Behaviour Specialist
One of the biggest challenges when you have a loved one in addiction is the impact this has on their behaviours, and because of their change in behaviour, there is an impact on all of those who care about the addict. Alcohol and drugs are mind-altering and mood-altering substances, and the biggest issue is how these substances, when they are abused or when someone is dependent on them, effect that person’s thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Most families look at the changes in behaviour and try and understand these thigs through the lens of ‘common sense’, and of course that never works, it just causes more frustration and desperation. At Help for You – Rosemary Brown, you are dealing with a Behaviour Specialist that understands and will guide you through this journey.
Behavioural problems can challenge how a person lives or experiences life, with Addiction, Mental Health issues, and some disabilities being a common cause of behavioural issues within families. Families are often not equipped to deal with these behaviours when they arise, firstly not understanding how their loved one came to responding in the way of aggressive or they continue with their problematic behaviours despite the consequences.
For those in addiction, because of their behaviours and mood swings, they may be prescribed medication, a GP or Psychiatrist seek to treat these things with something like mood stabiliser, or an antidepressant and in some cases a tranquilising medication such as Diazepam. For children with behavioural issues, they may receive a diagnosis of ADD or ADHD, or ODD and be prescribed Ritalin or a similar type of medication, the issue with this is it may change the way the child acts, but it does not teach them appropriate behaviour change strategies.
What Is Positive Behaviour Support?
Positive behaviour support is an approach to supporting others to gain an understanding of where the dysfunctional behaviours are driven from, why these behaviours are occurring and what may need to happen for things to be different. Rosemary, when working as a specialist in the behaviour support setting, teaches strategies and interventions to
help others, like family members and other professionals, to understand these issues and to address them in a positive way.
If children are having behaviour issues at school or in the home and there is an addict in the family, the environment is often chaotic and unpredictable, children adapt their behaviours as a way of trying to get their needs met.
These children are not ‘badly behaved’ children, these children are responding to the reality of their life and are reacting in a way that reflects the trauma they have been through. Supporting children who have adaptive behaviours that are causing problems in their life is not a matter of punishing them, it is a matter of being open to knowing that their world is a scary place, and many children feel abandoned, and possibly responsible for their loved one’s choice to use alcohol or drugs and this reflects in their behaviours.
The first step in positive behaviour support for others is not assuming that these behaviours are driven by the child’s or other persons desire to be ‘bad’. Stop treating others as if they are ‘bad’ and start the journey of understanding their behaviours and learning strategies of how to change your responses. their responses. Most unhelpful behaviours arise out of frustration, frustration of not being understood, frustration of not being able to meet your own needs, and frustration that others appear to want to control your life
What Are Behaviours Of Concern To Look Out For?
Behaviour that falls outside of the norm can be cause for concern, but are often the exact response you would expect from the environment or situation a person is in. Behaviours of concern can be difficult to manage, as they are often erratic and unpredictable, they can also be complex and difficult to work with. These behaviours tend to manifest when a person's needs or quality of life are not being met. While these behaviours can sometimes be age appropriate, they can often be disruptive and interfere with day-to-day life.
Once you are working with a professional like Rosemary here at Help for You, you will reach a moment where you see behaviours for what they are, an indication of whatever is going on in someone’s life at that time.
If you notice that someone is behaving in a way that is unsafe for themselves or those around them, it is important to seek help. People may say that threatening suicide is attention seeking and will often sidestep the reality of why people suicide, people who threaten suicide or who prepare for suicide and then attempt suicide are not ‘well’, and they need specialist mental health support. If someone is threatening to harm others, again well people do not threaten harm to others, and you do need to take appropriate action regarding specialist mental health support.
What Does A Behaviour Specialist Do?
Rosemary our positive behaviour specialist, understands that behaviours that are unhelpful are often driven by frustration, fear, chaos, and stress and when responding from strong emotion or stress, clearly their behaviour can be less than desirable. When someone is ‘emotionally reactive’ the behaviours and outcomes usually are healthy, and often end up with everyone feeling more desperate and stressed and with relationships torn further apart by whatever is said or done in ‘the heat of the moment’.
It is not always possible to change someone’s dysfunctional behaviour, especially when the behaviours are driven by mental health or addiction. It is important if you are someone who cares, or if you work as a carer for others, that you get the right support and training to help you stay well in this environment. At Help for You – Rosemary Brown we offer therapy and online courses to support you to be the best you can be in these often-challenging situations.
If you have identified for a child that their behaviours are reflective of the trauma and confusion they have experienced growing up with an addict, get in touch as Rosemary can help you to turn these behaviours around. We encourage Behavioural therapy, as it will help individuals improve their behaviour by working closely with friends, family, and other support networks.
To get in touch with Rosemary, our behaviour specialist, email us at info@helpforyou.com.au or visit https://www.helpforyou.com.au.
