A LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

Transcription

1 INTERVIEW WITH DR ANDREW KOLODNY ASKING FOR SUPPORT IS A SIGN OF STRENGTH HIDDEN CONTRIBUTORS TO ADDICTION ROLLING WITH RECOVERY: HOW COMBAT SPORTS HELP BATTLE ADDICTION BENEFITS AND TRENDS OF INTERVENTION THE MOONEY FAMILY STORY THE EVOLUTION OF THE SOUL: HEALING ADDICTION AND TRAUMA THROUGH STRING THEORY, ALCHEMY AND HYPNOSIS 12 STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL 12 MONTHS TOWARDS SOBRIETY A NEW YEAR; A RENEWED MISSION SELF-CARE: MINDFULLY RECLAIMING YOUR TIME ADOLESCENTS, HOMELESSNESS, AND SUBSTANCE USE TJA KI - TRAUMA AND ADDICTION HORSES HELP KIDS RECOVER FROM ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES GRATITUDE HOUSE: CELEBRATING 46 YEARS OF TRANSFORMING LIVES FREEDOM OF ADDICTION

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3 A LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER Dear Readers, I welcome you to The Sober World magazine. The Sober World is an informative award winning national magazine that s designed to help parents and families who have loved ones struggling with addiction. We are a FREE printed publication, 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 rehabs throughout the country and have a presence at conferences nationally. Our monthly magazine is available for free on our website at If you would like to receive an E-version monthly of the magazine, please send your 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 manmade 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, 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 chosen. 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. 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 We are on Face Book at World/ or Twitter at and LinkedIn at Sincerely, Patricia Publisher Patricia@TheSoberWorld.com For Advertising opportunities in our magazine, on our website or to submit articles, please contact Patricia at or patricia@thesoberworld.com. To Advertise, Call

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6 I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Andrew Kolodny who is the Chief Medical Officer of Phoenix House, which has locations throughout the United States, and President of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing. Patricia- Thank you so much for this interview. When I read about a doctor who felt the same way that I and so many other people throughout the country feel about the way pain pills are being prescribed, I had to reach out to you. Dr. Kolodny- It s my pleasure. Patricia- Before we speak about PROP and how you became involved in that tell our readers a little about yourself. Dr. Kolodny- I graduated Temple University School of Medicine, completed my residency in Psychiatry at Mount Sinai and pursued my interest in Public Health with a public psychiatry fellowship at Columbia University and a Congressional Health Policy fellowship in the United States Senate. Once that was completed I worked as Medical Director for Special Projects in the Office of the Executive Deputy Commissioner for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Patricia- What did you do for them? Dr. Kolodny- My first assignment was to reduce drug overdose deaths in New York City. This was in the beginning of the 2000 s. When you talked about a drug overdose death, it was mostly in New York City s highest need, lower income minority communities that had been hit with addiction epidemics in the past. They happened mostly in neighborhoods like East Harlem, the South Bronx and Central Brooklyn. Most of the overdoses were from heroin, and many of these people were struggling with this since their addiction in the 70 s. There were also overdoses from crack cocaine although this era was winding down. Overdose deaths in middle class white neighborhoods were very rare. Patricia- Was it just New York City that was affected by this? Dr. Kolodny- Well, because I was working with the health department on drug overdoses I was plugged into a national data base on drug overdose deaths. As I was looking at some of the data that was coming in from different parts of the country, I couldn t believe what I was looking at, especially in New England and Appalachia. I thought they had the decimal point wrong. This is when I first realized there was a serious problem not just in New York City but other parts of the country as well. Patricia- What did you do to try to reduce these deaths? Dr. Kolodny- One of the things we did in New York City and we were one of the first in the country to do it and do it legally, was we started giving out Naloxone through a syringe exchange program to people addicted to heroin so they would get training and know how to respond to an overdose. We didn t do this directly. We funded a project with the harm reduction coalition. The idea was that clients of the syringe exchange program would be taught how to rescue their peers when they witnessed an overdose. Patricia- So you were really ahead of your time because I know now, 15 years later they are trying to get the Naloxone Access Law passed in many states. What is your opinion for some states not wanting to pass that law which would enable police, EMT s, parents, people with drug dependency and all other emergency first responders to be trained and equipped with Naloxone? Dr. Kolodny- I don t think there is much of an argument against it. I think early on you heard that they thought it would encourage risky use or that somehow the government was condoning drug use. At this point I don t think its opposition, I think its more inertia, getting states to change their rules. It would be helpful if the federal government could do something like that. I think we were ahead of our time because the health commissioner at that time was Dr.Thomas Frieden who is now the director 6 INTERVIEW WITH DR ANDREW KOLODNY By Patricia Rosen of the CDC. Dr. Frieden was interested in drug overdose deaths even though they were common at that time with the poor and non-white who didn t vote. The rest of the country wasn t interested in overdose deaths until it hit main stream white America. As a public Health Commissioner he cared about drug overdose deaths