Residential Treatment

During the residential treatment phase, the client will attend group throughout the week and receive a minimum of 20 hours of therapy each week. Clients are encouraged to participate in their own recovery program, individual treatment and community programs, and are required to provide documentation of such participation. During this period of time, clients receive nursing assessments, psychosocial assessments, the development of their personal history, access to a psychiatrist, if needed, group and individual therapy, chemical dependency education, a family program, nutritional education, aftercare planning, relapse prevention planning, and access to exercise and yoga classes.

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Clients Receive:

• Assessments including nursing, psychosocial, history and physical and self-assessment

• Access to psych nurse practitioner as needed

• Group and Individual therapy

• Drug use education

• Nutritional education

• Aftercare planning

• Relapse prevention planning

• Cooccurring groups

• Anger management

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Group and Individual Therapy

One of the most difficult aspects of the disease of addiction is self-delusion. Substance addicted persons are unable to see themselves or their life circumstances realistically.  Addicts/alcoholics are often in a world of their own. Denial is a psychological mechanism that prevents the chemically dependent person from feeling or seeing the reality of addiction. Denial can lead to lies, excuses, deceptions and pretensions to mask, cover up, and to protect their addiction.

 

This behavior becomes a way of life and often addicts/alcoholics are unable to perceive reality because it has become so painful.

In group treatment, our goal is to help our patients to recognize and discard their defense systems. This will enable the patient to acquire a more accurate self-image. Seeing oneself through the eyes of their peers presents the patient with an image of himself/herself that is not attainable through an introspective process.

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Recovery is almost entirely the patient’s responsibility. Recognition of the problem is essential for recovery. We are often unable to truly see ourselves.  In group treatment, patients are able to see themselves through the reflection of their peers. Building trust is essential and is a process that takes time.  It develops when one’s words match their behavior. In group patients are taught to share his/her feelings and thoughts. Defenses are often broken down by the truth delivered in a loving and caring way.  Most chemical dependent persons are badly out of touch with their feelings and are hard wired to avoid pain.

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In group, one often discovers that they are not alone. One of the major ploys/attacks of the disease is to isolate the chemically dependent person. One cannot withstand the burden of addiction alone. Groups assist addicts to identify with each other through shared experiences.  As trust increases, we start to share our fears, needs, hope, love, sadness, failures, dreams, etc. This is a new level of connecting to reality and identifying with our true self.

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One of the major goals of group treatment is to develop intimacy; addicts/alcoholics know no intimacy while in addiction. Intimacy is a need. Without it we not only fail to thrive, but we start dying. In group, patients are given the opportunity to let others in. The term intimacy means in to me see. We are starting on a journey called living; we begin to feel empathy and join the human race.

When in active addiction, we are blind and at best self-deluded. Group is a vehicle that brings us back to the living and moves us into the process of recovery.

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Topics discussed in group treatment may include:

• Grief and Loss Issues

• Shame 

• Anger

• Behavior

• Defenses and Denial

• Faulty or Negative Thinking

• Communication Skills

• Strategies for Dealing with Mental Obsessions

• Fear

• Application of Spiritual Principles

• Commitment

• Acceptance

• Dealing with discouragement

• Developing Coping Skills

• Assertiveness

• Needs verses wants

• Self-Esteem

• Co-Occuring Diagnosis

• Trauma

• Discharge Planning

 

Individual therapy helps substance using individuals explore and develop effective coping mechanisms to deal with the problems associated with their alcohol and drug use.  It offers an opportunity to explore how negative thought processes can fuel addictive behavior to assist the individual in identifying ways to begin to change these patterns. Individual therapy also allows further exploration of other barriers to recovery.