INTRODUCING K.O. ECOLIFE’S MENTAL WELLNESS ADVISOR, KENNETH J. ORLICH: MONTHLY SERIES- UNDERSTANDING ADDICTION, RECOVERY, & WELLNESS
k.o. ecolife welcomes our new Mental Wellness Advisor and guest blogger, Kenneth J. Orlich. He brings over 50 years of experience in the field of mental therapy and addiction counseling as a Licensed Master Social Worker, Licensed Marriage Family Therapist, Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor, and Academy of Certified Social Workers.
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Our country is going through an epidemic of opioid addiction with 115 people dying EVERY day (that’s 42,249 per year) from an opioid overdose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The decisions that the public makes to handle this problem will have profound implications for future generations to come and could make the problems worse.
My posts over the next year will help explain the nature of addiction and recognize its impact. As a result, this will allow you to be better informed so appropriate personal and governmental decisions are made to help the addicted, their loved ones, and acquaintances who are touched by this crisis. These posts are for the friends, associates, and families of the addicted who can be hurt sometimes more than the addicted themselves by this disease.
BACKGROUND
I have been working in the addiction field as a clinical social worker since 1983 earning a master degree in social work from Western Michigan University. I am a Licensed Master’s Social Worker for Clinical and Macro by the State of Michigan. My clinical license allows me to treat individuals with mental health issues. And, the macro license recognizes that I can work with government and private agencies on their social problems. I am a Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor and Gambling Addiction Counselor by the Michigan Board for Addiction Professionals. In 1986, I became a member of The Academy of Certified Social Workers. For decades, I have worked with thousands of addicted people and their families as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. It truly is an honor and privilege to help these people.
My thought has always been that to make change, I would help one individual and family at a time. However, I believe with the help of the internet and k.o. ecolife, I will be able to touch more people than ever before.
SOURCES
My work in the field of addiction has been greatly influenced by the book “The Essentials of Chemical Dependency” by Drs. Robert M. McAuliffe and his wife Mary Bronson McAuliffe. I have been using these concepts for the entire time of my career since 1983 and believe it is the best for understanding the dynamics of addiction. I recommend reading this book slowly to get a full appreciation of what chemical dependency is all about. Additionally, this book will help in following my posts on the subject of addiction.
For full disclosure, I am a recovering Alcoholic who got into recovery in 1974. I share this because I find that people who have chemical dependence are more likely to pay attention to my advice on what is needed to stay sober. For some, this life experience is more important than the academic degrees and various certifications and licenses.
NEXT
The next post will publish on October 3rd and will include the definition of chemical dependency/addiction. After that, posts will be published on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday, “Wellness Wednesday”, of the month. This will take a little over a year. A person who reads all the posts will be well informed to make decisions to protect themselves from being harmed by addicted people, support appropriate government policies for the addicted, and behave with the addicted in ways to enhance their recovery.
QUESTIONS
Do you have a specific question related to addiction and recovery? Please send your comments and questions to eaglekenj@gmail.com and I will cover it in a future blog post. Also, stay tuned for details regarding my online program, “Addiction, Recovery, Wellness.”
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