RELAPSE PREVENTION POST-ACUTE WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME UNDERSTANDING ADDICTION: IT’S A FAMILY DISEASE! JUST BEING SOBER ISN’T ENOUGH ADDICTIONS AND EATING DISORDERS: WHY THEY OFTEN GO HAND-IN-HAND TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE - BEST PRACTICES FOR LESBIAN & BISEXUAL WOMEN IN RECOVERY THE SILENT ASSAULT ON AMERICANS WITH ADDICTIONS WE WERE BORN WITH A GIFT
A DISEASE THAT NEEDS HEALING HOW TO UNDERSTAND ADDICTION? RECOVERY-ORIENTED HOUSING AND SUPPORT SERVICES’ SECRET INGREDIENT: THE SOCIAL MODEL CHILDHOOD TRAUMA DIGITAL STORYTELLING: A NEW HEALING TOOL FOR VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES COPING WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS THE BEER GARDEN THAT SAVED LIVES TRAUMA: MYTHS AND REALITIES
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A LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER Dear Readers, I welcome you to The Sober World magazine. The Sober World is an informative magazine that’s designed to help parents and families who have loved ones struggling with addiction. We are a printed publication in South Florida, as well as an online e-magazine reaching people globally in their search for information about Drug and Alcohol Abuse. We directly mail our printed magazine each month to whoever has been arrested for drugs or alcohol in Palm Beach County as well as distributing locally to the schools, colleges, drug court, coffee houses, meeting halls, doctor offices and more throughout Palm Beach and Broward County. We also directly mail to many rehabs throughout the state and country. Our monthly magazine is available for free on our website at www.thesoberworld.com. If you would like to receive an E-version monthly of the magazine, please send your e-mail address to patricia@thesoberworld.com Drug addiction has reached epidemic proportions throughout the country and is steadily increasing. It is being described as “the biggest man-made epidemic” in the United States. More people are dying from drug overdoses than from any other cause of injury death, including traffic accidents, falls or guns. Many Petty thefts are drug related, as the addicts need for drugs causes them to take desperate measures in order to have the ability to buy their drugs. The availability of prescription narcotics is overwhelming; as parents our hands are tied. Purdue Pharma, the company that manufactures Oxycontin generated $3.1 BILLION in revenue in 2010? Scary isn’t it? Addiction is a disease but there is a terrible stigma attached to it. As family members affected by this disease, we are often too ashamed to speak to anyone about our loved ones addiction, feeling that we will be judged. We try to pass it off as a passing phase in their lives, and some people hide their head in the sand until it becomes very apparent such as through an arrest, getting thrown out of school or even worse an overdose, that we realize the true extent of their addiction. I know that many of you who are reading this now are frantic that their loved one has been arrested. No parent ever wants to see his or her child arrested or put in jail, but this may be your opportunity to save your child or loved one’s life. They are more apt to listen to you now than they were before, when whatever you said may have fallen on deaf ears. This is the point where you know your loved one needs help, but you don’t know where to begin. I have compiled this informative magazine to try to take that fear and anxiety away from you and let you know there are many options to choose from. There are Psychologists and Psychiatrists that specialize in treating people with addictions. There are Education Consultants that will work with you to figure out what your loved ones needs are and come up with the best plan for them. There are Interventionists who will hold an intervention and try to convince your loved one that they need help. There are detox centers that provide medical supervision to help them through the withdrawal process,
sen. There are long term Residential Programs (sometimes a year and longer) as well as short term programs (30-90 days), there are Therapeutic Boarding Schools, Wilderness programs, Extended Living and there are Sober Living Housing where they can work, go to meetings and be accountable for staying clean. Many times a Criminal Attorney will try to work out a deal with the court to allow your child or loved one to seek treatment as an alternative to jail. I know how overwhelming this period can be for you and I urge every parent or relative of an addict to get some help for yourself. There are many groups that can help you. There is Al-Anon, Alateen (for teenagers), Families Anonymous, Nar-Anon and more. This is a disease that affects the whole family, not just the parents. These groups allow you to share your thoughts and feelings. As anonymous groups, your anonymity is protected. Anything said within those walls are not shared with anyone outside the room. You share only your first name, not your last name. This is a wonderful way for you to be able to openly convey what has been happening in your life as well as hearing other people share their stories. You will find that the faces are different but the stories are all too similar. You will also be quite surprised to see how many families are affected by drug and alcohol addiction. Addiction knows no race or religion; it affects the wealthy as well as the poor, the highly educated, old, young-IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE. This magazine is dedicated to my son Steven who graduated with top honors from University of Central Florida. He graduated with a degree in Psychology, and was going for his Masters in Applied Behavioral Therapy. He was a highly intelligent, sensitive young man who helped many people get their lives on the right course. He could have accomplished whatever he set his mind out to do. Unfortunately, after graduating from college he tried a drug that was offered to him not realizing how addictive it was and the power it would have over him. My son was 7 months clean when he relapsed and died of a drug overdose. I hope this magazine helps you find the right treatment for your loved one. They have a disease and like all diseases, you try to find the best care suited for their needs. They need help. Deaths from prescription drug overdose have been called the “silent epidemic” for years. There is approximately one American dying every 17 minutes from an accidental prescription drug overdose. Please don’t allow your loved one to become a statistic. I hope you have found this magazine helpful. You may also visit us on the web at www.thesoberworld.com. We are on Face Book at www.facebook.com/pages/The-SoberWorld/445857548800036 or Steven Sober-World, Twitter at www.twitter. com/thesoberworld, and LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/pub/patriciarosen/51/210/955/. Sincerely,
Patricia
Publisher Patricia@TheSoberWorld.com
There are Transport Services that will scoop up your resistant loved one (under the age of 18 yrs. old) and bring them to the facility you have choTo Advertise, Call 561-910-1943
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IMPORTANT HELPLINE NUMBERS
Struggling with addiction?
211 PALM BEACH/TREASURE COAST 211 WWW.211PALMBEACH.ORG FOR THE TREASURE COAST WWW.211TREASURECOAST.ORG FOR TEENAGERS WWW.TEEN211PBTC.ORG AAHOTLINE-NORTH PALM BEACH 561-655-5700 WWW.AA-PALMBEACHCOUNTY.ORG AA HOTLINE- SOUTH COUNTY 561-276-4581 WWW.AAINPALMBEACH.ORG FLORIDA ABUSE HOTLINE 1-800-962-2873 WWW.DCF.STATE.FL.US/PROGRAMS/ABUSE/ AL-ANON- PALM BEACH COUNTY 561-278-3481 WWW.SOUTHFLORIDAALANON.ORG AL-ANON- NORTH PALM BEACH 561-882-0308 WWW.PALMBEACHAFG.ORG FAMILIES ANONYMOUS 847-294-5877 (USA) 800-736-9805 (LOCAL) 561-236-8183 CENTER FOR GROUP COUNSELING 561-483-5300 WWW.GROUPCOUNSELING.ORG CO-DEPENDENTS ANONYMOUS 561-364-5205 At the Serenity House Detox we WWW.PBCODA.COM COCAINE ANONYMOUS 954-779-7272 pride ourselves on taking care WWW.FLA-CA.ORG of our clients like our family. COUNCIL ON COMPULSIVE GAMBLING 800-426-7711 WWW.GAMBLINGHELP.ORG We are a small private medical CRIMESTOPPERS 800-458-TIPS (8477) detox offering a peaceful and WWW.CRIMESTOPPERSPBC.COM CRIME LINE 800-423-TIPS (8477) compassionate environment. WWW.CRIMELINE.ORG Our clients will have the DEPRESSION AND MANIC DEPRESSION 954-746-2055 WWW.MHABROWARD opportunity to take the first FLORIDA DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE 800-500-1119 step in the journey to recovery WWW.FCADV.ORG FLORIDA HIV/AIDS HOTLINE 800-FLA-AIDS (352-2437) in a safe environment. FLORIDA INJURY HELPLINE 800-510-5553 GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS 800-891-1740 www.serenityhousedetox.com WWW.GA-SFL.ORG and WWW.GA-SFL.COM info@serenityhousedetox.com HEPATITUS B HOTLINE 800-891-0707 JEWISH FAMILY AND CHILD SERVICES 561-684-1991 WWW.JFCSONLINE.COM LAWYER ASSISTANCE 800-282-8981 MARIJUANA ANONYMOUS 800-766-6779 WWW.MARIJUANA-ANONYMOUS.ORG NARC ANON FLORIDA REGION 888-947-8885 WWW.NARANONFL.ORG NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS-PALM BEACH 561-848-6262 WWW.PALMCOASTNA.ORG NATIONAL RUNAWAY SWITCHBOARD 800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) WWW.1800RUNAWAY.ORG NATIONAL SUICIDE HOTLINE 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433) WWW.SUICIDOLOGY.ORG ONLINE MEETING FOR MARIJUANA WWW.MA-ONLINE.ORG OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS- BROWARD COUNTY WWW.GOLDCOAST.OAGROUPS.ORG OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS- PALM BEACH COUNTY WWW.OAPALMBEACHFL.ORG RUTH RALES JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES 561-852-3333 WWW.RUTHRALESJFS.ORG WOMEN IN DISTRESS 954-761-1133 PALM BEACH COUNTY MEETING HALLS ASI specializes in coordinating treatment alternatives to jail time for
CALL US TODAY! Toll Free: 888.960.7798 Admissions: 954.579.2431
“If you have been arrested - CALL US!”
CENTRAL HOUSE 2170 W ATLANTIC AVE. SW CORNER OF ATLANTIC & CONGRESS CLUB OASIS 561-694-1949 CROSSROADS 561-278-8004 WWW.THECROSSROADSCLUB.COM EASY DOES IT 561-433-9971 LAMBDA NORTH CLUBHOUSE WWW.LAMBDANORTH.ORG THE MEETING PLACE 561-255-9866 WWW.THEMEETINGPLACEINC.COM THE TRIANGLE CLUB 561-832-1110 WWW.THETRIANGLECLUBWPB.COM BROWARD COUNTY MEETING HALLS
12 STEP HOUSE 954-523-4984 205 SW 23RD STREET 101 CLUB 700 SW 10TH DRIVE & DIXIE HWY LAMBDA SOUTH CLUB 954-761-9072 WWW.LAMBDASOUTH.COM POMPANO BEACH GROUP SW CORNER OF SE 2ND & FEDERAL HWY PRIDE CENTER 954-463-9005 WWW.PRIDECENTERFLORIDA.ORG WEST BROWARD CLUB 954-476-8290 WWW.WESTBROWARDCLUB.ORG
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those facing alcohol or drug related charges in the court system.
