Updated: Nov. 20, 2023 at 2:59 PM PST
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Steve Carleton, Chief Clinical Officer of the Front Range Clinic, weighs in on discussing substance use over the holidays with loved ones.
I want to thank you for joining us in the Eleven Breaking News Center today. I’m Lauren Watson, your digital anchor here at KKTV Eleven News. Here today. With me is Steve Carleton, the chief clinical officer at Front Range Clinics. We’re going to talk a little bit about having difficult conversations during the holiday season. Now, Steve, is this a good time to have difficult conversations about things like substance use issues?
You know, I think the holidays bring with them a lot of time spent with family, and I think oftentimes, when that happens, families start to notice that maybe a member of the family is struggling more with substances. And so this is the common thing that comes up around the holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Now, how do you get around to having those difficult conversations with someone and when are the times that you shouldn’t do it?
So, here are some tips about thinking about approaching these conversations with family. If you have a family member that you’re worried about, you’re concerned about you’re noticing an increase in their drinking or an increase in the use of some type of illicit substance. It’s a really common knee-jerk reaction to want to confront and talk about that sort of immediately and to address the elephant in the room. And it’s just as common for people to avoid ever having a conversation about it. And so whatever side of that spectrum people are on, I think what you need to think about is getting organized with your thoughts and making sure that when you do approach that conversation, it’s not at a time of high tension in the family. And it’s not at a time when that person that you’re concerned about if they are under the influence of a substance. That’s probably also not a great time to initiate that conversation.
Now, if you’re having that conversation with someone, should you also try to help them look into treatment? Is this the time to do that?
I think that if people are really struggling with severe addiction, then it is hard to do that research on your own. It is hard to know where to turn to for help. Anything you can do to help that family member identify some good options, some good treatment providers or facilities or clinics, and have those ready for people when they’re willing to accept help, I think that’s going to set everyone up for more success.
Now, if you’re talking to that person and they don’t agree with you or they don’t believe that they have an issue with drugs or alcohol, then what? What do you do?
I think that’s a really difficult situation that happens all the time. I think more often than not, if you are bringing that to somebody’s attention that you’re concerned about their substance use and their development of a problem, it’s a really common experience that people say, no, I don’t have any problem at all. And I think if and when that does happen, people need to be thinking about their own boundaries with people. Boundaries are not setting rules for the person using them. They’re setting rules that you are going to follow as a person, sort of. I’m not willing to have Thanksgiving with you if you are going to be under the influence. Right. Our relationship will change in this way if I don’t see you reaching out for help. Right. So, thinking about boundaries, thinking about how you will change your behavior with that person if they choose to not get help.
Now, Steve. You’re with Front Range Clinic. How does Front Range Clinic help in situations like this?
So Front Range. We have a huge footprint in Colorado. We have about 60 different locations. And what Front Range specializes in is medication-assisted treatment. So, for people who are particularly struggling with opiates, there are medications like Suboxone, Brixati, Sublicade Vivitrol, and Naltrexone that can help with the cravings and discomfort caused when people stop using the withdrawals that happen. So, we do an excellent job with that from a medication standpoint. We also help support people through different forms of psychotherapy in groups. For the subject of this call, we have a free Craft group. Craft is a group designed for family members of people struggling with substance use. And so if that is of interest to you, you can find us at porchlighthealth.com and we can get you access to some support that way to help set those boundaries if and when you need to do that.
Now. You mentioned Frontrangeclinics.com. Is that the best way to find you guys? What are the best ways for people to reach out if they have any additional questions?
Yeah, the website Frontrangeclinics.com is a great way. The other phone number, if you’d prefer to call, is eight six six mat stat. M-A-T-S-T-A-T. Either of those ways is a good way to reach us.
Steve, before we wrap up, is there anything we didn’t touch on today or anything that we did touch on that you really want to emphasize for our viewers at home?
Well, I think if you have a family member struggling with a substance use disorder or addiction, it’s really important that people understand that most substance use disorders are driven by underlying mental health issues. A lot of times people will have significant negative events come up in their lives, and using substances is a way to find relief and self-medicate it’s really important to understand that more often than not, substance use is a symptom of some underlying problem. It’s a way people are coping, and I think that can help you have more compassion for your loved one and approach them from a compassionate and accepting place, which is always going to lead to a better outcome if your goal is to try and get them some help.
