinking that causes more arousal.
Automatic thoughts that enter into oneself about the event can be good or distorted. There are 13 types of distortions to thought that can make overcoming PTSD very difficult. These distortions need corrected so that the brain can properly integrate the traumatic event. This blog will review the 13 types of distortions.
Flaw Fixation. This distortion forces the individual to only focus on the bad. It is a camera lens that only sees one aspect of the full event. It is a narrowing of all the facts of the story. The individual only recalls the failures of the particular day, or only in the present sees bad in everything.
Dismissing the Positive. Very similar to the Flaw Fixation but this does not focus on flaws of the individual but any positivity in life itself. Only negative is viewed in day to day life and if the event was during a particular period of time, all the other good things of that time period are dismissed based on the one bad event.
Assuming. Individuals assume certain things about an event. In Mind Reading, they assume others think negative about them and how the individual acted or what the individual experienced. Also within arousal, Jumping to Conclusions is common. The individual assumes any trigger is an actual threat. Finally, Fortune Telling, predicts negative outcomes only with any future events. Everything is predicted in a negative light in lieu of the past traumatic event.
Catastrophizing. Individuals make any events based off the past trauma to be worst than they what they truly are.
All or None. In this, the individual rates himself only as good or bad. Furthermore, other people are seen only as good or bad. There is no gradation or grey area in this type of reframing
Shoulds. In this, the individual relives what he or she should have done or did not do. This does not take into account the objective reality of what occurred and places everything on the individual.
Making Feelings a Fact. Feelings are important to listen to but sometimes they can distort and make things appear different than reality.
Over Generalization. Individuals assume everything is bad or “ALL” people are out to get them. It comes from a lack of security but closes individuals to healing.
Abusive Labeling. The individual sees oneself as damaged. The person does not differentiate the evil and bad between the action committed and oneself.
Personalizing. The individual asserts to much blame for the traumatic event that the person is guilty of or not guilty at all
Blaming. The individual blames the event for destroying one’s life more than the event did. It is the opposite extreme of personalizing.
Unfavorable Comparisons. When one compares to how others would react instead of oneself. This can lead to anxiety and regret. Instead of focusing on the event and how one dealt with it.
Regrets. This is similar to “shoulds”. Instead one looks at all the circumstances and holds one guilty to the event instead of healing from it
These type of distortions can create a mixture of emotional reactions that prevent the person from seeing the trauma correctly. One either sees the event incorrectly, others, or oneself. This does not allow one properly process it with the truth of the matter and hence integrate it into one’s life. It is important to understand an event and process it. Distortions prevent this hence in counseling and reframing of the event, it is important to discuss these issues and identify a patient who may possess a distortion. Of course the only way to know if a distortion exists is for the individual to open up about the event and confront it.
Confronting and properly processing trauma is critical with PTSD. Please also review AIHCP’s Stress Management Consulting Program
If you would like to learn more about AIHCP’s Stress Management Consulting Program or AIHCP’s Crisis Intervention Program, then please review the programs and see if they meet your academic and professional goals. The programs are online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in these two disciplines. After completing the courses, one can then apply for a four year certification in Stress Management or Crisis Intervention.
Source: The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook: A Guide to Healing, Recovery and Growth by Glenn R. Schiraldi, PhD
While many focus on aggressive anger in Anger Management, many times passive forms of anger and abuse or forgotten. One such type of passive anger and abuse is referred to as silent treatment. When used as a way to punish and control, it can be very abusive and a form of misusing the emotion of anger.
The silent treatment is a form of passive anger and emotional abuse. Please also review AIHCP’s Anger Management Specialist Program
The article, “Is Silent Treatment a Form of Abuse? Here’s What to Know’ by Kelly Burch looks how the use of ignoring and purposefully not speaking to another person is a form of abuse. She states,
“When you think of abuse, your mind probably goes immediately to physical violence, yelling, or intimidation. But an abusive relationship can also be silent. Some people use silent treatment abuse to manipulate and control their loved ones. This is a form of emotional abuse. It’s normal to not want to talk to someone when you are angry or frustrated. In most cases, this happens occasionally and blows over. However, if a person regularly uses the silent treatment to influence or control your behavior, they are being emotionally abusive. “
Please also review AIHCP’s Anger Management Specialist Program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Anger Management
Grief is part of life. As long as love and loss exist, grief will exist. The process of grief is an important part of growing and adjusting. It is not something that is to be rushed, ignored, or not valued. While it is an unpleasant part of life, the grieving process helps one heal and learn to live and adjust to the loss. Grief does not go away but one learns to live with it and the body and the mind must go through the process of grieving to properly adjust.
Grieving is a natural part of life. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification and see if it meets your goals
The article, “Feeling Pressure to Grow from Grief” from “What’s Your Grief” takes a closer look at the importance of the grieving process. The article states,
“What can be missed is recognizing grief as a handbrake for the motion of life. It is an important and natural evolutionary force telling you to let yourself be, to sit, to grieve, to mourn. This leap to meaning can be an attempt to bypass the reality of loss.”
Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification and see if it meets your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Grief Counseling.
Like any death, sudden deaths cause extreme distress for people. Unexpected loss is always painful and can lead to complications. The same sudden loss of a beloved pet can be a horrible experience. If one’s dog is hit, or cat is killed, or horse breaks a leg, can be unexpected and painful moments in anyone’s life. Such sudden death should not be downplayed but respected and heard.
Losing a pet suddenly can cause complicated grief. Please also review AIHCP’s Pet Loss Grief Support Program
The article, “When death comes suddenly to a pet” by Katie Burns looks at the sudden death of a pet. She states,
“In other cases, a pet owner might have been managing a pet’s underlying condition, and the pet dies suddenly from a fatal progression of that condition. In Florida, other notable causes of sudden unexpected death—but not unexplained death—are drowning in pools and even death by alligator attack.”
There are so many ways our beloved animals can die. If sudden, it can cause intense trauma and these feelings should not be kept in. Please also review AIHCP’s Pet Loss Grief Support Program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a certification in Pet Loss Grief Support.