before it was a hot topic and that s why we were ahead of our time. Patricia- What other things did you do to try to prevent overdose deaths? Dr. Kolodny- Another thing which we worked on which I feel to this day is still even more important than access to Naloxone is to expand treatment to those addicted to opioids. I think that the first line of treatment to those addicted to heroin or painkillers is Buprenorphine or Suboxone. We worked very hard to get doctors in New York City trained and able to prescribe Buprenorphine. Patricia- Isn t that something for the short term?i mean do you feel people should be on Suboxone for a long time? Sometimes you hear of people on it for a year or 2 years. Don t you feel it should be something really used short term and then just tapered off of it? Dr. Kolodny- Why would you say that? Patricia- Because then aren t you substituting one drug for another? I hear of people abusing Suboxone as well. Dr. Kolodny- Yes, but how long someone is on it has nothing to do with the abuse of it. There is some diversion. Sometimes it s not prescribed responsibly. Sometimes a doctor won t check the urine to make sure the patient is taking it. Some doctors don t give more than the prescription as if somehow the prescription alone will magically cure addiction. Many people need more than Suboxone unless they are very stable. You do see some people trading it for other drugs and it ends up on the black market. I don t think you have abuse in the sense that people are getting high from it. If your opioid addicted and taking Suboxone regularly it s not possible to feel high from Buprenorphine. Some people do need it long term. Once patients come off of it, it s much harder for them to do well. Once they come off their chances of relapse are greater. For some patients the right decision for them is just to stay on it. Nobody wants to be on a medicine long term. Think of people on medicine for high blood pressure or diabetes. I mean if some diabetics could lose weight or eat properly they might not need their insulin or pills. That is the better way to go, but we would never say oh, you are just getting your insulin or pills for 6 months or 8 months and then you re on your own People should take these medicines for as long as they need it. Patricia- How did you get into the addiction treatment field? Dr. Kolodny- I got into addiction treatment through the Buprenorphine work I did with New York City. I realized that you can save someone from an overdose but if you want to reduce the amount of deaths you really have to expand the treatment available. We were very interested in Buprenorphine and Suboxone because of the French experience. In the mid 90 s Buprenorphine became available in France to treat heroin addiction. They didn t have Suboxone which is Buprenorphine mixed with Naloxone. They only had pure Buprenorphine which frequently ended up on the black market. People were even injecting it. But despite all of this, the drug overdose death rate declined 80% in 6 years. We were very excited about that in New York and worked very hard to expand access to Buprenorphine. One of my jobs working for New York City was to get doctors to use it. A lot of doctors who worked with those struggling with heroin addiction started seeing young white males from Staten Island, Long Island and middle aged pain patients addicted to painkillers. It started to become clear to us that we were in Continued on page 38

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8 ASKING FOR SUPPORT IS A SIGN OF STRENGTH By Patricia Spadaro My progress is my own responsibility. I don t need others and I shouldn t depend on them for help. True or false? As with most things in life, there is no yes or no answer to that question. At times, it s important to ask for support and at times we must fly solo. Knowing what s the right approach to take and when is part of what I call the play of paradox. Life is rarely, if ever, an either/or equation. In principle and in practice, life is full of contradiction paradox. It s a balancing act. The dilemma so many of us face in trying to achieve that balance is that we re awesome helpers and givers but not very good receivers. We don t ask for support. We don t admit to others or to ourselves that we need any. We forget that there are always two sides to the picture of wholeness. To fulfill our role and our potential in life, we must learn to give and to receive. Here s an easy way to understand why getting support is essential. We always hear on airplane flights that if there is an emergency, we should put on our own oxygen masks first before helping others. It s obvious: If you can t breathe, how can you help others survive? Now apply that to your own life. If you re stuck because you don t have the support you need, how can you give your gifts and help others get unstuck? Taking time to get the care you need may temporarily look to others as selfish or uncaring, but it s not. Increasing your capacity to give is the most giving thing you can do. Nature is full of metaphors that help us see the principle of support in action. Take the habit that birds have of flying together in V-shaped formations. Flying like that saves energy. It reduces the drag force the birds would experience if flying alone and permits them to fly much farther than they could by themselves. When the lead bird, who has to work the hardest, gets tired and falls back, another bird quickly takes its place. Survival during their Olympic migrations depends on individual strength and teamwork. That kind of integration of self-reliance and team work doesn t come naturally for all of us. If that s the case for you, you may be burdened with the insidious myth that if I can t make it on my own, something is wrong with me. Even worse, you may believe that you don t deserve support. Everyone deserves support, and we all must learn to give as well as receive it. We forget that even the brightest stars in any field of endeavor have always needed their coaches, mentors, and cheerleaders. Where would the heroic hobbit Frodo Baggins be if his friend Samwise Gamgee hadn t stuck by him through thick and thin, saving Frodo several times so that he could complete his mission? How far would Helen Keller have gotten without her faithful tutor, Anne Sullivan? How could Michael Phelps have earned his eight gold metals and an Olympic world record without teammates to help win those stunning medley relays? You are no different. Someone is destined to be your cheerleader and help you move toward the fulfillment of your dreams. One of the greatest lessons we can learn is that asking for support, when appropriate, is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength. Asking for support is healthy. It means you believe that you are worthy of receiving. Not only that, but asking for support is an act of love. When you seek support in making the best decisions in your life, you are acting out of love love for yourself and for those who will be impacted by your choices. 