Defense Mechanisms (multiple choice)
_____ is the first line of defense for people abusing substances. It is the act of denying that the problem even exists because they feel they are doing so well in other parts of their lives.
(A) Blaming Others
(B) Regression
(C) Projection
(D) Denial
(E) Compartmentalization
(D) Denial
Among prescription opioid misusers, _____ got the drug through a relative or friend; _____ got or stole the prescription from a health care provider.
(a) 84%, 16%
(b) 31%, 69%
(c) 12%, 88%
(d) 51%, 37%
(e) 92%, 8%
(d) 51%, 37%
What goes all the way around the world but stays in a corner?
A stamp!
Suddenly stopping _____ consumption is dangerous, since it can cause delirium tremens (including seizures and psychosis) and can also increase the likelihood of P.A.W.S. (e.g., long-term cravings, exhaustion, and feeling ill).
(a) Benzodiazepines
(b) Cannabis
(c) Alcohol
(d) Antipsychotics
(e) Antidepressants
(c) Alcohol
Which of the following are non-religious / secular alternatives to Alcoholics / Narcotics Anonymous (AA / NA)?
(a) Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART) Recovery
(b) Secular Organizations for Sobriety (S.O.S.)
(c) LifeRing Secular Recovery
(d) Rational Recovery
(e) All of the above
(e) All of the above
_____ is the best way for someone to shift focus away from themselves and make others responsible for their addiction. This way, their addiction is justified.
(A) Blaming Others
(B) Dissociation
(C) Compartmentalization
(D) Projection
(E) Repression
(A) Blaming Others
In the United States, around _____ people die from alcohol-related causes every year.
(a) 88,000
(b) 100,000
(c) 200,000
(d) 99,000
(e) 15,000
(a) 88,000
What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?
The letter M!
Reflect and Share!
Name at lease one symptom of post-acute withdrawal you have experienced.
Irritability
Hostility
Depression
Anxiety
Mood Swings
Low Energy
Fatigue
Sleep Disruptions
Insomnia
Limited Ability to Focus
Limited Ability to Think Clearly
Lack of Libido
Inexplicable Chronic Pain
Changes in Appetite
Weight Loss or Gain
Reflect and Share!
Why might you choose to participate in a 12-step alternative group?
The 12-step program is not a one size fits all solution to addiction
Wanting to focus on a less spiritual or religious route to treatment
Believing that addiction is within your control and not wanting to submit to a higher power in that aspect
Having been unsuccessful using a 12-step program in the past
_____ is just coping by not coping. The individual avoids dealing with anything and thus continues to maintain their world and their addiction.
(A) Manipulation
(B) Avoidance
(C) Procrastination
(D) Repression
(E) Rationalization
(B) Avoidance
In the United States, on average, alcohol poisoning kills _____ people daily.
(a) 10
(b) 15
(c) 9
(d) 4
(e) 6
(e) 6
A man was standing outside in the rain without an umbrella or had didn’t get a single hair on his head wet. Why?
He is bald!
Which of the following conditions tend to inform and/or worsen the experience of P.A.W.S.:
(a) The drug or drugs of choice
(b) How long, how frequently, and how much of these substances the person uses regularly
(c) Acute emotional issues that arise during the first year or years of recovery
(d) Co-occurring physical and/or mental health conditions
(e) The support provided by substance abuse treatment professionals
(f) All of the above
(f) All of the above
True or False?
Sober support groups do not replace rehab.
True!
Sober support groups are designed to complement formal treatment efforts and better help people maintain recovery after substance abuse rehabilitation. Sober support groups offer a support structure to extend sobriety and recovery, after rehab.
_____ goes hand-in-hand with substance abuse. The individuals’ inability to deal with reality first causes them to seek substances and later spiral further into addiction. The more the substance use, the worse the interchange with reality is, the worse the need to repress the truth.
(A) Rationalization
(B) Repression
(C) Undoing
(D) Dissociation
(E) Acting Out
(B) Repression
Addiction is repression on steroids—when a behavior or substance helps a person forget about life’s problems too virtually and becomes something that the person is unable to note.
1 in _____ people who started using marijuana before the age of 18 years become addicted.
(a) 5
(b) 6
(c) 7
(d) 8
(e) 10
(b) 6
You see a boat filled with people, yet there isn’t a single person on board. How is it possible?
Everyone is married!
Drugs from Ritalin to cocaine can cause P.A.W.S. if withdrawal is not managed appropriately. Although a person taking _____ may experience negative side effects like paranoia, twitching and tremors, and aggression, the opposite symptoms–extreme fatigue, deep depression, and physical weakness–can be harder to manage psychologically.
(a) Alcohol
(b) Benzodiazepines
(c) Cannabis
(d) Stimulants
(e) Antipsychotics
(d) Stimulants
Think and Share!
Why do you think Kolmac clinicians encourage you to attend outside sober support group meetings?
Meeting new sober friends
Learning skills to conquer cravings
Support during difficult or emotional times
Other people hold you accountable
Knowing you are not alone
Share personal experiences
Helpful for people with co-occurring mental conditions (e.g., anxiety, depression)
Provides emotional guidance and support when cravings strike
Find empathy and understanding among group going through similar, difficult time
Can learn from peers going through similar process of overcoming addiction
Can achieve a high level of understanding that cannot be provided by other treatment
You are more likely to continue prioritizing recovery after rehab
You will meet other people who are recovering from addiction like yourself
You will have an outlet to discuss the personal issues you are facing
You will have the opportunity to encourage and mentor others in their recovery
You are less likely to relapse
It is free
Reflect and Share!
Describe one (or more) instances in which you have used a defense mechanism.
Denial
Blaming Others
Regression
Acting Out
Dissociation
Compartmentalization
Projection
Repression
Rationalization
Manipulation
Undoing
Avoidance
Procrastination
Displacement
In 2020, nearly _____ of college students used hallucinogens (like LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, and other psychedelic substances), which is higher than the 5% figure in the previous year.
(a) 7
(b) 8
(c) 9
(d) 10
(e) 11
(c) 9
What can you hold in your left hand but not your right?
Your right elbow!
Though people have struggled to end alcohol addiction for much longer, the symptoms of P.A.W.S. were first defined for alcohol use disorder in the _____. Suddenly stopping alcohol consumption is dangerous, since it can cause delirium tremens (including seizures and psychosis) and can also increase the likelihood of P.A.W.S. (e.g., long-term cravings, exhaustion, and feeling ill).
(a) 1920s
(b) 1990s
(c) 2010s
(d) 1930s
(e) 2000s
(b) 1990s
Reflect and Share!
What hesitancies did you / do you have about attending outside sober support group meetings?
Fear of stigma, success, failure, and/or embarrassment
Inconvenient to care out time
Sharing and being put on the spot
Meeting new people
Seeing someone you know
In-person meetings
Admitting you have a substance dependence problem
Having to confront / deal with the past
People not liking you
Handling stress
Developing new sober identity
Being unhappy or no longer having fun