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“Men are more likely than women to use almost all types of illicit drugs, and illicit drug use is more likely to result in emergency department visits or overdose deaths for men than for women,” according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. “For most age groups, men have higher rates of use or dependence on illicit drugs and alcohol than do women.”

Men face different expectations than women in our society, and this can have an impact on their mental health and their substance use. Should men develop a substance use disorder (SUD), therapy must address all their psychological needs to be effective.

In a recent webinar for Harmony Foundation, experiential therapist Richard “D.J.” Bishop LPC, LAC, explored the paths to recovery for men. People identifying as male are often hampered by what Bishop called “man rules”—harmful socialized beliefs of masculinity, including “no crying, minimize feelings, don’t ask for help, be tough, work hard, must have control.”

Pressure on young boys and men to prove their masculinity to their peers in our culture can cause stereotypical expectations of masculinity in them with far-reaching consequences. One of those “man rules” is to be able to “hold your liquor like a man,” creating social pressure to drink alcohol in order to avoid the appearance of weakness.

“By helping men dismantle the ‘man rules,’ we can enable them to practice the principles of recovery,” said Bishop. Those principles are the polar opposites of toxic masculinity, and they include asking for help, connection, vulnerability, humility, gratitude, and spiritual support.

Treatment for men with SUD involves building a bridge from toxic man rules (isolation, competition, fear) to the principles of recovery on the other side (connection, compassion, courage). On this journey of self-discovery (Who am I?), clients need to reconnect with true values.

Bishop likes to do specific exercises to achieve that. In one exercise, he asked clients to identify a strong connection from life before addiction to introduce a version of the client before he became addicted. In another, Bishop asks clients to create a trauma timeline since trauma is frequently an underlying driver of addiction. Another recovery task may be to create a “social atom”: The client draws a shape that represents himself. He then uses different shapes to represent different relationships in his life.

Clients also explore sexual intimacy (safety, trust, honesty, and caring) and what it isn’t, namely mechanical sex to numb emotional pain.

Finally, clients also explore their spirituality. “Spirituality has been defined as an expression of the transcendent ways in which to fulfill human potential,” Sebastian Salicru recently wrote in Psychology Today. “Spirituality is a recognized psychological construct that is different from religiosity and has transcultural applicability.” For Bishop, it’s about stepping outside the self to embrace intuitive understanding and unconditional love.

Spirituality is about investigating how we are connected to lives and powers beyond ourselves. It’s about understanding our rightful place in the world—a strong aspect of true recovery.

Harmony Foundation is one of the longest-running and most successful addiction treatment centers in the world. If you or a loved one are struggling with alcohol or drug addiction, or you have questions about our programs, call us today at (866) 686-7867 to get the help needed as soon as possible. Our experienced staff is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Executive functions are a set of processes that all involve managing oneself and one’s resources to achieve a goal. They serve a command and control function and can be viewed as a kind of conductor of all cognitive skills.

Andrea Pitman is the executive director and founder of The Nectar Group. She has over 18 years of experience working with children, adults, and families through cognitive skills training, consulting, and teaching. In a recent webinar for Harmony Foundation, Pittman discussed the importance of executive functioning skills for human behavior and mental health.

Executive functioning (EF) comprises skills such as response inhibition, emotional control, sustained attention, goal-directed persistence, task initiation, time management, toleration of stress, and more. It’s a kind of “air traffic control” of the brain, Pittman explained, enabling people to focus, hold and work with information in the mind and filter distractions.

Furthermore, executive function skills make it possible to mentally play with ideas, think before acting, meet novel, unanticipated challenges, resist temptations, stay focused to complete tasks, and override the brain’s autopilot.

This means that executive functioning is essential for mental and physical health, success in school, work, and life, as well as cognitive, social, and psychological development.

“Lapses in executive functioning are common,” Pittman told the webinar participants. “Their seriousness and frequency can reflect individual strengths and weaknesses when it comes to executive functioning.”

Strong executive function skills develop through healthy relationships (caregivers provide a consistent, reliable presence and support children’s efforts); activities (caregivers help children learn how to cope and foster open-ended, creative play); places (environments that feel safe); and development (accountability and independence are encouraged).