3 Tips for Getting Unstuck and Seeking Support If you have trouble asking for support when you need it, these three tips can help you get unstuck and move full steam ahead. 1. Focus on what you need most now. Is there an area of your life where you feel stuck? What kind of support would help you move forward more quickly? Support can be physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. It can be anything from scheduling a massage once a week to joining a community where you can share your passion or get answers to issues you re facing. It can involve talking through a decision with someone you trust or hiring a consultant or coach. In the spirit of giving and receiving, consider trading services with someone whose help you need. TIP: Ask yourself: What one step can I take right now to seek support, guidance, or advice in an area where I feel stuck? 2. Surround yourself with positive people. Choose friends who are positive, have healthy habits, and make you feel good about yourself. Steer clear of toxic people or critics who make you feel unworthy or are not willing to support you in achieving a healthy lifestyle. TIP: If someone in your life is weighing you down with their judgment, politely choose to spend time instead with positive people. If you need new friends, join a community where you will find support and comfort and where you, in turn, can help other people with your unique gifts. 3. Challenge critical voices. All of us have some self-doubt. Learn to challenge the negative voices in your head that would try to convince you that you aren t good enough to get support with a strong statement of truth. Create an affirmation that you can say aloud or silently to yourself when those critical voices come sneaking up on you, such as: I am worthy, and getting the support I need will make me stronger, or I honor myself and my full potential by asking for and receiving the right kind of support. TIP: People are more willing to help than you might think. If the people you approach cannot help right now or are not willing to help, it doesn t mean you aren t worthy. It just means you haven t found the right supporters yet. You will. Patricia Spadaro is the author of the award-winning book Honor Yourself: The Inner Art of Giving and Receiving, an inspiring guide to giving your best gifts by learning to honor your own needs, draw healthy boundaries, let go of painful endings, and celebrate your unique voice. Patricia is dedicated to empowering others to live more deeply, fully, and authentically. Her books have been translated into more than 20 languages worldwide. For more inspiration and to learn more about Patricia s work, visit her at Copyright Patricia Spadaro 8

9 OVER 40 YEARS OF HELPING FAMILIES FIND THE COURAGE TO RECOVER Seabrook House has been helping families fi nd the courage to fi nd recovery from alcoholism, drug addiction and substance abuse since Seabrook House s main campus is located in Bridgeton, NJ and is home to our detox and inpatient residential programs, along with various outpatient programs. This location is licensed to accommodate up to 37 detox beds, and 72 residential rehab beds. Changes for Women is our high-end women s extended care program also located in Bridgeton, NJ. Changes is licensed to provide long term rehab opportunity for up to 37 female residents. Our luxurious 90-day transitional living facility for men, Seabrook House West, is located in north central Pennsylvania in the town of Westfield. West offers detox and residential rehabilitation, PHP and IOP. Our location is licensed to provide luxurious transitional living opportunity for up to 36 male residents. Seabrook House has three outpatient offices in Cherry Hill, Northfield, Bridgeton, and Morristown, NJ. Most insurances accepted including ACA plans All Seabrook House facilities are internationally recognized, and CARF-accredited addiction treatment centers SeabrookHouse.org SeabrookWest.org Changes4Women.org SHARECounseling.org To Advertise, Call

10 HIDDEN CONTRIBUTORS TO ADDICTION By John Giordano DHL, MAC My new position on the editorial board of the Journal of Reward Deficiency Syndrome (JRDS) has allowed me a unique view into a world of addiction research that I never had before. I m very encouraged by the extent of the researchers and scientists interest in RDS and extensive studies they re conducting. I m also reminded of just how interconnected and fragile our physiology really is. Through the contributions of Dr. Blum and his contemporaries we ve learned more about addiction and its treatment in the last thirty years than we have in any other era in medical history. We ve come so far and acquired so much knowledge. Yet with all that we have come to know to be true, we as healers continue to fail the people we treat. Relapse rates have not improved proportionally with what has been scientifically proven to be successful. Unfortunately we find ourselves in a place where addiction treatment is becoming more driven by profit than ever before. Years ago you d find most treatment centers were independent facilities founded by people genuinely interested in helping others. They weren t the most profitable investments a business person could make, but profit wasn t the motivating force helping people overcome their addictions was. We were willing to test the waters with new modalities, regardless of costs, if we saw the potential in