A Treatment Program for Recovering from Any Addiction

           

It can be difficult to free yourself from the spider web of addiction

             OUTPATIENT TREATMENT PROGRAM ON  A 
             PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC MODEL

For a long time, I have wanted to put this therapeutic model out to the larger community. This is what I have done for the people that I see who have problems with addiction. I believe this program if followed, is successful with the addicts and also with their families who have to deal with them.

Here are my recommendations for an outpatient program for people trying to recovery from chemical dependency, or from behavioral addictions.  I like to require a holistic approach for the mind, emotions, body and spirit as alcoholism, drug addiction and behavioral addictions affects all of these greatly and in equal measure. By behavioral addictions I include: gambling; pornography; sex; shopping; cutting; and a host of others.

When the person has studied, understood, examined and integrated this holistic approach into their life, it vastly improves their chances of not only getting free from the addiction but staying that way. This approach enables them to lead a healthy, addiction free life, to enjoy their recovery and to lessen the occurrence of relapse.

• The following is a brief outline of the suggested treatment program which requires the client to meet weekly for, at the very least, six months.

Spirit-   I recommend concentrating on this in the very first week of the program.   AA, Al Anon, NA and the Behavioral groups based on the AA model is at the very heart of the program. It is used an integral part for successful sustained recovery from any addiction. Over the many years that I have treated patients, I have seen transformation occurring starting with working these 12 Steps** recommended by the program. Included in this wise AA model is meditation [and prayer for the more religiously oriented] as a daily, or even hourly, reality. In the weeks of the first month I require studying and writing out a Step One** and Step Four**. In these steps the client examines and takes full responsibility for their life and their actions. After doing the work of the Fourth Step the client is ready to think about step Five**, 'telling another human the exact nature of their wrongs'. Then comes the self forgiveness and acceptance of their past and their responsibility to change their future. Next is rehearsing of proper amends as suggested by Step Eight** which can lead to a new maturity of thought and actions, and the discovery of what is essentially meaningful to their new life.

Mind-  In month two, the client is to examine what has happened to the emotional mind. This requires dissecting the internal/mental set up for their mind and emotions which have been profoundly affected by the many years of addiction. This is to find out, in other words, what the client is repetitively thinking and then telling themselves. Not surprisingly, this is usually incredibly negative and demeaning thoughts which can influence their actions. The issues to explore are: shame; prior abuse both emotional and physical; the family of origins role in the abuse; current and/or old  feelings of depression;  hopelessness and despair over the inability to control their addiction on their own. 

Brain/ Mind- The work of the third month is looking at the brain and how it functions. The client learns with addictions, especially alcohol and drugs, other conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, ADHD, bi polar illness, and a host of personality disorders are notoriously masked. I teach and draw upon the latest brain and behavior research on how to tame cravings. An important fact is how obsessive thinking must be interrupted in order to stop the cravings. The client learns how to train the brain away from repetitive thoughts and discover effective substitutes for what the addicted brain craves. Next, the client examines what their triggers are that start the craving process and how to avoid those triggers to prevent relapse.

Body- In the fourth month the client learns about the physical ramifications of alcoholism, drug abuse and behavior addiction. We'll also look at the research that shows why alcoholism is a disease comparable to diabetes and how a healthy body contributes to sobriety. Another aspect is the nature of addiction itself and who succumbs to it, why someone gives into addiction and again the physical triggers that cause relapse from the recovery process.

Body- This fifth month has a component of fun as well  information and interesting facts. Using the "you are what you eat" philosophy, we'll add  "also, you are what you do and think". I give copious examples of  what healthy living and eating looks like. Included in the last month are: relaxation without chemicals; nutritional awareness; exercise as a component to recovery; body awareness; breath control; mindfulness meditations and again, awareness of triggers leading to repetitive  compulsive thoughts [simply put, "stinkin' thinkin']. We'll learn to break that cycle that leads to relapse. 

   

Bibliotherapy- I am a big proponent of reading books that can contribute to recovery and greatly enhance the enjoyment of their newly found sober, addiction free life. Here is a partial list of books that I've relied on: Terry Gorski’s  Understanding the Twelve Steps; Passages through Recovery from Addiction,; James Milam’s Under the Influence; and The Soul of Recovery by Dr J. Ringwald.  Also included are many autobiographies, biographies, novels [and even films] that are rich in inspiration and a pleasure to read and view in recovery.

**The Twelve Steps

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Her/Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked her/Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood her/Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

As a parting comment, in my many years it's been my privileged to work with many wonderful people wanting to recover from addictions of all kinds. Admittedly,this is difficult work, but it's been incredibly rewarding. So much has changed since I started working at the then, "Community Alcohol Center" in 1978. The field of recovery from addictions has gotten richer and deeper and I am honored to have been a part of it. As I see it, when I, or anyone who is getting sober contributes to the community [and possibly the larger world] it not only helps to reach beyond one’s self but it helps the world. That's significant and important work in my book.