ASI is affiliated with a network of treatment centers and licensed attorneys who are qualified and experienced in defending alcohol and drug related charges. For those who are not covered by health insurance for Substance Abuse Treatment, we offer rehab alternatives at a rate substantially discounted from what the treatment centers will normally charge you. Call for a FREE consultation WE PROVIDE: Myles B. Schlam,J.D.,CAP/CCJAP • Interventions • Drug Evaluations CEO, Advocare Solutions,Inc • Drug Charges * • DUI’s * 954-804-6888 • Expert Testimony mschlam@drugtreatmentpro.com • Marchman Acts * www.drugtreatmentpro.com • Criminal Record Expungement *All clients with legal cases will be represented by one of ASI’s licensed network attorneys
To Advertise, Call 561-910-1943
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RELAPSE PREVENTION By Tony Foster, CAP,SAP,ICADC
People in recovery learn to identify the warning signs that may lead to a lapse in their abstinence and take positive steps to stay clean and sober. At the same time, they follow a practical plan that addresses their emotional or psychiatric illness in a positive and constructive way. The quicker they learn to spot these signs and signals the sooner they can take positive action for their own wellbeing and dual recovery. Many factors can lead to a relapse or flare-up to one or both of our no-fault illnesses. A flare-up of psychiatric symptoms can leave us more vulnerable to relapsing on drugs or alcohol. Drinking and drugging can lead to a flare-up of our psychiatric illness. Alcohol and drugs can also change the effects of psychiatric medications with unpredictable results. Maintaining abstinence allows us the freedom to grow as individuals and manage our no-fault illnesses in the healthiest possible way. In chemical dependency, relapse is the act of taking that first drink or drug after being deliberately clean and sober for a time. It helps though to view relapse as a process that begins well in advance of that act. People who have relapsed can usually point back to certain things that they thought and did long before they actually drank or used that eventually caused the relapse. They may have become complacent in their program of recovery in some way or refused to ask for help when they needed it. Each person’s relapse factors are unique to them, their diagnosis, and personal plan of recovery. Relapse is usually caused by a combination of factors. Some possible factors and warning signs might be: • Stopping medications on one’s own or against the advice of medical professionals • Hanging around old drinking haunts and drug using friends – slippery places • Isolating – not attending meetings – not using the telephone for support • Keeping alcohol, drugs, and paraphernalia around the house for any reason • Obsessive thinking about using drugs or drinking • Failing to follow ones treatment plan – quitting therapy – skipping doctors’ appointments • Feeling overconfident – that you no longer need support • Relationship difficulties – ongoing serious conflicts – a spouse who still uses • Setting unrealistic goals – perfectionism – being too hard on ourselves • Changes in eating and sleeping patterns, personal hygiene, or energy levels • Feeling overwhelmed – confused – useless – stressed out • Constant boredom – irritability – lack of routine and structure in life • Sudden changes in psychiatric symptoms • Dwelling on resentments and past hurts – anger – unresolved conflicts • Avoidance – refusing to deal with personal issues and other problems of daily living • Engaging in obsessive behaviors – workaholism – gambling – sexual excess and acting out • Major life changes – loss – grief – trauma – painful emotions – winning the lottery • Ignoring relapse warning signs and triggers Almost everyone in recovery has times when compelling thoughts of drinking or using drugs resurface. In early recovery, drinking or
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drugging dreams are not uncommon. It helps to remind ourselves that the reality of drinking and using has caused many problems in our lives. That no matter how bad things get, the benefits of staying abstinent will far outweigh any short term relief that might be found in drugs or alcohol. Recovery takes time. Eventually the cravings, relapse dreams, and uncertainties of early recovery fade. When we are committed to dual recovery we slowly but surely develop a new confidence in our new way of life without drugs and alcohol.
Staying clean and sober and managing ones psychiatric symptoms constructively is an ongoing process. Staying clean and sober and managing ones psychiatric symptoms constructively is an ongoing process. Abstinence and dealing positively with a dual disorder go hand in hand. DRA members build a personal inventory of recovery tools that help them meet these goals by staying involved in the process of dual recovery. An individual is in dual recovery when they are actively following a program that focuses on the recovery needs for both their chemical dependency and their psychiatric illness. People in dual recovery make sure to use some of their recovery tools each and every day. Their personal recovery tool kit serves as the best protection against a relapse. By identifying things that put us at risk for relapse and using the various recovery tools on an ongoing basis, we try to prevent a relapse before it happens. We can periodically review our relapse prevention plans with our doctors, treatment professionals and sponsors and modify them as needed. By becoming familiar with our triggers and warning signs, utilizing the various recovery tools, and having a practical plan of action, we greatly minimize the tendency to lapse back into our addictions. If and when lapses do happen, we do not judge or blame--we are not bad people. We seek progress not perfection. We simply learn what we can from the situation and move on with our program of dual recovery. Sharing our relapse experience with our sponsor, group, and helping professionals is an important way to figure out what went wrong. Our experience may also help others in recovery. Relapse Signs and Symptoms Experiencing Post Acute Withdrawal: I start having problems with one or more of the following; thinking difficulties, emotional overreaction problems, sleep disturbances, memory difficulties, becoming accident prone, and/or starting to experience a serious sensitivity to stress. Return to Denial: I stop telling others what I’m thinking/feeling and start trying to convince myself or others that everything is all right, when in fact it is not. Avoidance and Defensive Behavior: I start avoiding people who will give me honest feedback and/or I start becoming irritable and angry with them. Starting To Crisis Build: I start to notice that ordinary everyday problems become overwhelming and no matter how hard I try, I can’t solve my problems. Feeling Immobilized (Stuck): I start believing that there is nowhere to turn and no way to solve my problems. I feel trapped and start to use magical thinking. Becoming Depressed: I start feeling down-in-the dumps and have very low energy. I may even become so depressed that I start thinking of suicide. Continued on page 38
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The Mission at SoberWay We provide our clients with a safe, effective, comprehensive and life-changing therapeutic program in a family-style residential setting using both time tested and cutting edge educational and therapeutic tools to prepare clients to live a clean and sober, 12-Step based, life.
Opiate addiction is at an all time high. We can help you on the road to recovery, the SoberWay. soberway.com or contact 877.917.6237
Other services we offer include: arizonadetoxcenters.com • 877.917.6237 & algamus.org • 888.669.2437 To Advertise, Call 561-910-1943
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POST-ACUTE WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME By Brian Shrawder, MSMFT
Is your loved one suffering from Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome or PAWS? The idea of withdrawal generally brings about thoughts of physical symptomology. However, PAWS is common among substance abusers. In fact, 60 days to several years following the end of an individual’s active addiction these symptoms can present themselves. The time period depends on the substance used, the length of time and severity of abuse. Symptoms of PAWS PAWS is very common in substance abusers. Symptoms can present in several ways including but not limited to: stress sensitivity, sleep disturbances, memory problems, impaired concentration, emotional overreaction or numbness and cravings. Stress sensitivity Substance abusers in early recovery often struggle with situations which bring about stress. It is important to remember that addicts while in active addiction participated in addictive behaviors as a means to cope or get away from the stressful events. Many times addicts describe themselves as “raw.” Treatment needs to include coping skills to replace the abusive behaviors. Sleep disturbances This symptom should subside as time passes. Non-addictive medications may be prescribed by a medical provider. Nonmedication interventions such as creating a regular routine and sleep schedule can be helpful. In addition, exercise is a great way to burn energy and assist in reducing other PAWS symptoms. Memory Problems Forgetfulness is common and can be stress provoking. It can be useful to write down a daily schedule or list of activities each day Impaired Concentration Attention-Deficit disorder (ADD) is not uncommon with substance abusers. These individuals struggle with focusing and may be easily distracted. Emotional Overreaction or Numbness Addicts commonly describe feeling either no emotions or flooded. In time this can pass. Those in recovery are encouraged to verbalize either their lack of emotions or being flooded by them. Utilizing mood journals can be beneficial. A mood journal is sometimes used by a therapist in working with a client to help track thoughts and break thoughts down as rational versus irrational. Cravings They derive from a trigger (physical, emotional, or sensory). Often time’s addicts refer to triggers as people, places, and things. The cravings often bring about anxiety and depression symptoms. Some people in treatment think they won’t experience any cravings due to being in treatment. Of course, this is not the case. However, talking about triggers in and out of treatment can be helpful. While in a treatment program, it is important to communicate triggers to family members. This is important as family members can be helpful in noticing body cues in the substance abuser when they are experiencing a craving. Utilizing thought stopping techniques such as “rubber band therapy” which is placing a rubber band around your wrist and snapping yourself when experiencing a craving can be a helpful technique. Interestingly, PAWS does not show it’s self constantly. However, the symptoms do seem to come about at times of increased stress. It is important to remember that emotional sobriety is equally as important as physical. If the emotional aspect of addiction is ignored relapse is a highly probable reality. What is the cause of PAWS? Due to prolonged substance abuse the brain has been negatively
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affected. Once the abuser is no longer in active addiction the brain begins to repair by creating more neurons. Neurons are nerve cells and similar to other cells except for one difference. The difference being neurons transmit information throughout our bodies. Neurons transmit information in two different ways, chemically and electrically. There are different types of neurons which have varying tasks. The sensory neurons transmit information from sensory receptors throughout the body to the brain. Motor neurons carry information from the brain to our muscles. Interneurons carry information from one neuron to another. Neurons are made-up of dendrites, cell body and axons. Interestingly, neurons come in different shapes and sizes. Some neurons are made-up of more dendrites and can take in more information. Other neurons have larger or shorter axons. Information is transmitted from dendrites to neurons and from one to another using chemicals called neurotransmitters. There are several types of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, glutamate, and gamma-aminbutyric acid (GABA). Overtime an individual’s substance abuse increases the level of dopamine which brings the addiction. The substance abuse behavior increases the glutamine which speeds up communication between neurons to the point that an excitement occurs in the brain. The GABA levels would normally keep the glutamine in check and not allow for the speedup in communication. However, in the increase of substance abuse behavior the GABA levels are decreased and the glutamine is not held in check. This excitement in the brain brings about cravings in the individual. If these cravings are not met PAWS then begins. How to Manage Symptoms of PAWS There are several ways to manage symptoms of PAWS. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and meditation are an option. Meeting with your primary care physician is always a good idea for medication options if warranted. Make sure to keep a list of symptoms and be open and honest about the substance abuse behaviors so that the physician can have adequate information to provide appropriate treatment. Therapy with a certified drug and alcohol and or marriage and family therapist is another option. The drug and alcohol counselor has been trained in substance abuse and issues which come along with addictive behaviors. The marriage and family therapist is a skilled clinician in working with families and couples. Substance abuse is a family disease and marriage and family therapists can help construct interventions in assisting family members with problems that come up when dealing with this disease. Exercise is a great way to get physically fit and work off extra energy. Jogging, hiking, walking, lifting weights, and swimming are but a few great ways to stay active. These are also beneficial coping skills which can assist in reducing a number of symptoms such as stress, anxiety, and depression. Attending meetings such as AA, NA, and CA can be a great way to reduce stress by surrounding yourself in the recovery community. Have you spoken to your sponsor lately? Do you have a sponsor? If you have not spoken to your sponsor, get on the phone. This is why sponsors exist, to help others struggling with addiction. If you do not have a sponsor it is important you work on getting one as soon as possible. Brian Shrawder is a primary therapist for Seabrook West in North Central Pennsylvania. Seabrook West is an extended traumainformed treatment facility for men struggling with substance abuse where Brian facilitates relapse prevention and anger management groups. Brian is a 2013 graduate of Capella University with a degree in Marriage and Family therapy. He is currently working towards his PhD specializing in Couple’s Therapy at North Central University.