improving someone s opportunities of getting well. This sentiment has changed. As a result treatment protocols are being designed more with profit in mind than patient outcome. New and innovative modalities tend to be the enemy of profit in their early stages, thus rarely see the light of day in modern addiction treatment. This is one of my many criticisms of rehab mills with a one size fits all approach to treatment. Even though they can profit by providing new cutting edge and scientifically proven modalities; the treatment mills choose to stay with their assembly line approach that only allows for the treatment of basic issues with complete indifference to the many contributing factors to addictive behaviors. It would not be unusual for someone with a genetic predisposition to addiction to live a happy and productive life without ever abusing drugs or engaging in risky behavior. Genetics are just one part of the equation. However, a change in environment or physiology could provide the impetus for someone regardless of their genetics to engage in addictive behaviors. More often than acceptable in my opinion, changes in physiology that cause a behavioral shift are incorrectly diagnosed and mistreated. A great example of this is hormone imbalances. For the sake of simplicity, let s just focus on one case in point; thyroid hormones produced by a butterfly shape gland in the neck. Women are more likely than men to develop thyroid conditions. Thyroid hormones do many things in the body. One of its main functions is to regulate one of the happy brain chemicals (serotonin). When everything is functioning properly the release of serotonin will causes a carefully choreographed chain reaction that ends in the release of other happy brain chemicals. This is what gives us the feel of calm and the sense of wellbeing. But when the thyroid is not producing enough hormones (hypothyroidism) to keep serotonin in check, our mood can be lowered and depression can easily set in. Conversely, when the thyroid produces too much hormone (hyperthyroidism), anxiety and irritability can result. Generally speaking, the more severe the thyroid disease, the more severe the mood changes. Depression and/or anxiety on their own will not turn us into addicts. However, these emotional issues can provide the catalyst which leads us to self-medicate. Without proper testing, these hormone imbalances causing behavior changes can often be overlooked or misdiagnosed leading to the wrong treatment prescribed. I ve met several people who have been prescribed anti-depressants for a thyroid condition, which in turn creates a whole new set of problems. Hypoglycemia low blood sugar is becoming increasingly more 10 prevalent in our society. It can be hereditary, but more times than not, hypoglycemia is the result of a poor diet. The brain is a hungry organ consuming one third of our sugar intake. This provides the energy for all of our brain functions including the production and release of the happy chemicals. As you may have already surmised, someone with low blood sugar does not have the capacity to keep the happy brain chemicals flowing the way they should. This can result in moodiness, irritability, depression and a greater risk of self-medication. Closed-Head Injuries are a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) where the brain experiences physical trauma while the skull and dura mater remain intact. At times these injuries can be hard to detect. They re caused by falls, car accidents, sports, a sudden, violent motion or any head injury resulting from blunt or penetrating trauma caused by an external force. TBIs can result from something as simple as walking into a door or hitting your head on the counter. The degree of severity can range from mild to life ending. According to a study by Vani Rao and Constantine G. Lyketsos at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, more than 50% of patients who suffer from a traumatic brain injury will develop psychiatric disturbances with the majority experiencing persistent emotional, behavioral or neurological disability. It s known that a person with a closed-head or traumatic brain injury often suffers from depression, anxiety, loss of self-esteem and altered personality, any of which will put a person at a greater risk of abusing drugs and/or alcohol. But what is even more concerning is that drugs and/or alcohol abuse can damage the brain in a similar way as TBIs including blackouts. These are just a few of the many co-contributing conditions to addiction. I ll review more in future articles. What I find most concerning is that treatment has not caught up with science especially in the treatment mill one size fits all approach. Perhaps this is just reflective of our healthcare in general reactive as apposed to preventive. However, what gives me hope is what I call the pendulum effect. Things have a way of balancing out. Every treatment mill that opens gives a healer a new opportunity to showcase his or her progressive programs that will surely outshine the assembly line facilities and advance addiction treatment. If you or a loved one is seeking treatment, you owe it to yourselves to look at centers that treat the entire disease with a genuine concern about your wellbeing. Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity. - Hippocrates John Giordano DHL, MAC is a counselor, Founder and former owner of G & G Holistic Addiction Treatment Center, 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:

11 March Spring Into Recovery SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Open AA Meeting 7am Open AA Meeting 7am Open AA Meeting 7am Open AA Meeting Day Open AA Meeting 7am 7am Open AA Meeting Creative Journaling Open CoDA Meeting of 5:30pm 10am 10:30 am Rest Candlelight Meditation 7pm Candlelight Meditation 7pm Candlelight Meditation 7pm Open AA Meeting 7am Open AA Meeting 7am Open AA Meeting 7am Candlelight Meditation 7pm Open AA Meeting 7am Open AA Meeting 7am Candlelight Meditation 7pm Open NA Meeting 6pm Open NA Meeting 6pm Happy St. Patrick s Day Open AA Meeting 7am Creative Journaling 10am Open NA Meeting 6pm Creative Journaling 10am Open NA Meeting 6pm Creative Journaling 10am Open NA Meeting 6pm Open AA Meeting 12pm Open AA Meeting 12pm Open AA Meeting 12pm Open CoDA Meeting 10:30 am Open AA Meeting 12pm Women s Open AA Meeting 10:30am Women s Open AA Meeting 10:30am Open AA Meeting 7am Women s Open AA Meeting 10:30am The Key Zine Magazine Issue Release Party 7-10pm Open AA Meeting 7am Open AA Meeting 7am Open AA Meeting 7am Day Open AA Meeting 7am of Open AA Meeting Creative Journaling Open CoDA Meeting Open AA Meeting 5:30pm 10am 10:30 am Women s Open AA 7am Rest Meeting 10:30am Open AA Meeting 7am Day Open AA Meeting 7am Open AA Meeting 7am of Open AA Meeting Open CoDA Meeting Open AA Meeting 5:30pm 10:30 am 7am Rest Day of Open AA Meeting 5:30pm Rest Day of Open AA Meeting 5:30pm Rest DaILY DEALS Daily Deals Mondays Tuesdays Wednesdays Thursdays Saturdays Open AA Meeting 7am - 50% Off Brewed Coffee - 50% Off Lattes - 50% Off Iced Coffee - 50% Off Iced Tea - 50% off Coffee & Muffins Combo Free Yoga & Meditation Class 1:30-2:45pm Open AA Meeting 12pm Free Yoga & Meditation Class 1:30-2:45pm Open AA Meeting 12pm Free Yoga & Meditation Class 1:30-2:45pm Open AA Meeting 12pm Free Yoga & Meditation Class 1:30-2:45pm Open AA Meeting 12pm DaILY DEALS DaILY DEALS Magazine Issue Release Party Friday, March 6th, 7-10pm All are welcome to join us for food, fun and entertainment at The Key Zine issue release party. $10 OFF purchase of $50 some exclusions apply Located in The Shoppes of Atlantis 5865 S. Congress Ave. Lake Worth, FL Monday 7:00am-7:30pm Tuesday 7:00am-7:00pm Wednesday - Friday 7:00am-5:00pm Saturday 8:00am-4:00pm Closed Sunday WithinBooksCafe.com To Advertise, Call

12 ROLLING WITH RECOVERY: HOW COMBAT SPORTS HELP BATTLE ADDICTION By Chase Beckwith Even after achieving recovery, many graduates of addiction programs relapse not long after returning to their previous environment. Although taking up a hobby can be a valid preventative measure in itself, they often do not seem to be as effective in staving off relapse unless they are physically engaging to some degree. While sports can provide some degree of therapeutic value, in most cases they are physically and logistically intensive, making them an unrealistic option as a daily hobby let alone as an augmentation to recovery. Some combat sports however, such as grappling, rely more on the cerebral aspect of the game versus raw conditioning, striking a balance between physicality and accessibility that has proven to be an effective recovery hobby for many. Originally, part of the centuries old art of judo, or the gentle way, the modern incarnation of jiu-jitsu was derived from a modified version of the Japanese system imported to the U.S. from Brazil in the mid-20 th century where it was popularized, a feat due much in part to the famous Gracie clan s efforts in elevating the level of the sport marketing wise. Referred to as rolling by its practitioners, jiu-jitsu is a perpetually evolving collection of ground fighting techniques that include sweeps, chokes, hyperextensions and compressions of joints and limbs, many of which focus on leverage and fighting a physically stronger opponent. Like all sports, jiu-jitsu carries a risk of injury, although no one has died from a correctly applied jiu-jitsu technique as of yet. A technique known as a rear naked choke has been linked to accidental deaths as a result from a simple and fatal technical mistake of applying pressure to the trachea and causing suffocation, where a proper choke would target the carotid arteries only. Unlike all sports other than Olympic long jumping, no sport regularly subjects its practitioners to an existential fear of death more than combat sports. A Natural Form of Detox Grappling with not only the fear of injury but embarrassment on a daily basis is probably one of the reasons jiu-jitsu is effective for many as a recovery hobby. Experiencing that fear and anxiety while maintaining focus in the present moment is a skill that can be applied to the psychological hurdles in maintaining recovery, making triggers more manageable and relapse less likely. After a session of rolling, the brain s limbic system is flooded with stress hormones and endorphins creating a runner s high strong enough to act as a de facto detox therapy for some. Jiu-jitsu is also one of the few sports that are an equal mix of anaerobic and aerobic respiration, making cells more efficient both with and without oxygen. Healthy cell respiration is associated with less oxidative stress or fewer free-radicals, which in turn has been linked to reductions in anxiety, depression and alcohol abuse. Deep diaphragmatic breathing that will happen in jiu-jitsu has also been linked to fewer symptoms of the aforementioned issues as well. Adhering to a jiu-jitsu regimen is also useful for its tendency to stabilize diet and sleep patterns that are often disrupted by addiction. Although jiu-jitsu itself has been accused of being addictive, loss of appetite and insomnia are two symptoms that it has never caused. Also, the cultivation of the mind-body (and spiritual, for some) connection that jiu-jitsu offers is an invaluable tool not just for recovery but for personal growth and development as well. Addiction and Adaptability While learning to manage negative emotions is undoubtedly an effective skill in preventing relapse, jiu-jitsu offers something else that other sports do not - an unceasing demand to evolve. Granted, traditional sports are ever-changing as well; however, the regulation court sizes and rules of traditional sports are generally conservative in nature and relatively static. However, combat sports, namely grappling, seem to be the most rapidly evolving of all. Before the mid-20 th century, jiu-jitsu was considered judo; before the 21 st century, Brazilian/Gracie jiu-jitsu was believed to be the optimal form of the sport. In recent decades new styles have arisen based on other positions that are beginning to replace the old guard as well. While the old Taoist adage of like water has been used in martial arts for ages, jiu-jitsu arguably demands it the most, not only by requiring its practitioners to adapt and react creatively to surprising circumstances, but by an arms-race mentality that is constantly rendering existing techniques null, leaving a demand for creative and effective new ones. In jiu-jitsu if you are the more deceptive and creative person you will likely win. For this reason it is most commonly compared to a chess match. Just like with addiction and recovery, winning essentially comes down to being able to adapt and roll with the situation at hand. Chase Beckwith is a writer with the Sovereign Health Group. To learn more about Sovereign s addiction treatment program, read more of Chase s work and to read patient reviews, visit 12