Tobacco smoking rates among US adults with significant depression and/or substance use disorder (SUD) declined between 2006 and 2019 at a steeper rate than among individuals without substantial depression and/or SUD, according to research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

The findings, which were published in JAMA in April, suggest that groups at risk for nicotine addiction can be reached by tobacco cessation efforts. While such efforts have been effective, the NIDA researchers noted that individuals with psychiatric disorders still reported higher smoking rates than those without, although the gap is narrowing.

“This study shows us that, at a population level, reductions in tobacco use are achievable for people with psychiatric conditions, and smoking cessation should be prioritized along with treatments for substance use, depression, and other mental health disorders for people who experience them,” said NIDA Director Nora Volkow, MD, co-author of the study, in a news release.

“Therapies to help people stop smoking are safe, effective, and may even enhance the long-term success of concurrent treatments for more severe mental health symptoms in individuals with psychiatric disorders by lowering stress, anxiety, depression, and by improving overall mood and quality of life.”

The NIDA study analyzed data from more than 558,000 individuals 18 and older who participated in National Surveys on Drug Use and Health between 2006 and 2019. While individuals with major depression, SUD, or both were more likely to smoke cigarettes, cessation rates among these populations improved during the period studied.

“It is crucial that healthcare providers treat all the health issues that a patient experiences, not just their depression or drug use disorder at a given point in time,” Dr. Volkow said. “To do this, smoking cessation therapies need to be integrated into existing behavioral health treatments. The result will be longer and healthier lives for all people.”

The Harmony Campus is Tobacco-Free

Harmony Foundation has been providing the holistic approach to addiction treatment Dr. Volkow suggests. The treatment team at Harmony works daily to address all relevant needs a client might have. Our cutting-edge addiction treatment at Estes Park in Colorado includes tobacco cessation. Consequently, clients are not allowed to bring any tobacco products to our tobacco-free campus.

Like other drugs, nicotine engages the reward cycle of the brain. “A transient surge of endorphins in the reward circuits of the brain causes a slight, brief euphoria when nicotine is administered. This surge is much briefer than the ‘high’ associated with other drugs,” explains the relevant NIDA page. “However, like other drugs of abuse, nicotine increases levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in these reward circuits, which reinforces the behavior of taking the drug.”

Since tobacco engages the same brain circuits as other addictive substances, smoking is counterproductive in recovery. Harmony offers a tobacco cessation group as part of its holistic addiction treatment to help those seeking additional support. If you are interested in beginning a life of recovery and interested to hear more about how quitting nicotine can help your goal, our admissions team is here to help.

Since addiction is a biopsychosocial and spiritual disease, Harmony’s treatment program promotes physical, emotional, and spiritual healing, empowering patients to embark upon a lifelong journey of recovery. All our services are provided in a safe, culturally sensitive, and trauma-informed manner.

If you or a loved one are struggling with alcohol or drug addiction, or you have questions about our programs and workshops, call us today at (970) 432-8075 to get the help needed as soon as possible. Our experienced staff is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Harmony Foundation names Karen Cramer as its new Director of Clinical Services. Karen Cramer is a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC) in Texas and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Texas and Colorado. Karen received her Bachelor’s in Psychology and her Master’s in Counseling at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. In her new role, she will oversee counseling, family programming, and case management and will serve as part of the executive leadership team. Her vast experience throughout her career brings a unique balance of clinical success and organizational operations.

“Karen has been a critical part of the core leadership team that has made Harmony Foundation what it is today,” stated president and CEO Jim Geckler. “This change in role will help continue that path by providing her greater focus on clinical development.”

Previous to running multiple departments at Harmony, Karen helped open a women’s Dallas-based Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). She has also worked in private practice and at the SMU Family Counseling Center. This experience will contribute to upcoming changes to Harmony, including its IOP, which currently serves clients across the state. Karen is in long-term recovery herself, which adds to her passion for helping others that suffer from the disease of addiction.

“Harmony’s unwavering commitment to its mission is recognized nationwide, and continual innovation has and will be key to providing excellent treatment,” added Karen Cramer.

Karen is an active member of the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (NAADAC), the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP), and is a member of The National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. (NBCC) with a passion for collaborating on outcomes and best practices. She also serves on the board of directors for Medicine Meadow Heard: Rescued Horses, Healing Humans.