Summary: <p>Vulnerabilities<br> Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes<br> Executive Director, AllCEUs.com</p> <p>Continuing Education (CE) credits for addiction and mental health counselors, social workers and marriage and family therapists can be earned for this presentation at<br> <a href="https://www.allceus.com/member/cart/index/product/id/616/c/">https://www.allceus.com/member/cart/index/product/id/616/c/</a></p> <p>Objectives<br> – Define vulnerabilities<br> – Identify some of the most common vulnerabilities<br> – Their effects<br> – Ways to prevent them</p> <p>– Note: Each of the vulnerabilities has its own presentation. This section is designed to give you an overview and get you thinking about possible small changes that might have a big impact.<br> Why I Care/How It Impacts Recovery<br> – Vulnerabilities are situations or things that<br> – Make it more difficult to deal with life on life-s terms leading to depression, anxiety or -stress-<br> – Make it easier for you to over-react or get stuck<br> – Depression occurs if you feel helpless or hopeless<br> – Anxiety occurs if you feel powerless or out of control<br> – Addictive behaviors increase when you feel a need to escape because of stress, anxiety, depression or pain<br> Individual Vulnerabilities: Physical<br> – Pain<br> – Effects<br> – Sleep problems<br> – Difficulty concentrating<br> – Irritable mood<br> – Medications are depressants and can worsen all of the above<br> – Interventions<br> – Talk with your doctor<br> – Explore nonpharmacological interventions<br> Individual Vulnerabilities: Physical<br> – Poor nutrition<br> – Your body needs the building blocks to<br> – Recover from injury<br> – Keep you from getting sick<br> – Make happy chemicals<br> – Interventions<br> – Water-. 60 ounces per day<br> – Have three colors on your plate at each meal (condiments don-t count)<br> – Try to eat smaller meals every few hours<br> Individual Vulnerabilities: Physical<br> – Lack of sufficient, quality sleep<br> – Drug/alcohol induced sleep is rarely good quality<br> – Lack of Sleep Effects<br> – Fogginess<br> – Difficulty concentrating<br> – Irritability<br> – Over eating<br> – Interventions<br> – Develop a sleep routine<br> – Cut back on caffeine 6-12 hours before bed.<br> Individual Vulnerabilities: Physical<br> – Illness<br> – Effects<br> – Sleep disruption<br> – Exhaustion<br> – Foggy head/difficulty concentrating<br> – Irritability<br> – Interventions<br> – Compassion<br> – Good nutrition</p> <p>Individual Vulnerabilities: Physical<br> – Brain changes<br> – Brain changes can be<br> – Hereditary<br> – From an accident<br> – As a result of addictive behaviors<br> – Effects<br> – Changes in the structure of the brain have all kinds of effects including memory, concentration, and mood.<br> – Intervention<br> – Eat a good diet to give the body the necessary building blocks<br> – Get adequate quality rest<br> – Medication</p> <p>Individual Vunerabilities: Emotional<br> – Anger<br> – Anxiety<br> – Depression<br> – Grief<br> – Guilt<br> – Jealousy<br> – Resentment<br> – Inability to self-soothe</p> <p>Individual Vunerabilities: Emotional<br> – When you are feeling negative emotions<br> – Effects<br> – It causes the brain to keep the fight-or-flight reaction going (which takes energy)<br> – It lacks or prevents the happy, calming neurotransmitters from being excreted<br> – Interventions<br> – Develop coping skil</p>