To Advertise, Call 561-910-1943
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HOW TO UNDERSTAND ADDICTION? By Dr.Gabor Maté
We all know what is wrong with addiction; we need to inquire what is “right” about it. In other words, what does the user seek, what temporary benefit does he or she derive from the experience, whether the addiction be to alcohol, heroin, cocaine, sex, food, gambling, video games? The answers, in my experience, are straightforward: “I find temporary relief from emotional pain. A decrease of stress. I feel more alive. I feel less alone. Less anxious. More at peace with myself.” My definition of addiction is any behavior—substance related or not--that involves craving, temporary pleasure or relief, negative long term consequences and an inability to stop despite these negative impacts. As we can see from the answers above, addicts just want to feel normal: they want to feel what a normal human being would naturally feel: pain-free, non-stressed, at peace, connected, alive. That this quest is doomed, that they are likely to sacrifice their health, their position in society and their dignity shows only how powerful is the desperation that drives them. What is the source of that despair? Why are they willing to risk illness and death for the sake of their habit? “I’m not afraid of death,” a patient told me. “I’m more afraid of life.” Addictions always originate in unhappiness, even if hidden. They are emotional anesthetics; they numb pain. The first question -always -- is not “Why the addiction?” but “Why the pain?” The essence of the drug high was best expressed by a patient of mine, a 27-year-old sex-trade worker. “The first time I did heroin,” she said, “it felt like a warm, soft hug.” In a phrase, she summed up the psychological and chemical cravings that make some people vulnerable to substance dependence. It’s a doomed search for love, or what love would give us: a sense of belonging, security, inner peace, joy. No drug is, in itself, addictive. Only about 8 per cent to 15 per cent of people, who try, say alcohol or marijuana, go on to addictive use. What makes them vulnerable? Neither genetic predispositions nor individual moral failures explain drug addictions. Chemical and emotional vulnerability are the products of life experience, according to current brain research and developmental psychology. Most human-brain growth occurs following birth; physical and emotional interactions determine much of our brain development. Each brain’s circuitry and chemistry reflects individual life experiences as much as inherited tendencies. For any drug to work in the brain, the nerve cells have to have receptors — sites where the drug can bind. We have opiate receptors because our brain has natural opiate-like substances, called endorphins, chemicals that participate in many functions, including the regulation of pain and mood. Endorphins are released in the infant’s brain when there are warm, non-stressed, calm interactions with the parenting figures. Endorphins, in turn, promote the growth of receptors and nerve cells, and the discharge of other important brain chemicals. The fewer endorphin-enhancing experiences in infancy and early childhood, the greater the need for external sources. Hence, the greater vulnerability to addictions. Distinguishing skid row addicts is the extreme degree of stress they had to endure early in life. Almost all women now inhabiting Canada’s addiction capital suffered sexual assaults in childhood, as did many of the males. Childhood memories of serial abandonment or severe physical and psychological abuse are common. The histories of my Portland patients tell of pain upon pain. But what of families where there was not abuse, but love, where parents did their best to provide their children with a secure, nurturing home? One also sees addictions arising in such families. The unseen factor here is the stress the parents themselves lived
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under, even if they did not recognize it. That stress could come from relationship problems, or from outside circumstances such as economic pressure or political disruption. The most frequent source of hidden stress is the parents’ own childhood histories that saddled them with emotional baggage they had never become conscious of. What we are not aware of in ourselves, we pass on to our children. Stressed, anxious, or depressed parents have great difficulty initiating enough of those emotionally rewarding, endorphinliberating interactions with their children. Later in life such children may experience a hit of heroin as the “warm, soft hug” my patient described: What they didn’t get enough of before, they can now inject. The U.S.-based Adverse Childhood Experiences studies have demonstrated beyond doubt that childhood stresses, including factors such as abuse, addiction in the family, a rancorous divorce, and so on, provide the template for addictions later in life. It doesn’t follow, of course, that all addicts were abused or that all abused children become addicts, but the correlations are inescapable. Another major factor feeding addiction in our society is the loss of the traditional attachment network: of clan, tribe, village, extended family, and their replacement by a powerful but immature and seductive peer culture. Studies are clear that the peer group—enhanced these days by the technology of social networking—is the most common context for young people’s introduction to drug use. Feeling alone, feeling there has never been anyone with whom to share their deepest emotions, is universal among drug addicts. No matter how much love a parent has, the child does not experience being wanted unless he or she is made absolutely safe to express exactly how unhappy, or angry, or hate-filled he or she may at times feel. The sense of unconditional love, of being fully accepted even when most ornery, is what no addict ever experienced in childhood -- often not because the parents did not have it to give, simply because they did not know how to transmit it to the child. Given these facts, addicts need to be treated with compassion, not with punishment; with understanding, not with judgment; with care, not with neglect. They need to be helped to face the pain in their lives and very few of us can do that alone. Yes, they need to confront their reality, without denial. But how to support that? As the spiritual master A.H. Almaas teaches, “Only when compassion is present can people allow themselves to see the truth.” Gabor Maté is a Vancouver physician and the author of the bestseller, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction.
To Advertise, Call 561-910-1943
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UNDERSTANDING ADDICTION: IT’S A FAMILY DISEASE! By Natashah Khan MS
Many people who have loved ones struggling with addiction know the disease of addiction affects the entire family—when one family member is addicted the whole family suffers. But despite experiencing the fear, anger and chaos produced by addictive behaviors- wives, husbands, siblings, parents and other relatives have little knowledge that they are in need of recovery as well. Perhaps it’s because some families believe that addiction is a choice and therefore the addict is responsible for “fixing” the problem. Though this thought seems a bit archaic to those in the mental health field, sadly, education on addiction as a family disease is not as widespread. Addiction is a disease which severely disrupts family life and causes devastation that may impact several generations of a family if left unaddressed. Helping families to increase their knowledge and awareness of addiction is an important part of supporting the recovery of the addict. It’s important that families learn that just as it’s the addict’s responsibility for his or her own recovery, the family must also embrace that they too are responsible for their own recovery. In short, families have to take responsibility for enabling behaviors, which supports the addiction. Yes it is very important to think of recovery as a family affair. Addiction has two types of faces: Chemical Addiction (drugs, alcohol) and Non-Chemical Addiction (co-dependency, sex, gambling, eating disorders etc.) which most often times may co-exist with a mental health issue creating a co-morbid disease. Providing education, awareness, and preventative measures are just a few of the tools necessary to help not just the struggling addict but the families who are as equally or more infected by the disease of addiction. Many families are of the notion that the disease of addiction stems from unhealthy choices, surrounding oneself with others who use or are just enjoying the taste of substances; however, as you read this article you will learn that there are many contributing biological and environmental factors that combine to aid in the manifestation of the disease that affects us as human beings. Through my studies and research I have learned that from birth individuals are born with a deficiency in the neurotransmitter pathways that are responsible for their inability to process emotions in a healthy manner. Their inability to cope psychologically and emotionally leads to coping through some form of addiction (Chemical or Non Chemical). Why can’t addicts just quit? Addiction whether it’s chemical or non-chemical is a complex disease of the mind. Substances and or trauma related events in early childhood have an impact on the development of the individual’s brain and also has the propensity to change brain circuits. Any chemical/ substance (i.e. drugs and alcohol) that enters the body in any form has the propensity to alter the circuits/wiring in the limbic system which is responsible for controlling emotions to increase feelings of pleasure. This pleasure center in the brain is deficient from birth and deteriorates even further as we begin using, misusing, abusing or become dependent on drugs and alcohol which also affects our cognition. The use of drugs or alcohol seizes the developmental growth of the cognitive aspect and pleasure center of the brain causing individuals suffering with this disease to lack emotional maturity and endure psychological distortions. To better understand the part of the brain that is affected by the disease, is to become aware of the 5 reward pathways (Serotonin, Gaba, Opioid, Dopamine and Adrenaline) that are involved in the brains pleasure center. From the time of birth these neurotransmitter pathways are deficient which leads to a Reward Deficiency Syndrome that attacks the cognitive parts of the brain, and or the frontal lobe. When the Reward Deficiency Syndrome goes unrecognized and untreated overtime it manifest into the many facets of addiction that we see in individuals in our community today. · Addictive Behaviors · Drug Abuse
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· Alcoholism · Gambling
· Hypersexual Behavior · Risk Taking
· Compulsive Eating
When the Deficiency Syndrome impacts the frontal lobe the following behaviors develop as a result: · Oppositional Defiant Disorder · Inattention · Demotivation · Risk taking
· Chemical Dependency · Impulsivity · Lack of Self criticism
When Chemicals such as Serotonin and Dopamine Levels are imbalanced either organically or biologically the following disorders have the potential to develop: · · · ·
Aggression Depression Mania Panic Attacks Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
· Anxiety · Phobias · Sleep disorders (somatization) · Immune Disorder
ADDICTION can Damage a Family BUT Recovery can HEAL a Family Through my own personal journey in recovery and working directly with families impacted by the disease of addiction, I have seen them reach out and find solace in speaking to men and women who have experienced recovery and who helped explain to the family’s what addiction is from the addict’s point of view. One of the Alumni’s, Justin Cassitta from Insight to Recovery’s Treatment Program, shares his perspective on his addiction and his understanding of the disease. He describes it as a “3 part diseasemental, physical and spiritual”. “There are some people who just have a physical allergy (dependency); which means when the drugs or alcohol enter their body they react in a way similar to someone who has an allergy to food (i.e. peanuts or shellfish) which can be lethal. When I was in active addiction I found that I would lose ALL control and not have any idea or understanding as to why I was “Acting out”. It wasn’t until I entered treatment that I was made aware that internal and external triggers contributed to the cravings that I developed which in my mind (distorted thinking), led me to believe that I needed to use more in order to manage my daily living. In my mind (psychologically) the more I used the more unmanageable my life became but I couldn’t see that through my eyes. When I used drugs it would affect my mind in ways that were uncontrollable. I used compulsively and had obsessive thoughts about using; this pattern of behavior- using compulsively, obsessive thinking and impulsive decision making became the center of my daily life. Entering Treatment and gaining knowledge and awareness of my disease combined with the 12 step recovery program offered through Alcoholics Anonymous opened the door and my eyes to a whole new world of fellowship, sponsorship, and spirituality. The 12 Step principles of Alcoholics Anonymous is the foundation of my spirituality and relationship with my higher power as I understand him. The 12 Steps of AA, the fellowship and obtaining a sponsor helped walk me through real life experiences into sobriety by holding me accountable and showing me how to change my negative attitudes and behaviors. This helped me tremendously to sustain a healthy, spiritual journey in my recovery today. I love my life in recovery and while I continue to have ups and downs throughout my journey, I know that I need to work a recovery program daily and maintain a healthy relationship with my higher power every day for the rest of my life”. Natashah Khan is the Director of the Family and Alumni Programs at Insight to Recovery. She is a Registered Intern Mental Health Counselor. Natasha is certified in Effective Communication SkillsWorking with Families & Couples in Recovery www.insighttorecovery.com 561-894-8693
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A DISEASE THAT NEEDS HEALING By Noel Neu, MS, LMHC
One year after the most tragic event in our country took place, I experienced a moment of blissful laughter that I did not know I was capable of feeling without the use of mind-altering chemicals. I was in my apartment and I rented a DVD starring a comedian I had grown up watching. The comedian was Robin Williams, and the video was his performance “Live on Broadway 2002.” The entire show was filled with precision, on-point commentary and absolute unabashed goofiness that made me completely let go of the sadness, pain, grief, and discontent I had been holding. Before long I found myself laughing so hard that I fell off the couch! I knew how Mr. Williams performed as I had watched him through the 70’s and 80’s and had seen his improvisational mastery, however, he hit such a profound stride that while I watched this performance, the only choice I had was to feel good to be alive in that moment. I knew that this would help cheer up all of my friends and family that I showed it to, so I went on a tour through different households close to me to show it to them and spread Robin’s good cheer. When I found out that Robin Williams had died as a result of suicidal depression, I felt completely saddened and empty. I followed reports over the past eight years of his relapse after twenty years being sober, as well as his bouts of bipolar-like symptoms that he would call “moodiness.” I had no idea that his depression and difficulties with coping would hit him so hard that taking his life became his solution. His pain became too great and the possibilities of relief too small for him to do what we would have liked him to do, such as reach out and ask for help. Mr. Williams had the mental illness/disease of depression, and lost his life as a result. A week before Mr. Williams died, another person that I had watched and found some outlet to express my anger with growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, Gene Simmons from the rock band Kiss, was in the news for ranting about how he believes addicts and alcoholics are “just downers” and “have a dark cloud over their heads and see themselves as victims.” Mr. Simmons also made a claim that he tells people “to jump when they want to kill themselves.” The attitude being taken here is that addiction and depression are choices of the “weak,” therefore, no compassion ought to be given due to the weakness and desire to stay in this state of being. This is the type of bias that a large portion of our “can-do” population normally take towards something that they cannot see, so therefore, do not understand. When a bias is taken to its extreme, such as Mr. Simmons’ take, it becomes plain and simple bigotry. Alcoholism, addiction, depression, and bipolar disorder are all mental illnesses that are listed in the guide used for all diagnoses in the field of psychology, The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Being such, they are forms of disease that affect the mental as well as the emotional, spiritual and physical components of a person. Diseases such as cancer, diabetes, AIDS, and others affect the physical as well as all other components of a person as well. We treat patients with these physical-based diseases with dignity and respect, and do not believe at any time that they are choosing to be “weak.” In fact, all perceived weaknesses are accepted due to the tremendous empathy and compassion we feel for them. This is good! We must continue to give people that have physical illness all of the support and compassion to help them heal. Please let us do the same for those with mental illness. At the very least may we learn more about the nature of the illness and begin to understand the pain that is experienced by a person suffering from mental illness. It is true that a person with any disease is encouraged to treat it in order to overcome it and heal. The course of treatment and prognosis of physically-based diseases are more overt and the progression towards healing can be monitored and tracked.