13 Most Private Insurance Accepted. 24/7 Admissions Helpline Helping People Every Day, The Sovereign Way Serving Adults, Adolescents and Families Sovereign Health Group offers evidenced-based addiction, dual diagnosis, and mental health treatment programs for both adults and adolescents.the Treatment Team targets the underlying condition by utilizing cutting-edge and comprehensive cognitive testing, rehabilitation, and treatment modalities. Adult Treatment Programs Addiction Dual Diagnosis Mental Health Levels of Care : Detoxification Residential Partial Hospitalization Individual & Group Psychotherapy Relapse Prevention 12 Step and Smart Recovery Anger Management Equine Therapy & Art Therapy Family Program Medication Management Individualized Treatment & Trauma Group Discharge Planning Gym and Yoga Aftercare Program & Alumni Network 24/7 Admissions Helpline Adolescent Treatment Programs Substance Abuse Co-Occurring Mental Health Levels of Care : Residential Partial Hospitalization Gender specific programs on 26 acre campus Individualized Treatment Plans Cognitive Behavior Therapy Trauma Informed Care (TIC) Anger Management & Social Skills San Clemente, CA Culver City, CA Palm Springs, CA San Diego, CA Delta, UT Chandler, AZ Fort Myers, FL 12 Step & Smart Recovery Support Groups Intensive Family Therapy MindfulnessTraining Art Therapy & Equine Therapy Integrated Schooling & On-Site Instructor Medication & Comfort Equal The Perfect Detox. Outpatient Counseling Intensive Outpatient Program Substance Abuse Mental Health To Schedule an Appointment for One of Our 5 Facilities Contact: Freehold, NJ Fair Lawn, NJ Toms River, NJ Yorktown, NY Clark, NJ To Advertise, Call

14 BENEFITS AND TRENDS OF INTERVENTION By Bill Maher, CIP, CADC, BRI II Intervention has saved thousands of lives over the decades. It s an incredibly useful tool that continues to evolve. Its use is also expanding to combat addictions globally. When used appropriately and facilitated by an experienced, credentialed professional, interventionist interventions can be a useful key to long-term success. I consider it diagnostic when an individual makes a call to an interventionist. Taking that step indicates they are in quite a bit of pain and their level of concern has pierced their own denial. Understanding this is helpful to know in order to engage them initially. I routinely offer multiple references and strongly encourage families to check them out. Hearing from other families who have been in their shoes decreases anxiety and increases their trust in the process and my skills to guide them. Having facilitated over 3,000 interventions with a variety of models, I ve developed a hybrid that is extremely effective for long-term success. It s founded on the Ed Speare/Wayne Raiter Systemic, invitational model of intervention, with quite a few advancements. This has now evolved into the Action Intervention model incorporating psychodramatic techniques assisting the family in warming up to change much more effectively. Ed developed this model in the early 80 s. In this model the focus is on the family as opposed to an individual. When a family comes into my office inquiring about my services, I immediately want to initiate an educational process that includes videos, literature, questionnaires and writing out very specific types of histories. My one consistent question is how has addiction impacted you, the individual family members? The first step after a family contracts with me is to have them use specific, prescribed language to notify their loved one who is addicted that I have been hired. In addition, one by one, each family member notifies the addict how the disease has affected them. The emphasis is always on connecting it back to the disease. This is a shame antidote for the addict. The timing and sequence of these dialogues is critical. Again, it s important these dialogues are grounded in the distinction between the human being and the disease. These notifications begin a process of the 5 stages of grief both for the addict and family members alike. For the addict, we re asking them to say goodbye to their best friend- drugs or whatever is the issue. An intervention using this model is not one event but a series of mini interventions slowly knocking on the door of denial for everyone in the system. The Action Intervention model has been used effectively for addictions, mental health issues, process disorders, senior citizen abuse, and more. I primarily focus on addictions. At the onset of work with a family I request an abstinence contract with all members as well as any friends involved in the process, and attendance of 12 step meetings is suggested. This encourages the family to begin their own recovery process (Al-Anon or something similar) long before the addict enters treatment. As family members implement each of these recommendations it creates another mini intervention for the addict. I instruct them to share in a specific dialogue what they are learning about the disease and how it s affecting them in their meetings with the addict. The Action Intervention model includes a 2-day workshop with the addict and family members. After the workshop dates have been scheduled with the family they are given specific, prescribed language to notify and invite the addict to attend. This is a delicate part of the process that requires intense management. In my experience, 95% of the addicts will attend BUT the workshop is NOT contingent on the addict s attendance. The workshop takes place with or without them attending. During the workshop I use a combination of didactic education and experiential exercises to engage different learning and processing styles as