Study illustrates the relationship of binge drinking and sexual assaults

women binge drinking sexual assaults

Study illustrates the relationship of binge drinking and sexual assaults

January 30, 2012 | Recovery Connection | Addiction, Support

Study illustrates the relationship of binge drinking and sexual assaults

women binge drinking sexual assaults
Women who binge drink face higher rate of sexual assaults

A 2011 study led by the University of Buffalo examined the drinking patterns of 437 female college freshmen. While the results are not surprising, they continue to be disturbing.

Even young women who never drank in high school engaged in binge drinking in their first year of college. The physical implications of drinking on women’s health have recently been the focus of several studies. 59 percent of young women who consumed more than 10 or more drinks in one sitting in college were sexually victimized in their fall semester. One quarter of those female freshmen who consumed four to six drinks were sexually victimized. Victimization included sexual contact to rape.

(http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/238931.php)

“Women ages 16 to 24 experience rape at rates four times higher than the assault rate of all women,” making the college (and high school) years the most vulnerable for women. College women are more at risk for rape and other forms of sexual assault than women the same age but not in college. It is estimated that almost 25 percent of college women have been victims of rape or attempted rape since the age of 14.4…”

90 percent of college women know their rapist. According to the government report listed above, less than 5 percent of young women report their victimization to the police.  In another study, more than 40% did not report their victimization. Without a doubt, the abuse of alcohol and sexual aggression under the influence of alcohol by young men has a profound impact upon the rate of violence against female freshmen. The reasons for the lack of reporting are directly linked to attitudes in society which contribute blame to the woman and disbelief about her story.

Some police officers incorrectly think that a rape report is unfounded or false if any of the following conditions apply:

  • The victim has a prior relationship with the offender (including having previously been intimate with him).
  • The victim used alcohol or drugs at the time of the assault.
  • There is no visible evidence of injury.
  • The victim delays disclosure to the police and/or others and does not undergo a rape medical exam.
  • The victim fails to immediately label her assault as rape and/or blames herself.

The increase in violence against college freshmen cannot be ignored, but young women must seriously consider the risk and threat that faces them should they engage in binge drinking.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Substance Abuse Rehabilitation

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Substance Abuse Rehabilitation

January 30, 2012 | Recovery Connection | Treatment

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Substance Abuse Rehabilitation

CBT in Substance Abuse Rehab
CBT in Substance Abuse Rehab

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a therapeutic approach that focuses upon how one thinks and behaves. This methodology is based upon the concept that our thoughts create our feelings and our behaviors. If we change the way we think, we can alter our feelings and our behaviors. Cognitive behavioral therapy seems to work more quickly than other forms of therapy for certain conditions including addictions treated in drug and alcohol rehab facilities. Once one alters the thinking process, every thing else quickly changes as well.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a successful tool in treating anxiety, depression and substance abuse addiction in dual diagnosis treatment settings. It encompasses a number of different approaches; however, two of the more popular modalities are:

  • Dialectic Behavior Therapy
  • Rational Emotive Therapy

Patients with mood disorders, anxiety, substance abuse and schizophrenia combined with medication and CBT seem to have better outcomes than those patients without CBT. Throughout the therapeutic process, the psychotherapist will have the patient examine the validity of negative beliefs, thus challenging those beliefs. One of the founders of CBT, Aaron Beck, noticed that automatic thoughts tended to be negative and unrealistic. He concluded that these thoughts make one feel worse about themselves rather than better. One can understand this process by the statement: It is not the event that is important, but rather how I respond to the event that matters.

To that end, patients are often encouraged to log thoughts that come into their head. This allows patients to view any patterns of thinking and feeling that follow, and then seek alternative thoughts for such situations. The patient is taught rational self-counseling skills. Patients learn to identify cues and triggers associated with substance use.

(Sources: adapted from National Alliance on Mental Illness; Addiction Magazine)

According to a government report on CBT and cocaine addiction, CBT works because it is structured, goal oriented, flexible, individualized, and compatible with other substance abuse rehab modalities. CBT, according to the report, “can address several critical tasks that are essential to successful substance abuse treatment…” For example:

  • Foster the motivation for abstinence.
  • Teach coping skills.
  • Change reinforcement contingencies (changing drug seeking behaviors and those behaviors associated with a drug addicted lifestyle).
  • Foster management of painful affects.
  • Improve interpersonal functioning and enhance social supports.

Strategies of CBT stress coping skills (avoiding dangerous situations, leaving difficult situations) change both the thoughts and the actions. The patient learns self control strategies that enable the patient to recognize the processes and habits that foster substance abuse. This approach to thinking, feeling and behavior adapts easily to both individual and group treatment. The change occurs as clients:

  • Recognize the problem (what clues are there, worry, anger, depression).
  • Identify the specific problem (solving the problem is easier once the specifics have been identified).
  • Approaches to problem solving (brain storming a number of solutions without judgment before evaluating the options).
  • Solution choice (consider the positive and negatives of the specific choice).
  • Assess effectiveness of the solution (building problem solving skills from simple problems to complex).

(Source: adapted archives.drubabuse.gov/TXManuals/ CBT)

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, CBT helps clients understand a variety of interconnected issues which bring into focus relapse prevention. CBT teaches clients:

  • About substance abuse and addiction
  • About triggers and cravings
  • Cognitive skills (thought stopping , urge surfing)
  • Relapse prevention

Once a person alters his or her thinking about a situation, the feelings generated from the thinking will also change as will the behaviors that will occur as a result of the thoughts and feelings. When one learns to think in a calm, positive, goal focused manner, he or she feels better about self and then behaves in healthy and positive ways. With practice, the addict will be empowered to recognize when the process has taken a negative slant and stop it before a relapse occurs.