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However, the diseases of the brain (the mind) are more covert as most of the monitoring and tracking is recorded through patient self-report. In addition, in the case of addiction, the intake of mindaltering substances must be stopped, and then any underlying symptoms of depression can be accurately treated. This may seem to an unaffected person quite simple – Make the choice and get better. However, this “choice” is completely affected by the illness. In mental illness the choices a person makes are coming from a mind that is ill. Even when effectively treated, mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, and alcoholism/addiction can come out of remission and have an even greater impact to the person suffering from the disease. In Robin Williams’ case it appears that he was attempting to treat his illness as he re-entered Hazelden Addiction Treatment Center in July. This is proof that he was trying to make a “choice” to recover and heal, however, the addiction, the depression, the mental illness, the disease made his choices skew towards the direction he so very sadly ended up in. My prayer is for healing. Robin Williams lived a life that helped countless others to heal through laughter. I am blessed to be one who felt the curative effects of joyous laughter from Mr. Williams’ work. Now in the pain of grief, anger is normal and a part of the process. However, biased commentary that leads to hurtful bigotry against people that have a very real illness is not only unproductive, but goes by nature against the love and laughter that this man gave to us throughout his lifetime. My memories are now sealed with his passing. Thank you Mr. Williams for making me laugh, and thank you for making me truly see the depths of the pain that is mental illness. May your passing help others to feel compassion for themselves by having understanding for each other in the pain, as your life helped us feel the gift of laughter. Noel Neu, MS, LMHC is the CEO and clinical director of Empathic Recovery (www.empathicrecovery.com). Mr. Neu has been a clinician in private practice for over ten years and has developed programs for “Assertive Awareness” training, “Living your Truth” to build self-esteem, and helping families with addictions heal.
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ADDICTIONS AND EATING DISORDERS: WHY THEY OFTEN GO HAND-IN-HAND By Marlene Passell
When one has a drug or alcohol addiction, recovery means stop using, but the same isn’t true, of course, when it comes to an eating disorder. Yet, addictions and eating disorders often go hand-in-hand. Why? According to Dr. Sue Babcock, a licensed clinical psychologist who treats eating disorders, it’s because the same individuals who seek a way to cope with stress, violence, low self-esteem and other life issues sometimes turn to food as a remedy rather than alcohol or drugs. Too often, those same individuals do both. Unfortunately, eating disorders and addictions occur together frequently. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse found that: • •
Half of all people with eating disorders abuse drugs or alcohol, compared with 9% of the general population Up to 35% of people who abuse drugs or alcohol have an eating disorder, compared with 3% of the general population.
“Here you are feeling very vulnerable and anxious trying to recover from drugs or alcohol, and food is one thing you feel you can have control over – what you put in your mouth,” said Dr. Babcock. “Even those without eating disorders can develop issues with eating and body image while in drug or alcohol treatment. As one way of coping or avoiding something goes away, another maladaptive behavior, such as compulsive eating, strict diets, or binging and purging may arise.” Some 90 percent of those struggling with eating disorders are women which makes it even tougher for that minority of men facing the same issue to admit it and seek help. And, says Dr. Babcock, recovery from eating disorders is often a long road. “It really requires putting into place a lot of different coping skills – tolerating difficult emotions, learning to accept one’s body shape and size and listening to hunger and fullness.” While eating disorders are sometimes identified during evaluation when a woman is entering a treatment program, at other times they come to light
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through the observations of therapists and other clinical personnel at a recovery facility. They will note the woman’s eating habits or hear negative comments about the facility’s food or about body image. “Women who are really serious about recovery are open about it,” said Dr. Babcock. In her work with addicts who have eating disorders, Dr. Babcock said she uses a nonjudgmental approach. Often, in individual and group settings, the conversation centers on body image, learning to see yourself in a more positive light, not talking negatively about your body or food. And, of course, finding positive ways to cope with stressors is the key to recovery from an eating disorder. Just as with alcohol or drugs, said Dr. Babcock, factors leading to eating disorders can include genetic, personality (impulse control, perfectionism), environmental influences and, of course, the media, especially when it comes to women. “In our culture, many people are so afraid of being fat. Even well-meaning family members often dwell on body image in the context of good health.” Dr. Babcock said many areas have a 12-step program for eating disorders – Overeaters Anonymous and Eating Disorders Anonymous focusing on binge eating, bulimia and anorexia. There is also a national organization with local offices that can be reached at www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com If you have an eating disorder along with a drug or alcohol addiction, make sure you pick a treatment facility that can treat both. Dr. Sue Babcock, has a private practice in Boca Raton, FL, and provides eating disorder therapy at Wayside House, a women’s addiction recovery treatment center in Delray Beach, FL. She has worked in the mental health field for over 20 years; her experience includes private practice and a concentrated focus on eating disorders with The Emily Program in St. Paul, MN, and Oliver-Pyatt Centers in Miami, FL. She can be reached at www.drsuebabcock.com
Working with professionals to bring families back together. Hundreds of referral partners from around the country rely on American Addiction Centers to provide the perfect combination of evidence-based treatment programs and settings in order for their patients to receive the best care possible. With coast-to-coast facilities and caring, highly-seasoned professionals, American Addiction Centers is your ideal treatment partner.
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TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE BEST PRACTICES FOR LESBIAN & BISEXUAL WOMEN IN RECOVERY By Kim Koslow, LMHC, CAP, CTT, BCPC, ICRC
Always continue the climb. It is possible for you to do whatever you choose if you first get to know who you are and are willing to work with a Power that is greater than you to do it. – Ella Wheeler Wilcox A part of us dies when we are not in integrity with ourselves. This is a universal truth for us all and even more so for lesbian and bisexual women trying to get “straight” (clean & sober) in a heterosexual therapeutic community. We know to our very core the saying “I couldn’t live and I couldn’t die.” For many of us, we felt out of integrity with ourselves prior to picking up our first drink or drug. A part of us was already dead. The substance made us feel alive…until it didn’t. We used alcohol and drugs just to feel “normal,” to fit in, to be part of, to feel, to express ourselves, to speak what otherwise might not be said. We used just to be in integrity with ourselves for one fleeting moment and we became addicted and felt afflicted. If luck would have us, we hit a bottom early on and asked for help. For many of us, our families intervened and sent us to rehab with no healthy significant other in sight. Many lesbian and bisexual women come into rehab broken down and broken hearted. And when the last dose of detox meds leave us, we are left with the very same feelings we had when we starting using drugs and alcohol in the first place. A unit of sober heterosexual female peers greets us. We struggle to feel “normal,” to fit in, to be a part of, to feel, to express ourselves, to speak what we dare not share. We are filled with shame and secrecy. We are uncomfortable in our own skin and we have come face to face with ourselves. “Holy Spirit, how then do we heal? Help Me!” Sadly and still, most lesbian and bisexual women attend treatment programs or 12-Step or Faith-Based groups that are designed for heterosexual people. The reality is they face the same prejudice and discrimination and are more vulnerable than ever before. It is somewhat refreshing to note that treatment providers are finally shining a light on mental health and substance abuse in the LGBT community. At recent conferences I’ve attended, I remain hopeful, as I see more and more agencies offer LGBT-specific services and topics which address the suffocating social stigmas and oppression that have overshadowed this community for far too long. Sexual orientation as a normal variant of development has not received widespread acceptance in society as a whole. And yet, we as clinicians have a responsibility to be culturally competent and those of us in recovery know that ‘love and tolerance’ of one another is a code we live by. LAMBDA North in Lake Worth, Florida is an LGBTQ 12Step Clubhouse. Once we walk through these doors, we feel welcomed, safe, cared for and loved. We fit in, we feel a part of, we can say what we haven’t been able to say and as heads nod, we know we were heard and understood. And as we look into the eyes of another, we come face to face with ourselves we begin to know what it means to be in integrity with ourselves for maybe the first time in our life. Some Best Practices of Care for lesbians and bisexual women with Substance Abuse and Trauma are as follows:
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1. The most important step is for an agency to become LGBTResponsive. This means revising agency policies and procedures to be inclusive of LGBT people. If you are a women’s facility have brochures and pamphlets geared to lesbian/bisexual women and have openly lesbian/bisexual individuals on staff. Ensure all staff has received training on culturally appropriate treatment. 2. Trauma-informed treatment. Lesbian/bisexual women are far more likely to have experienced childhood/adult abuse and trauma. Trauma treatment and trauma informed treatment climates are a necessity because many women are triggered by experiences that make them feel vulnerable. Establish a climate of safety. 3. Assessment procedures and treatment planning takes into account sexual identity and gender issues, such as coming out, relationships, the role of gay bars, need for clean and sober sponsors and social networks for recovery, etc. Lesbian and bisexual women must feel safe and included, so that they can address their treatment needs while in the relative safety of treatment. 4. Lesbian and bisexual women are encouraged to be out and participate fully in group therapy. Homophobic and sexist remarks and behaviors are not tolerated from staff or other clients. Christmas 1999, as I fell to my knees on the cold hard floor of the Pinellas County Jail, I cried out in desperation, “Holy Spirit, how then do I heal? Help Me!” It was at that moment, that I made a vow to a God I did not yet know that if I could heal, I would devote my life to helping other women heal. With a strong program of personal recovery as a foundation, I went back to school and earned my licenses and certifications in Mental Health Counseling, Addictions, Trauma and Spiritual Care. In 2009, after graduating from Iyanla Vanzant’s, Inner Visions Institute for Spiritual Development, I was the recipient of the Vision Award for founding Butterfly House, a Sacred Space for Sober Women in Palm Beach County. I am blessed with amazing women in my life as I am called to help other women heal. Together, Elle DuPree, Hester Williams, Deb Guerrera and a team of professionals pray, laugh, love, cry, eat, dance & heal together, along with our greatest teachers of all, our residents. The only criteria to be a resident at Butterfly House is that you are female and you want to heal with us. Life unfolds beautifully when our life on the outside is congruent with who we are on the inside. To Thine Own Self Be True. AFFIRMATION: I LOVE WHO I AM, AND I EXPRESS IT FREELY, EASILY AND AUTHENTICALLY. MY LIFE WORKS WHEN I AM IN INTEGRITY WITH MYSELF. Kim Koslow, LMHC, CAP, CTT, BCPC, ICRC, Founder & CEO, Got Real Recovery/Butterfly House is a Certified Addictions Professional, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Certified Trauma Therapist and Board Certified Professional Counselor. In 2008, she founded Butterfly House, a Women’s Recovery Residence in Wellington, Florida. www.butterflyhousepalmbeach.com
Any Moment Can Be The Moment Of Change.