well as disarm emotional defenses. Consequently, the focus is on the grease board, not the addict. More importantly, it is on the disease and how it impacts everyone. Each member of the system receives guidance on how to walk out of this disease - long term. The 3 areas covered in the workshop are: a. Defining addiction b. Defining the impact of the disease on the family c. Recommendations The results are defenses are lowered, the addict is included in the family, and the family makes decisions about how to move forward and severe the ties with this disease. I use Motivational Interviewing and Positive Psychology techniques to keep them focused on, What do you have to gain, rather than what do you have to lose? Addicts have already beaten themselves up enough. This approach is not an us against them model. The most effective way to motivate a family into recovery is by touching their heart and this process does so very effectively. In my experience, this process will typically place up to 3 or 4 family members into a therapeutic environment starting them on their own journey of recovery. Consequently, this approach eliminates the need to escort an individual into treatment. They enter into treatment under their own volition. Beginning treatment with this much buy-in dramatically increases motivation and produces significantly better, long-term results. Remember the histories and questionnaire from the initial screening process? These will follow the addict AND family members throughout their journey of treatment and healing, giving clinicians a comprehensive overview of the entire family. Picking an appropriate facility for an addict and their family is an art form. One size does NOT fit all. In my experience placing addicts in a similar population has HUGE advantages. I have found over the years that treatment centers will find a niche that they are good at and focus on that population. We now have facilities specializing in licensed health professional s, military, gay and lesbian populations, and more. The practice and process of intervention continues to evolve increasing effectiveness and improving participants experiences. The use of psychodrama techniques such as sociometry and experiential sculptures coupled with positive psychology are examples of great innovations for increasing a sense of safety and openness for the addict and family alike. The result is most individuals intervened on will now voluntarily transport and admit themselves into treatment. In addition, the whole family enters recovery. When the family has a buy-in like this, we have better long-term success. I hope those coming into the field will bring their own inspirations to both pioneer and further evolve interventions and make it easier for loved ones to access healing. Intervention works! Bill Maher is a Board Registered Interventionist ll, a member of the National Association of Alcoholism and NAADAC as well as the former Vice- President of AIS. Twitter at BillMaherCIP or ActionInterventionTraining.com, Bill@interventionctr.com, Maher s next intervention training with his colleagues, Jim Tracy, DDS, MA, CADCII, LAADC, CETII, CP & Jean Campbell, LCSW, CET III, TEP will be announced soon. 14

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16 THE EVOLUTION OF THE SOUL: HEALING ADDICTION AND TRAUMA THROUGH STRING THEORY, ALCHEMY AND HYPNOSIS By P.D. Alleva Emotions are the driving force behind human thoughts, actions and behaviors. In my experience with treating trauma in the addiction field, I ve found a clear misperception of current emotions as a result of past traumatic experiences with my clients. It has become clear that these clients have been unable to resolve and find balance with their emotions, developing learned behavior patterns such as addiction, cutting, and acting out as a means to cope with their emotions. This insight into the nature of addiction for trauma is yet to be incorporated into the thinking of many current substance abuse counselors. As pointed out by Philip Diaz MSW, in his latest book, Healing Trauma through Self-Parenting, HCI 2012, addiction and trauma requires a different sense of direction when treating traumatized addicts. Trauma or the Traumatic Experience: In order to comprehend the full scope of trauma as practitioners; we need to redefine our definition of trauma. Living a substance abuse lifestyle is a traumatic experience because the addict experiences situations, events, and circumstances that conflict with societal, personal moral or ethical values. This is not considered in traditional drug treatment as an issue to be addressed in the addicts plan for recovery. The majority of clients being treated for addiction have experienced one or more traumatic experiences such as rape, violence, emotional abuse, etc. The manifested coping mechanism is their use of drugs and/or alcohol. Remember, addiction is not the problem; it s a solution to a problem. So, what s the actual problem? Typically it is some form of traumatic experience as defined above. The Process of Addiction: A New Perspective When we are born there are two primary emotions: Fear and Love. As we grow, our experiences develop alternative derivatives of these two emotions. We witness an event or situation that creates a deep emotional impact, sometimes so strong that the event cannot be processed. The hypothalamus pumps a billion chemicals each minute, these chemicals attach to electrical impulses in the brain while events are happening. They are then processed in the brain until the event and emotion are completely processed. However, a traumatic event differs in that the emotion clings to an impulse that gets trapped in the brain, never fully being processed. This emotion elicits a thought (protect yourself), which then turns into action (drink a beer, use drugs). I always ask clients: What is the emotion behind why you use? Repeatedly, I ve found the answer is: Fear. Learned behavior (addiction) teaches the mind how to protect itself. The law of attraction; if fear is the primary emotion and that fear is associated in the brain with traumatic episodes, then further traumatic episodes will come into that person s life, in a continuous loop. So what do we