ADAPT helps fight alcohol abuse

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Amber Carter
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  April is alcohol awareness month. According to health.gov, drinking too much alcohol increases people's risk of injuries, violence, drowning, liver disease and some types of cancer.

Recognizing that you have a problem with alcohol is the first step to recovery.

The second step is seeking help. The alcohol and drug abuse prevention and treatment program at David Grant USAF Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base, California, is designed to promote readiness and health and wellness through the prevention and treatment of substance abuse.

"We would rather someone self-refer for alcohol related issues before they get a DUI, get into a fight with a partner or get arrested," said Capt. Robin Morris, 60th Medical Operations Squadron ADAPT program manager. "I think sometimes there is a stigma with seeking help. They think that if they do something wrong, they go to ADAPT and are punished. However, our goal is never to get anyone in trouble. Our goal is treatment."

A self-referral takes place before an incident occurs. A chaplain, first sergeant or medical provider can assist Airmen in the self-referral process. Once an incident, such as a DUI occurs, it is no longer considered a self-referral.

"I hear people say all the time, 'don't go to ADAPT because you will get in trouble, court-martialed or kicked out of the military,'" said Staff Sgt. Tiffany Santiago, 60th MDOS certified alcohol and drug counselor and NCO in-charge. "I want to make it clear that it is not ADAPT that gets them in trouble, it is the fact that the Airmen received a DUI or something of that nature that gets them into trouble."

There are warning signs that Airmen should take note of in recognizing that they or their wingmen have an alcohol abuse problem.

According to cdc.gov, binge drinking is the most common pattern of excessive alcohol use in the United States. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings a person's blood alcohol concentration to 0.08 grams percent or above. This typically happens when men consume five or more drinks, and when women consume four or more drinks, in about two hours.

"One drink is a 12-ounce beer, 1.5-ounce shot of liquor or 5-ounce glass of wine," Morris said. "Some people don't realize the portion size and will say that they only have a cup of alcohol a night but, if that's liquor in a full glass, that equals more than one drink a night."

A good source to measure and monitor your drinking habits is an online tool called eCHUG, or e-Check-Up To Go program. This alcohol assessment tool was developed not to collect data or generate referrals, but to raise personal awareness of how alcohol use decisions compare to others and to provide feedback.

"It is completely anonymous," Morris said. "It's to help you figure out where you fit in with your peers and help you determine if you have an alcohol use disorder.
"If my group of friends drinks every single night then I will think that is normal drinking behavior," she continued. "When in reality, 70 percent of the general population haven't had a single drink in the past month."

A technical sergeant, whose name will remain anonymous for medical privacy purposes, and recent graduate of the ADAPT program recommends seeking help.

"My drinking habits at the time were a little unhealthy," he said. "I wasn't in trouble or anything like that, just constant four to five drinks a few times a week which eventually turned into a 6-pack multiple times a week."

He recognized an increase in his tolerance and decrease in his work performance.

"I could tell I was getting into a rut where it affected me in a way that was hard to notice until I stopped drinking," he said. "I thought I could knock down a 6-pack, sober up, go into work the next day and perform at 100 percent. But what I believed to be 100 percent, was actually 50 percent."

Instead of waiting for an incident to occur, he self-referred to ADAPT.

"The self-referral process was easy," he said. "I walked into the clinic, told them that I would like to self-refer and they set me up with a counselor. After an assessment, I was inducted into the program."

The program includes a bi-weekly educational group session and a weekly one-on-one session with a counselor.

"The ADAPT program helped me to identify triggers and helped with self-reflection," he said. "It made me look at myself and why I behaved a certain way, not make excuses of stressors and use them as a crutch."

The 14-year veteran had the support of his command throughout the program without negative effects on his career.

"My leadership engaged with me and moved me into a position that allowed me to make it to my appointments," he said. "They were not retaliating, they were supporting me. I could guarantee that every day someone in my leadership team would check on my progress. They were engaged, honest and fully supportive."

Providing comprehensive education and treatment to individuals who experience problems attributed to substance abuse is a primary objective of the program.

"Even if they are not sure that they have an issue, even if they are just seeking education, they can come see us," said Staff Sgt. Jamie Fleming, 60th MDOS certified alcohol and drug counselor in training. "If you feel there is an issue or it may develop into an issue, come in and let us help you before an incident occurs."

For more information about ADAPT, call 423-2348. To access eCHUG, visit http://bit.ly/1M7P12N.