Let It Begin At Butterfly House. An Exclusive Recovery Residence for Women in Wellington, Florida
Elle DuPree, MSW Clinical Director 561-909-7679 Elle@gotrealrecovery.com
Kim Koslow, LMHC, CAP, CTT, BCPC Founder & CEO 954-540-8441 Kim@gotrealrecovery.com
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JUST BEING SOBER ISN’T ENOUGH By Ben Brafman LMHC, CAP
Sober living is more than just avoiding substances; it’s living with a purpose and regaining control in your life. Sobriety means freedom. It means independence from consuming or craving mindaltering substance. That’s right; it is more than just not touching drugs or alcohol. Just because you haven’t touched a drink or your substance of choice in a day, a week, a month or a year doesn’t mean you are enjoying sobriety. There may be side effects of your addiction that still plague you, that if allowed to run free may land you right back under the thumb of your addiction. Are you guilty of any of these? Staying in the past It’s easier to stay in the past, but the past doesn’t give you a future. Move beyond what happened in the past and stick with what can happen in your future. Make an effort to right your wrongs, but remember that you are not the person you were before treatment. Your future is a lot brighter now that you are in control. Ignoring the truth If you have gone through a substance abuse treatment program you are strong willed and determined, but you may still be at high risk for relapse. Addiction is a disease, and you can manage it or choose to ignore it. Ignoring the disease of addiction gives it power over your life. If you relapse, don’t ignore it. Seek help right away from a sponsor, a counselor or a loved one. Don’t ignore what is going on – recognize it for what it is – a need to strengthen your relapse prevention plan and skills. Relapse doesn’t mean failure; it just means there is more work to be done. Romancing the drink or the drug Stop thinking about the good things you felt or what happened when you were abusing drugs or alcohol. Focus instead on the good things you are feeling and that have happened or can happen now that you are sober. Sober living gives you so many more opportunities to reach your full potential and live a satisfying life. Skipping meetings and sessions No matter how long you have been sober, you will find support at meetings and sessions. Don’t forget that recovery is a journey, something you need to continually work at in order to achieve long term success. If you can’t attend a meeting, look for online support groups, Twitter chats or even online meetings. Don’t become arrogant thinking that you are over it and don’t need support – it’s a surefire way to find yourself back in the clutches of your addiction. Going through the motions Don’t just show up at a meeting and play on your cell phone or daydream. Talk, listen, and engage with those around you. Don’t waste your time or anyone else’s time by going through the motions. You may be surprised at how much your own personal story and experience may help someone else. Sober living is about living a life with purpose, going through the motions is just a waste of your time. Testing yourself in high risk situations Feeling brave after treatment? Don’t confront your triggers head on without support. Throwing yourself into a high risk relapse situation to test yourself isn’t smart. Don’t knowingly put yourself at risk; you have worked too hard to get here. Forgetting how far you’ve come Whether you’ve been sober one day, one week, one month, one year or 20 years, don’t forget how far you’ve come. The journey is long. It curves and sometimes it doubles back on itself, but there is always a road ahead. Stay focused on how far you’ve already come and how much opportunity lies ahead. Staying in toxic relationships
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People who try to manipulate you, test you or don’t support your sobriety don’t deserve to be in your life. Don’t allow people to test your relationship in such a way that it puts you at risk. There are plenty of interesting people who will support your sobriety, go find them. Staying negative Addiction can bring out the worst in people, and if you’ve seen the dark side of your own behavior, there’s likely to be some anger or disappointment. You can’t change your past, but you can change your future. Focus on getting and giving positive attention to yourself and others. Positivity is infectious. Feeling entitled Are you working hard to commit yourself to living a satisfying sober life? Just because you have made it out of rehab doesn’t entitle you to instantly regain your standing at home, with friends or at work. You need to earn back the trust of others, earn back the equality in your partnerships and prove yourself all over again. You aren’t entitled to anything, but you can earn it. Just being sober isn’t enough. Sobriety means changing our thoughts, attitudes and actions. It means developing new hobbies, new habits and new behavior patterns. How do we develop these new thoughts, attitudes and actions? Through mindfulness, awareness of ourselves and recognizing that each of us, no matter where we are in our lives, can improve upon how we acted, thought or reacted the day before. We can always take steps to better ourselves and our life. Life is a series of choices, which ones will you make? Ben Brafman, LMHC, CAP, is the Clinical Director, President and CEO of Destination Hope, a nationally recognized substance abuse and dual diagnosis treatment facility and The Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center. With more than two decades of hands-on experience in the field of substance abuse and addiction, Ben is a leading authority on substance abuse, addiction and treatment protocols. A licensed behavioral health counselor and certified addiction professional, Ben has grown into an industry expert, educating both healthcare and public audiences on issues in the field of addiction. Ben Brafman holds a BA from Syracuse University and a MA from Barry University in Mental Health Counseling and Family Therapy.
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Fresh Start Ministries of Central FL Providing an affordable, year-long, 12-Step, faith-based residential substance abuse program in Orlando, FL. Operating since 1986, Fresh Start provides a very structured program with high levels of accountability. Utilizing a robust curriculum and the ability to work a normal daytime job while still receiving the necessary classes and counseling, clients find they are able to continue to financially support their families and still receive the help they need. • 74 client beds • 12-Step Faith-based Residential Treatment • Aftercare Housing in a nearby lakeside apartment complex Located in the beautiful College Park area of Orlando, please call us at 407-293-3822 or through our website at www.FreshStartMinistries.com. If you have completed treatment and are interested in Aftercare housing at our “Sober City” apartments, please contact Joe at 407-965-0022 or visit our website at www.FSMAftercare.com.
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RECOVERY-ORIENTED HOUSING AND SUPPORT SERVICES’ SECRET INGREDIENT: THE SOCIAL MODEL By Jason Howell NARR President
Peers have been living together and supporting each other in recovery from substance use issues since the mid-1800s. This 170year legacy has given rise to a diverse spectrum of sober, safe and recovery supportive living environments that are collectively called recovery residences. To varying degrees, recovery residences live at the intersection of recovery support, addiction treatment and housing. At a minimum, recovery residences house a functionally equivalent family of peers that utilize social model philosophies to create mutually supportive relationships promoting recovery from alcohol and other drugs. That being said, many recovery residence providers bundle additional recovery support, life skills development and/or clinical services to meet the diverse and changing needs of individuals starting and learning to sustain recovery. A growing body of evidences has established recovery residences as evidenced-based and promising practices. While funding and legislative policies have greatly shaped the type and supply of recovery residences, most providers have relied on self-pay or recovery community supplemented revenue models. This economic force has linked sustainable recovery residences to recovery outcomes such as improved health, employment and quality of life. Ironically, it is the family-like characteristics and self-sustaining nature of most recovery residences that results in them being “hidden in plain sight” from the perspective of the general population while remaining the worst kept secret from the perspective of the local recovery community. Recovery residences have been traditionally established by individuals and small nonprofit organizations in response to local needs. This has led to a highly fragmented field, with most operators lacking the means to access information on standards or best practices.
language, rituals, symbols, literature, and values. To untangle from an addictive lifestyle, individuals need to replace their culture of addiction with a culture of recovery. Social model programs, such as those found in recovery residences, teach people how to live recovery. Moreover, the social model provides organizations with a framework that delivers culturally competent services to persons starting and sustaining recovery. NARR advocates for robust recovery-oriented systems of care, and within these systems of care, individuals should have access to a full spectrum of recovery residence options that cost effectively matches the needs of individuals. This includes the integration of peer-delivered recovery support along with clinical services at residences providing higher levels of support. The challenge is that these social model services are not easily evaluated by consumers and are not usually valued by third-party payers. As a result, social model elements are often considered unnecessary and subsequently dropped. In the 1990s, Dr. Lee Ann Kaskutas documented this shift away from social model programming towards more billable clinical services in response to funding policy changes, despite research indicating that the utilization of social model recovery principles can improve outcomes at a lower cost. Well into their second century of existence, self-pay and charitably funded recovery residences will continue to provide social model options to those who can find and afford them. The question remains whether and how policies can be aligned to expand the capacity and adoption of social model recovery philosophy across recovery-oriented housing, recovery support and treatment service options for those who desire them.
The National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) is poised to change all of that. In 2011, NARR formed to codify residence standards based on national best practices, empower resident choices and promote addiction recovery through the use of well-run recovery residences from coast to coast. Drawing from the wisdom of experts and regional recovery residence organizations from 15 different states, NARR developed a standardized nomenclature that frames the diverse marketplace into four general residence types, known as levels of support. This gave the recovery community the language and construct to compare and contrast recovery residences with each other, and across types of services that residences provide. Likely due to the economic forces and outcomes focus mentioned above, key characteristics across recovery residences became apparent regardless of where and when they were developed. One such essential element is the use of Social Model Recovery Philosophies to create a culture of recovery -- the heart and soul -- that lives within a resident community. Implementation of social model principles varies across residences and levels of support, but the core value of a peer-led recovery culture, in which individuals play a meaningful part in their own recovery and in the support of other’s recovery, remains the same. In early recovery, individuals often have to change their environments, activities and the people with whom they associate because addictive lifestyles have a distinctive culture e.g. language, values, roles, rituals and relationships. A culture of addiction can initiate and perpetuate addictive lifestyles. Individuals can become as dependent on a culture of addiction as they are on the addictive substance. Some become so enmeshed in a culture of addiction that they may not know or see any other way of living. Recovery lifestyles also have a distinctive culture: history,
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Supporting Addiction Recovery Empowering Recovery Residence Choices Promoting Best Practices www.narronline.org
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7/15/14 9:14 AM
CHILDHOOD TRAUMA By David Smallwood
Over a hundred years ago Freud proposed that our future lives are mapped out by our first few years of experience. Whilst I don’t necessarily agree with how he described the various states of ego, I can readily understand that our experiences as children will consciously and subconsciously affect how we go through life. I very much believe that those of us who are in the addictive spectrum are different to others because we feel a greater amount of sensitivity when compared with the norm. I believe that we are born this way and that this is at the root of all addiction and co-dependency. If I ask any addict the following question I know what the response will be: “Were you more sensitive as a child than siblings and peers?” The only answer I ever get is: “Of course I was.” So how does this work? Well, let’s start at the level of the brain. (I’m not a doctor or a scientist but this is so obvious that I think it’s easy to understand.)
secret then the child will immediately become traumatized. And he or she will feel their parent’s shame.
