Seven Healthy Steps for Conflict Resolution

Most people don’t like conflict. In fact, some people might do whatever they can to avoid confrontation and conflict. They want to avoid the uncomfortable emotions that come with arguments and disagreements with others. They might feel uncomfortable with speaking up for their own needs and wants. Or they may not know how to communicate with others in the face of difficulty in relationships. For recovering addicts, many of these situations might be true. Because of the denial and low self-esteem that tends to come with addiction, many addicts have a hard time with facing conflict in their friendships and relationships.

However, there are very clear steps that relationship experts have designed to help people through a conflict, even if they don’t have the skills for conflict resolution. The following seven steps are easy to follow and understand.

1.      Agree on the ground rules you’d like to have for the discussion. For instance, you might agree that there is no interrupting and that each person remain respectful. You might also agree that there is no yelling, cursing, or putting another person down. Having general rules around your discussion will make it easier to discuss a topic that’s difficult.

2.      Take turns in explaining your feelings and thoughts about the situation. If you’re having a conflict, then each person is going to have their own point of view. Each of you can explain your position while staying within the ground rules you’ve established together.

3.      Identify and agree on the nature of the conflict. After each of you have taken turns, identify what the precise conflict is. What are you arguing about? Sometimes when two people are arguing, the conflict comes out of not seeing the situation in the same way. Make sure you can identify and agree on the conflict you’re having. You might even state this aloud in your conversation.

4.      Take turns in exploring options to resolve the conflict. This step invites you to go into a brainstorming session. Think of the various ways that you might resolve the conflict. Each of you might have different ideas, some of which might require compromise. However, at this step of conflict resolution, have each person clarify what they would like to see happen. This is a pivotal step in the process. Make sure that each person remains open to new ideas and respectful.

5.      Agree on a solution. Once each of you have offered your ideas. Discuss which idea might make the most sense given the circumstances. You might look for the idea that both of you are willing to accept. See if you can come to an agreement of the solution.

6.      State the solution. Once you’ve made an agreement, state the solution aloud.

7.      Decide when to return to evaluate the solution. Depending upon the circumstances, you may need to revisit this discussion again in the near future. Decide upon a time in which you will talk again to discuss how this particular solution is working out for each of you. If needed, repeat the above steps again.

Use the above steps to bring about a peaceful resolution when conflict arises in friendships and relationships.

How to Heal from a Benzodiazepine Addiction

If you've ever experienced anxiety, then you might have been prescribed a benzodiazepines. They are sometimes called "benzos". These medications can help ease a person's anxiety and have become quite popular with some groups of people.

Benzodiazepines increase the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and as a result have hypnotic and anticonvulsant effects. Benzodiazepines slow down the central nervous system and relieve symptoms of anxiety, pain, and stress. This drug was first introduced in 1955 and made available in 1960 as Valium. In 1977, benzodiazepines were the most prescribed medication in the world.

Because of the positive effects of the drug, it is sometimes prescribed for phobias, post traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and insomnia. Generally, there are three forms of benzodiazepines that are available to the public: those that are short-acting (less than 12 hours), intermediate-acting (between 12 and 24 hours), and long-acting (over 24 hours). And yet, although they can provide someone with sedative, hypnotic, and muscle relaxant experiences, they have been commonly abused. And not only are they abused, but these drugs are also highly addictive. Today, more and more experts are recognizing the dangers of benzodiazepines and trying to avoid prescribing them.

Furthermore, the side effects of taking benzodiazepines include:

·         slower brain activity

·         uncoordinated sensation

·         drowsiness

·         constipation

·         difficulty breathing

In fact, depending on the amount taken, a benzodiazepine can even cause death. Long-term abuse of benzodiazepines can be severe including memory loss, hallucinations, difficulty breathing, slowed pulse, and comatose state. And if a person were to go through detox from a benzodiazepine addiction, there are severe withdrawal symptoms. These may include muscle twitching, hallucinations, ringing in the ears, numbness, sensitivity to light, insomnia, and tingling in the body. If a person can take benzodiazepines as prescribed, they can commonly avoid an addiction.

But that's the problem for many people taking who are taking these drugs - they can be hard to quit. If you're taking any kind of a benzodiazepine, it's important that you stay closely monitored by a doctor and/or a psychiatrist. Too many people put themselves at risk by not following their prescription and then find themselves with an addiction.

If you recognize that you have an addiction to benzodiazepines, here are suggestions for recovering from this type of addiction:

1. Contact the physician or mental health provider who prescribed these drugs to you in the first place. Let them know that you'd like to wean off the drug and, if needed, find a healthier replacement for the medication you're taking.

2. Create a plan for tapering off the medication. Care needs to be taken when weaning off this drug because doing so too quickly has life-threatening consequences. It's possible to wean off this drug without feeling the discomfort of withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal can be physically and emotionally challenging. Therefore doing this carefully is important.

3. Get professional help for addiction if necessary. Commonly, if a person was following the orders of their doctor, then an addiction to benzodiazepines would not have developed. Having an addiction to benzodiazepines often indicates that a person was vulnerable to addiction, regardless of the type of drug. In fact, that person might have other addictions to heal from as well. Getting professional assistance for a benzodiazepine addiction can provide lifelong skills for long-term recovery.

These are suggestions for healing from an addiction to benzodiazepines. Because of the dangers that come with withdrawing from benzodiazepines, don't try to do this alone. Make sure you consult with a doctor and/or mental health provider for support.