We essentially have two different parts of the brain that are involved with addiction.
Whilst it is easy to see how extreme abuse (physical, sexual, verbal) would traumatize a child, it is very often not the case. However, because of the sensitivity felt by those of us in the addictive spectrum, even relatively trivial stimuli can cause distress.
The first part is the cortex. This is the crinkly grey bit that most people identify as ‘The Brain’. This part has only been around in its present form for 70,000 years or so. It has developed as our need to process and think logically has increased in order to use tools, communicate and to process complex information. On the other hand, we have another part of our brain that is much older. The first recognizable human was Homo Erectus about 1.5 million years ago, and this early human possessed a ‘mid-brain,’ or ‘limbic system’ that we still also have today. It exists in the centre of our skull and is connected to our senses. This part of the brain has the ability to completely override our cognitive brain because it has a ‘Fight, Flight, or Freeze’ response as part of its action. So when we are in mortal danger (or it perceives we are) the limbic system takes over and gets us to a point of safety. If you are a very small child and you are frightened (let’s say by a dog biting you), your limbic brain takes over and acts. In the case of a child, that usually means the reaction is to freeze. What’s more, having acted like this, the limbic system stores the information to be used again if the threat reoccurs. So if you see a dog another day, you will automatically freeze because the response is locked into your limbic memory. Now, if you add into the mix the extra sensitivity we spoke about, you can see that many things have the potential to cause us trauma - and for that trauma to be repeatedly triggered. Picture then a child, who is more sensitive, and he or she sees, hears and feels things that cause them distress. What can they do to feel ok? The child will look for comfort primarily from its caregivers (mum and dad etc.). But if this comfort is not forthcoming (or if parents or caregivers are the source of distress) the child will try to find coping mechanisms to fix the distress. The most common source of childhood distress, which is nearly always present in addicts, is a feeling of shame. If a child is made to feel shame because of how it looks, feels or acts, this is captured by the limbic system and stored. (The ‘thinking’ cortex is quite often not yet on line in early childhood, so we are unable to rationalize and resolve this emotional trauma). I am sure that most addicts know about shame. What we may not know however is that there are two distinct types. There is shame that is healthy (resulting from doing something socially embarrassing for instance), but there is also what Pia Mellody calls ‘carried shame.’ This is shame that usually belongs to a parent or caregiver but is picked up by the child as if it were responsible. For example, if one parent is having an affair and asks the child to keep a
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I can to this day remember as a very small child holding onto the upright bars in a cot and crying as my parents left the hospital ward I was in. I was not physically hurt, but the feeling of utter abandonment is still with me. I felt ashamed of not being ‘perfect’ and being defective. We cope with this distress by altering ourselves to a state that we think is ok. So early on we often try to be ‘mummy or daddy’s perfect child’, or we try to get good grades, or be good at sports. By doing this, we can constantly look for attention or affirmation. On the other hand being very bad also gets us the attention we need, or we can go on to find a role in the family as a ‘hero’, or a ‘lost child’ or a ‘scapegoat.’ When eventually we find a process or a substance (starting with sugar, caffeine or nicotine), that helps us cope with the distress, then the stage is set for a full-blown addiction. If we are lucky, we eventually get to a point when we realize that our lives are a mess and we ask for some help to get us back to a place of recovery and contentment. In the view of many people in recovery this is nirvana. It matters not which recovery path that people take – the point is that it’s much better than anything they’ve experienced so far and they can start to get a real life. However I believe that this can be a dangerous place. It’s true that life might now seem manageable, relationships might reestablish and blossom, jobs can materialize and the rollercoaster can get to a level track … but despite all this we still remain vulnerable. This is because all of the shame and guilt locked into our limbic system is still sitting there just waiting to be triggered. In my humble opinion it will not matter one iota how many times the programme or the steps are worked through - the minefield of unresolved trauma it still waiting to be triggered. It may never happen, but if it does (sometimes after many years as an ‘old timer’) the result can be that we resume doing what we always did when it was triggered before, i.e.: we start to USE. If you have good recovery, but there is a nagging feeling of not being ‘quite right’, don’t ignore it, get help. It can get fixed and it just might save your life. David Smallwood is the author of “Who says I’m an addict? He holds a Master’s degree in addiction counseling and a post graduate diploma in therapeutic counselling. He trained as a therapist at the Promis Recovery Centre in Kent under Dr Robert Lefever. He is currently the National Treatment Director for One40 Ltd. He helped to pioneer Mellody model trauma reduction workshops alongside non- cognitive therapeutic treatment.
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DIGITAL STORYTELLING: A NEW HEALING TOOL FOR VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES COPING WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS By Benjamin Patton
As far back as 3,000 years ago, an Egyptian warrior Hori wrote about how he felt at the start of a battle: “You determine to go forward… Shuddering seizes you, the hair on your head stands on end, your soul lies in your hand.” Ever since, veterans have used the written word to help them process traumatic experiences. Today, study after study has shown that constructing written and/ or spoken narrative can be a very effective means of reducing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms and can be a valuable component in recovery from PTSD among veterans. As we finally close the chapter on this country’s two longest-ever wars, the need for effective PTSD treatments such as narrative therapy has never been greater: Of the 2.5 million American veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, at least 1 in 5, or over 500,000, are thought to suffer from PTSD. But with the average age of these veterans a mere 27, writing is no longer the primary medium of communication of today’s warriors, member of the YouTube-Facebook-iEverything generation. VA clinicians report that OIF/OEF1 veterans are more difficult to engage in treatment than those of previous wars. So we must, in the words of Dr. Charles Hoge, one of the Army’s premiere experts on PTSD, “meet the warrior where they are, and do whatever is necessary to ensure that the warrior feels understood and supported while telling their story.” When the Veterans Health Administration announced earlier this year that suicides among active-duty servicemen and women had finally begun to decline after peaking the previous year, this welcome news masked another, less hopeful revelation: during the same period, suicide among veterans under 30 had increased – most sharply among veterans between the ages of 18-24. Moreover, a comprehensive RAND study of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans indicated that only half of the veterans surveyed who showed symptoms of depression or PTSD had sought mental health treatment in the preceding year. Traumas experienced in the military – especially during deployment to a combat zone - are often repeated and can be far more intense than in a civilian environment. Moreover, the risk of death or injury can be ever-present. Military service can also involve extended tours of deployment – sometimes a year or more - in distant locales far from family and other normal support networks. The process of adjusting to life at home - post-deployment - can take a long time, especially when you consider the stresses of such things as medical retirement, finding a new job, disabling medical conditions or injuries. All of these factors can exacerbate conditions relating to post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury and anxiety, and the consequences can be profound and often tragic. Today, virtually every camera and smartphone can shoot video, and virtually every laptop can edit it. And indeed, digital video therapy curricula especially for veterans coping with PTSD which draws on these ubiquitous tools are being designed and implemented now. My own organization has been hosting multi-day digital video production (aka “filmmaking”) workshops for veterans being treated for PTSD at Army Warrior Transition Units around the country. At our workshops, veterans coping with PTSD have an opportunity to work together with other veterans and civilian instructors to produce short films about subjects and service-related experiences they have trouble talking about with anyone – even their own family - in a conventional way. Topics addressed in our films include such things as loss of a colleague, sexual trauma, severe injury, parenting, employment, nightmares, and just being comfortable with one’s “new norm” as a veteran. Using popular assessment tools long accepted by the VA, our data is showing a substantial reduction in reported PTSD symptoms
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among participants over the course of the 4-day workshop. I am not aware of any other organization undertaking this kind of work, which combines the therapeutic value of storytelling with the power of digital media in the service of veterans. So perhaps it’s not surprising that, as of this writing, not a single study has been published assessing the therapeutic value of narrative video production in the treatment of PTSD. Consequently, it has never been seriously considered as a viable treatment option for suffering veterans. It’s time. Adding digital storytelling to the therapist’s toolkit would bring an age-old remedy into the 21st Century. Video production is narrative – only the implement has changed from a pen to a camera. It shares many of the same qualities as written narrative, with at least three distinct advantages. First, while writing can be a group activity, it need not be. But video production is inherently collaborative: It is very difficult to make a film by yourself. Second, creating narrative in any medium usually involves an indefinite process of revision. But with video the stages are more delineated – conception, preproduction, production, post-production. Finally, there is no more ubiquitous or powerful tool for creating narrative than the video camera – this tool is literally at our fingertips every day. All of which reinforces the fact that we are still a long way – per Dr. Hoge - from meeting our brave but suffering veterans “where they are.” Innovative new approaches to addressing PTSD in the military are necessary, and the promise of incorporating digital video cannot be overlooked any longer. We need research on this promising new realm of narrative therapy now. The hundreds of thousands of PTSD sufferers who have served this country in uniform over the past decade, not to mention the millions more from previous wars who silently suffer, need and deserve nothing less. Learn more about the I Was There Film Workshops at www.iwastherefilms.org 1
Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq)/Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan)
Benjamin Patton is the founder and president of the non-profit organization, the Patton Veterans Project, Inc, and created the I WAS THERE Film Workshops (iwastherefilms.org). The youngest grandson of WWII’s General George S. Patton, Jr., and son of the late Major General George S. Patton IV, Ben is coauthor of Growing Up Patton: Reflections on Heroes, History and Family Wisdom (Berkley-Caliber, 2012). Formerly a producer and development executive at New York City’s PBS affiliate, Ben also operates Patton Productions, LLC, a full-service video production company specializing in marketing and promotional videos and high-end family biographies for private clients. Mr. Patton is a graduate of Georgetown University and holds a master’s degree in developmental psychology at Columbia University Teachers College.
is now offering Legal Recovery Advocacy in the Palm Beach Area “We’ll take you every step of the way...from Detox to the Courtroom” Advance Recovery Consultants has created a hybridized position within the field of substance abuse treatment; a professional who is trained to work together with attorneys to translate the language of a clinician into the language of a Courtroom. Our cadre of advocates is made up of highly skilled professionals, who we’ve trained to work with clients experiencing legal trouble due to alleged substance misuse.
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THE SILENT ASSAULT ON AMERICANS WITH ADDICTIONS WE WERE BORN WITH A GIFT By: John Giordano DHL, MAC
If you’re like me, born with a genetic predisposition to addiction, you were born with a gift. We’re a creative group who find excitement in discovering new solutions to old problems. It’s the thrill of doing something new or taking things to new heights that keeps our motor running. Average, mediocre and mundane are words not found in our vocabulary – much less our lifestyle. Most importantly, we are achievers who contribute to society. We are the titans of business, politicians, professional athletes, entertainers, movie stars, musicians, construction workers and the person who brought you your meal at the local restaurant. Robin Williams was not just one of us, but the embodiment of us all. For those who haven’t had a bout with depression, drug or alcohol abuse it will be difficult to comprehend what Robin Williams felt every day of his life. For the rest of us it is an all too familiar reminder of the grudging battle we fight daily to keep the demons at bay while we put our heart and soul into pursuing our dreams. As challenged as Williams was, he still found a way to be the absolute best at his craft; a true testament to his inner strength and fortitude. What I find most endearing about Robin is what he did when the cameras were not rolling. Williams was a headliner for dozens of USO shows. He donated much of his free time to charities to help raise money for their cause. His heart was bigger that his infectious smile. Robin Williams was a role model that we can all learn from. One of the things I find most concerning about this tragedy is the utter lack of real solutions for Williams’ disorders. When someone of his stature and means can’t find help, it’s time to have an open and honest discussion about mental health and its treatment. The simple truth of the matter is that mental health in our country has been pushed aside and swept under the carpet. Nearly fortyyears ago there was an almost giddy optimism amongst psychiatrists caused by the extensive research into mental health. The results provided the platform for new advances that early on showed great potential to dramatically improve the lives of people with disorders. The atmosphere soon turned grim when budget cuts forced a downturn in funding and the closing of many psychiatric centers across the country. The promise of funding for a network of local clinics and halfway houses intended to replace the big institutions was never kept. With so few options, police and judges began placing the mentally challenged in prisons where they were least likely to receive the care they so desperately needed. It’s absolutely shameful that a person with severe mental illness requiring hospital care in 1900 would be better looked after then – over a hundred years ago – than they would today. Coinciding with the deinstitutionalization of America was the emergence of a new Big Pharma business model with a major shift from research and development (R&D) of new products addressing existing needs to pure profiting. It was about this time that R&D costs rose exponentially. Rather than continue developing new product, Big Pharma opted to repurpose existing products for off label uses and develop ‘me too’ drugs that are cheaper to manufacture and market than drugs with a unique mechanism of action. Money was redirected from R&D to marketing. Currently Big Pharma spends almost twice as much on promotion as they do on R&D. In 2012, the industry on a whole invested nearly $3.5 billion into marketing drugs on the Internet, TV, radio and other outlets. Big Pharma’s business plan worked and they became the darlings of Wall Street. Prescription drug sales were fairly static as a percent of US gross domestic product between 1960 and 1980. In the next twenty year increment – 1980 to 2000 – they tripled. According to IMS the global pharmaceutical industry can reach to US$1.1 trillion in 2014. The sad consequence of these two seemingly unrelated events is
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that our current and future health will be determined by Wall Street. The emphasis on developing new pharmaceutical drugs for the treatment of existing diseases that we saw up until the late 70’s has been replaced by apathy and pure profiteering. Humanitarianism is not profitable, so therefore, cut from the budget. Had this not been the case would Robin Williams still be with us today? A growing demand for holistic remedies emerged with the downturn of research by Big Pharma and the inflated prices of their drugs. Many people found that they could actually become well again by changing simple things in their lifestyle and avoiding the harsh side-effects of toxic pharmaceutical drugs. Many people have found relief from depression using holistic remedies. Depression is a complicated disorder with many fathers. It can be brought on by simple things in our environment such as heavy metals and allergies or something more complex like Pyroluria or a thyroid condition. Some of the most common modalities proven to relieve anxiety and depression are transcendental meditation and exercise. Unfortunately, these modalities are almost always overlooked and not recommended by Big Pharma trained doctors. The shaming has gone on for far too long. If public opinion of addiction and mental health is to change so that we can talk about it in its proper context like any other disease such as cancer or diabetes, it will be entirely up to us. Robin William’s death gave life to a new movement. He put his face on a disorder that has long been misunderstood by so many. Now the onus is on us to not let his sacrifice be in vain. We must tell our stories to anyone who will listen. Share your losses and victories with friends, family and on your social media accounts. Let the world know that depression and addiction are treatable diseases and that those who suffer from it are gifted people who make huge contributions to society. Now is our time to correct the misunderstandings that are standing in the way of quality care for us all! You were born with a gift – use it! “His greatest legacy, besides his three children, is the joy and happiness he offered to others, particularly to those fighting personal battles” - Robin Williams’ wife, Susan Schneider, said in her statement. God Bless You Robin Williams, we’ll miss you. John Giordano DHL, MAC is a counselor, President and Founder of the National Institute for Holistic Addiction Studies, Laser Therapy Spa in Hallandale Beach and Chaplain of the North Miami Police Department. For the latest development in cutting-edge treatment check out his website: www.holisticaddictioninfo.com
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7/10/14 12:52 PM
THE BEER GARDEN THAT SAVED LIVES By Dr. Michael J. De Vito
Alcohol was used in abundant amounts in early America. It was as common and accepted as food and in many cases far more available. Beer and wine were a big part of the European diet and that custom was well evident in the colonies. By the end of the Revolutionary War and into the first decades of the 19th century the equivalent of over 7 gallons of pure 200 proof liquor was consumed yearly per capita in the newly formed United States of America.
By the end of the Revolutionary War and into the first decades of the 19th century the equivalent of over 7 gallons of pure 200 proof liquor was consumed yearly per capita in the newly formed United States of America Drink was everywhere. Available to anyone, of any age, who wanted it and had a capped bust silver dime to buy it. The cities and towns grew rapidly over the few decades. Westward expansion was continuing by hopeful seekers of free new land and of a new life. In the 1820’s the resulting social disorder, family breakdown, loss of individual dignity and hampered economic prosperity was readily apparent. The ever flowing use of fermented, brewed and distilled drink was taking its toll. Alcohol use was on the rise. The increase in binge drinking and the public displays of drunkenness by a significant percentage of the population was all too common. Such was the world that spawned the founding of The American Temperance Society in 1826 and more than 1000 other local temperance groups within the next 5 years. Throughout the remaining first half of the 19th century, clergy inspired by the revivals of the Second Great Awakening spoke out about the social, spiritual and cultural destruction due to the abuse of alcohol. Business groups in need of reliable sober employees for the new industrial economy held meetings, printed articles and exhibited cartoon characterizations in local newspapers. Their purpose was to point out the economic and societal harm due to intoxication and the ever present public displays of drunkenness due to “Demon Rum”. These displays of activism do not occur without cause. They result from the daily observations of abuse by everyone during that period of time. A major problem existed and it needed to be addressed, the ever present abuse of alcohol. Another issue was also frequently linked hand in hand inside the dimly lit meeting halls and tent revivals of antebellum America, the abolition of slavery. A Civil War was on the horizon. This eventual four year conflagration between governments, states and brothers resulted in the ending of one scourge yet the exacerbation of the other. By the end of the Civil War in 1865 the abuse of alcohol and now the increase in addiction to opiates such as Morphine and Laudanum was as bad as it had ever been. Once again the focus was on reform. During this time in a small town in Ohio the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union was formed in 1873. Other temperance organizations were also organized. Rescue missions were popping up across the seedier urban areas competing with the saloons, theaters and brothels of all the inner cities. Among them, birthed from the vision of a young woman from Iowa, was the beginning of a small rescue mission in the south side of Chicago. The mission was founded in 1877 by Colonel George Clarke and his new wife Sarah. Sarah had the original vision and calling for such a mission. The new mission on South Clark Street in “Devils Territory” was immediately met with a positive response. Men were hearing the message given daily by Colonel Clarke and lives were being changed. That first location out grew itself quickly. The building space could barely hold the kerosene stove and seat 40 people. By 1880 the Clarkes needed to make a move. The
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Colonel began the search and eventually found a new site. He discovered the perfect spot. A location recently vacated by the notorious Pacific Beer Garden, a rowdy saloon in the middle of the “Runyonesque” part of Chicago frequented by railroad workers, stockyard employees, meatpackers, hustlers and gangsters. Some nights more than a few members of the Chicago White Stockings professional baseball team would show up looking for the many diversions the area had to offer after a home game. All was perfect for the Clarkes, except the name in big letters above the door “Beer Garden”. Dwight L. Moody, the famous evangelist, suggested a minor change. In 1880 the tiny rescue mission with a dream changed the Pacific Beer Garden into the Pacific Garden Mission. The rescue mission exists to this day. It is now the oldest continually operating rescue mission in the United States. Through these many years the Pacific Garden Mission has saved hundreds of thousands of men and women from the hopeless existence of alcoholism, addiction to other drugs, gambling, prostitution, and other destructive behaviors. People of all races, genders, ages and backgrounds have regained dignity, relationships and positive productivity. Families have been saved and restored. The Colonel was the prime nightly speaker in those early days of the rescue mission. He was aided with songs from the hymnal, hot meals from the stove and the testimonies of the newly rescued. One evening that would all change. On a windy Chicago night in 1880 a former Michigan grifter and counterfeiter wandered in to the mission to rest and warm up from the cold. Recently released from a Detroit prison this wayward man’s life would soon enter a new direction. He heard the message of the Gospel preached by Colonel Clarke and made the decision to change his life. That man’s name was Harry Monroe. Monroe became part of the mission staff. He gradually began to preach the daily messages and eventually became the Superintendent of the Pacific Garden Mission for 30 years. One person can make a difference and the impact of this recovered former counterfeiter, Harry Monroe, would be nothing less than miraculous.
The White Stockings were frequent winners of the National League Pennant. They had the best hitters, fielders, pitchers and they had Billy, the fastest runner in baseball. Many players also had the reputation for heavy drinking. Chicago had a baseball team in the 1880’s, a good one. They had what was believed by many to be the best team in professional baseball, the Chicago White Stockings. The White Stockings were frequent winners of the National League Pennant. They had the best hitters, fielders, pitchers and they had Billy, the fastest runner in baseball. Many players also had the reputation for heavy drinking. It was rumored that they lost the 1886 League Championship due to inebriated players on the field during the game. One evening in the summer of 1886 after a home game Billy and three other players headed out for fun. After leaving one of the local saloons, Billy sat on a curb listening to the music coming from the building across the street. The same music he used to listen to as a child. He told the other players to continue on without him, he was sticking around. Billy crossed the street and was invited in. He heard the message of sobriety, salvation and redemption preached by Harry Monroe at the Pacific Garden Mission. That Chicago White Continued on page 38
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TRAUMA: MYTHS AND REALITIES Douglas Schooler, PhD
Psychological trauma is widely acknowledged to be a major contributor to addiction and human suffering in general. But as the mental health profession has begun to focus more and more on trauma and its effects some myths have crept into our thinking, conceptual mistakes that have greatly slowed the healing process for many patients. Myth: Trauma causes addiction Reality: While trauma has contributed to addiction for many people, the fact is that many people who have experienced trauma have not developed addiction. They may have other difficulties, but it is clear that there is no one-to-one chain of causality between trauma and addiction. There are many ways to think about how trauma and addiction are linked. One useful view is that the painful emotions resulting from trauma use up valuable physical and psychological energy that could be better used for fueling recovery. A related view is that if we eliminate the painful emotions from trauma the patient no longer needs substances to shut down emotional pain. Myth: Trauma consists only of major events like rape, physical assault or death Reality: Any event, no matter how seemingly minor, that continues to disturb a person long after it is over can rightly be considered to be trauma. I’ve worked with many patients over the years that were plagued by so called “normal” events that happened in school or at home and when the trauma was resolved their lives changed dramatically. I think of trauma with an uppercase “T” and trauma with a lowercase “t”. Everyone has experienced the latter and it’s worthwhile, in any therapeutic process, to clear up painful emotions from lowercase “t” events. Let’s face it; the painful emotions related to events that are long gone are usually worse than useless. Myth: Trauma can only be healed by professional treatment Reality: I have met numerous individuals who had gone through very difficult experiences and now these experiences no longer are disturbing or causing any symptoms whatsoever. However, when significant symptoms are present (such as addiction) I think it’s advisable for anyone caught in the addictive trap to seek out a trauma specialist to at least investigate the possibility that unresolved trauma is fueling compulsions to use substances. Myth: Healing trauma is painful. Reality: Healing trauma need not be painful. In fact, a painful therapeutic process is a major obstacle to healing. How many people are avoiding coming in to therapy because they’ve gotten the idea that they have to suffer to heal what happened to them. They already have suffered once, going through the experience. Do we in the mental health profession think we can sell what we do by telling people you’re going to get surgery without anesthesia? That’s a tough sell, to say the least, and it’s dead wrong. Healing the painful emotions stemming from past events is all about spreading the good news, first of all, that the person survived the experience. That really is good news, because it is likely that at least part of their mind hasn’t seen that and instead has continued to perceive a threat from the event. Secondly, it’s good news that the painful meaning that the mind of the survivor attached to the experience is just that, a meaning, and not a fact. Once viewed as “just
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a meaning” it can be discarded like an old magazine. Myth: Trauma needs to relived and experienced intensely in order to be treated. Reality: Reliving trauma is certainly painful. However, it is not necessary to relive experiences in order to heal them. In fact quite the opposite is the case. Trauma can be resolved and healed painlessly. Dr. Jon Connelly has created and developed a model of trauma resolution that works quickly and painlessly and has many hundreds of therapy session videos to document this fact. His method is called Rapid Resolution Therapy. Other therapeutic systems have reported success in healing trauma without pain and one that comes to mind is the entire field of energy healing including EFT or meridian tapping. Healing trauma should be and can be a joyful process for both the therapist and patient because it really is a process of spreading the good news and getting unstuck. Myth: Healing trauma takes a long time Reality: Trauma can be healed quickly, sometimes in just a few minutes. Ideally the therapist realizes this is possible. Then it’s just a matter of showing the mind what really counts, that the threat is over and done with. It’s truly amazing how quickly emotions can shift when the specter of threat is removed from every facet of the mind, including the deeper, more primitive part of the mind that operates at a subconscious level. Myth: Rape is equivalent to soul murder Reality: While sexual assault is a major trauma for most survivors, thinking of it as soul murder actually prevents total healing and does the patient a great disservice. I’ve heard this soul murder idea on TV numerous times, often by mental health professionals. But the idea has permeated the wider culture as well and is an obstacle to healing. How does one heal a murdered soul? It doesn’t seem possible. Fortunately, the idea of soul murder is just that, an idea, a way of thinking. It is time to get rid of it and replace it with ways of thinking that actually facilitate total resolution and healing. Myth: Major trauma like rape, war experiences, and other forms of violence can never be truly and totally healed. Reality: How many times have we heard TV news anchors say something like: “And that experience is going to affect her for the rest of her life.” And because TV is so hypnotic, the viewing audience is nodding its collective head and even therapists are agreeing. Too bad! This view is toxic to the healing process. Truth is that total healing is not only possible, but has been achieved by so many people already who have had effective treatment. This truth needs to get out to the survivors of violence and other traumas that are still needlessly suffering. Dr. Doug Schooler is a Licensed Psychologist and Certified Master Practitioner of Rapid Resolution Therapy. He maintains an independent practice of psychology, The Center for Rapid Resolution Therapy, in Boca Raton, providing treatment to all ages since 1985. Before coming to Florida he taught psychology at Eastern Michigan University. He graduated from Queens College in 1964 and received his PhD in psychology from the University of Rhode Island in 1976. www.DouglasSchooler.com
IMPEDING THE CYCLE OF ADDICTION By Debra Alessandra
The strain of addiction is enormous, not only in the nuclear family, but in society as well. Statistics claim addiction touches the lives of at least four others. Many of those impacted negatively are children. Approximately 28 million children in the United States live in a home with at least one parent ‘under the influence’. Each child learns to cope with the stress of active addiction in their own particular manner. Often what begins as an appropriate and viable defense to placate tension in the home deteriorates into an unhealthy set of behaviors. Over time these ways of acting and reacting become engrained patterns of behavior which are limiting and unproductive. Most children find it difficult to ask for help. Some may even initially refuse, but assistance from others is critical to their well-being. It is important for children to have a safe place to talk, some age appropriate information and the company of others, who can help them understand and explore their feelings, responses and options. Relatives, teachers, and/or educational programs can become facets in a network of support to present new skills and bolster resilience. Child psychiatrists, family therapists, and drug and alcohol counselors with strong family programs can help address feelings of anxiety, sadness, anger and depression children may experience. Let us remain mindful of the needs of children who live in a home burdened by the disease of addiction. Helping children recognize and release their patterns of behavior and offering them healthier alternatives will go a long way toward thwarting the cycle of addiction in families.
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RELAPSE PREVENTION By Tony Foster, CAP,SAP,ICADC
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Compulsive And/or Impulsive Behaviors (Loss Of Control): I start using one or more of the following- food, sex, caffeine, nicotine, work, gambling, etc. often in an out of control fashion. And/or I may react without thinking of the consequences of my behavior on myself and others.
RELAPSE ATTITUDES
7. Listening to war stories and just dwelling on getting high
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
8. Suddenly having a lot of cash
THE EVENT: A Return To The Use Of Alcohol And/Or Drugs.
9. Using prescription drugs that can get you high even if you use them properly
Mr. Foster is the Clinical Director at the Beachcomber Intensive Outpatient Treatment Center, operating locations in Boynton Beach and Ft. Lauderdale. Additionally, he is a doctoral candidate at Florida Atlantic University, specializing in alcoholism and addiction. He has a dual-track Master’s degree from FAU in Mental Health and Rehab Counseling. He is a Certified Addiction Professional, a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, an SAP, and an ICADC.
Urges And Cravings (Thinking about Drinking/Using): I begin to think that alcohol/drug use is the only way to feel better. I start thinking about justifications to drink/use and convince myself that using is the logical thing to do. Chemical Loss of Control (Drinking/Using): I find myself drinking/using again to solve my problems. I start to believe that “it’s all over ‘till I hit bottom, so I may as well enjoy this relapse while it’s good.” My problems continue to get worse. THE TEN MOST COMMON RELAPSE DANGERS 1. Being in the presence of drugs or alcohol, drug or alcohol users, or places where you used or bought chemicals 2. Feelings we perceive as negative, particularly anger; also sadness, loneliness, guilt, fear, and anxiety 3. Positive feelings that make you want to celebrate 4. Boredom 5. Getting high on any drug 6. Physical pain
10. Believing that you no longer have to worry (complacent). That is, that you are no longer stimulated to crave drugs/alcohol by any of the above situations or by anything else – and therefore maybe it’s safe for you to use occasionally
Sobriety Is Boring I’ll Never Drink/Use Again I Can Do It Myself I’m Not As Bad As ….. I Owe This One To Me My Problems Can’t Be Solved I Wish I Was Happy I Don’t Care If Nobody Else Cares, Why Should I? Things Have Changed I Can Substitute They Don’t Know What They Are Talking About There’s Got To Be A Better Way I Can’t Change The Way I Think If I Move, Everything Will Change I Like My Old Friends I Can Do Things Differently Nobody Needs To Know How I Feel I’m Depressed I See Things My Way Only I Feel Hopeless I Can Handle It If I Hide Behind Everyone Else’s Problems, I Won’t Have To Face My Own I Can’t Do It Why Try
THE BEER GARDEN THAT SAVED LIVES By Dr. Michael J. De Vito
Stocking player, the fastest man in the national league, had an awakening, a changed life. Billy Sunday quit baseball a few years later. He went on to preach the message of the Gospel, temperance and sobriety to millions. The fastest man in baseball, Billy Sunday, became one of the greatest evangelists of the 20th century. Hundreds of thousands of lives, perhaps millions, around the world were changed for the better due to hearing and living his message. The saga of the Pacific Garden Mission would not be complete without the story of the life of Mel Trotter. Mel Trotter was one of seven children, the son of a bar keeper and an alcoholic. Mel followed in his father’s footsteps. He loved the saloons and gambling dens. By the time he was in his late teens he was a heavy drinker and gambler, always broke and unable to keep a job. Mel got married at the age of 21. Like so many alcoholics Mel kept the truth about his drinking from his wife. It soon became obvious to his new bride Lottie that Mel was an alcoholic. Every promise Mel made to Lottie to stop drinking became another promise broken. Every new job Mel got was soon lost. Mel and Lottie became parents. Mel knew now he needed to quit drinking for good. He failed. After a ten day binge Mel returned home to find his baby dead in Lottie’s arms. Mel blamed himself for his child’s death. In January of 1897, the 27 year old, defeated alcoholic hopped a freight train for Chicago. Ending up in the Chicago rail yards Mel decided to end his life and headed for Lake Michigan. Drunk, broke and shoeless, The Pacific Garden Mission and Harry Monroe stood
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between Mel Trotter and the icy cold lake. That night Mel committed himself to God and sobriety. He never touched a drop of liquor for the rest of his life. Mel reunited with his wife Lottie. After working with the Pacific Garden Mission, 29 year old Mel Trotter began his own mission and ministry. Mel Trotter Ministries opened in Grand Rapids, Michigan February of 1900, now the largest in the United States. The work of the Mel Trotter Ministries has restored the lives of hundreds of thousands of people whose lives have been destroyed by alcohol and other drugs. The work of the Pacific Garden Mission and Mel Trotter Ministries continues into this present day. One person can make a difference. The vision of Sarah Dunn Clarke to open a mission in 1877 due to a nation’s need for help is living proof. Dr. Michael J. De Vito is a diplomate and is board certified in Addictionology. He is a graduate of Mansfield University of Pennsylvania and Northwestern Health Science University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has been an instructor of Medical Ethics, Clinical Pathology, Anatomy and Physiology at the College of Southern Nevada. He is the founder and program director of NewStart Treatment Center located in Henderson, Nevada. NewStart Treatment Center utilizes a drug free and natural approach to addiction treatment. www.4anewstart. com Dr. De Vito is the author of Addiction: The Master Keys to Recovery www.AddictionRecoveryKeys.com
Banyan Treatment and Recovery Sober Living and Intensive Out Patient Program • Including 5 master level clinicians running our intensive out patient program • 24 hour admissions help line: 844-4Banyan (844-422-6926) • Tours for industry professionals Please contact Taylor Glenn, Director of Business Development
954-573-4978 www.BanyanTreatment.com 950 N. Federal Highway Pompano Beach, FL 33062
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P.O. BOX 880175 BOCA RATON, FLORIDA 33488-0175 www.thesoberworld.com
The contents of this book may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without consent of publisher. Every effort has been made to include accurate data, however the publisher cannot be held liable for material content or errors. This publication offers Therapeutic Services, Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitative services, and other related support systems. You should not rely on the information as a substitute for, nor does it replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health care professional because of something you may have read in this publication. The Sober World LLC and its publisher do not recommend nor endorse any advertisers in this magazine and accepts no responsibility for services advertised herein. Content published herein is submitted by advertisers with the sole purpose to aid and educate families that are faced with drug/alcohol and other addiction issues and to help families make informed decisions about preserving quality of life.
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