do? Filter out the bad energy through meditation! String Theory: String Theory in essence is used to teach the client how emotions turn into behaviors, behaviors that the client has power over. Clients are presented with six lines, or strings. The universe is made up of atoms, protons neutrons and electrons which exist on and within strings, like strings on a guitar, which make up the entire universe. The strings are in constant vibration and elicit emotional responses. String one carries a vibration of pure love or heaven. String six is a vibration of hate or hell, an experience equal to the nightmare of addiction, with each string in between carrying a derivative in different intensity of the string it is closest to. Between strings three and four, all physical objects exist because of the emotional balance of the primary emotions. Clients are instructed to relate addiction to a vibration equal to string four or above. Utilizing Newton s law, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, clients are instructed of the power of choice, they can choose an alternate reality, based on a primary emotion through alchemy. Alchemy: Simplified, alchemy is the ability to change one s emotional state simply 16 by choosing to do so. Alchemy is a vision statement, the ability to create a future out of thought and believing in the vision, making it reality. Artistic expression is the fastest moving and direct flow of energy capable of changing our emotions, thoughts and actions. The vibrational pattern of artistic expression changes the biochemical flow of brain waves, eliciting a change in the system; our system, the brain. Clients are instructed on their ability to make behavior changes instantaneously, with choosing to feel the sensations of the third and second strings. In the age old tradition of true alchemy, a symbol must be selected. Hypnosis: the art of using symbols to elicit a hypnotic suggestion: or retraining neural pathways: My certification in hypnotherapy comes from Dr. Jon Conelly s Rapid Resolution Therapy with Clinical Hypnosis training. However, over time my clinical skills with this certification has evolved to include a derivative of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Nuero Linguistic Programming (NLP), and Eriksonian Hypnosis. This dynamic combination assists the client in achieving two objectives. The first is a change of perception; gaining an understanding of a different way of looking into their current pathology; the main objective is to empower the client. The second objective is to assist the client in putting the self-defeating behavior pattern and underlying emotion attached to it in the past and relieving the client of current emotions that manifest into negative behaviors. The addictions field caters to clients that are resistant. Utilizing this simple skill allows the practitioner to reach the client with a desired effect without having to perform a common induction through hypnosis. Clients who suffer from PTSD or any related traumatic experience feel the problem as though it is currently happening. The emotional content associated with the event is to abuse drugs/alcohol. To explain, I share a personal story. Being a NY Giants fan, when they won the super bowl last year, I was jumping up and down like a maniac-beyond happy. I remember how happy I was on that day, but I m not feeling the same way right now because the event happened in the past. People who suffer from PTSD feel the same way in the present moment. The mind has not processed the information enough to convince the mind that the event is in the past and can no longer affect them. In order to achieve this putting it in the past event a simple induction (guided meditation) is performed. This is the time where string theory and alchemy filters into the process. The client had been instructed that the event and emotion is vibrating on string four or five, however, through alchemy, the client is able to transform their vibration over to string three or two. The practitioner assists the client in identifying the emotion they are struggling with. They are asked to express and feel this emotion in current time and then to attach a symbol to it. Using NLP the problem is referred to in past tense and the solution referred to in future tense and brought into the present by asking the client to believe they are experiencing this event in current time. Once achieved, the solution is symbolized by the client using a natural environment and a wild animal to symbolize the empowering feeling. After, the client s chosen symbol is induced during a theta wave induction. Clients have described the induction process as though they were floating or even flying. The result is one of satisfaction and liberation. Recovering from addiction and trauma requires a spiritual and empowering experience. A full spiritual program is a part of the journey of recovery. A journey of enlightenment and relief that the past is over and they can choose to make their lives extraordinary. P.D. Alleva, MSW is the founding owner of Lifescape Solutions and Evolve Mental Health which he opened in December of 2011, based on a new model of healing and psychotherapy called Spiritual Growth Therapy. His newest book Let Your Soul Evolve: Spiritual Growth for the New Millennium 2nd edition describes the model.

17 LET YOUR SOUL EVOLVE Spiritual Growth For The New Millenium Providing Spiritual Healing Evolve Mental Health, LLC Phill Diaz and P. D. Alleva with Antonio P. De Nicolas, Maria Madalina Colavito, M.M. Berrett lysepublishing.com New Age Center For Healing Pioneers Of Spiritual Growth Therapy spiritualgrowththerapy.com Truama, Addiction and Mental Health Clinical Hypnosis with spiritual growth therapy Training and certification And New Age Treatment Lifescape Solutions, LLC All of our patients are unique and we can offer treatment options that are specifically suitable for them.. We offer the following types of services IOP PHP Detox Aftercare Meditation Art Therapy Psychosocial Family Counseling Anger Management Relapse Prevention Education Seminars Personal Spirituality Big Book Step Study Nutritional Education Individual Counseling Holistic Life Coaching Relaxation and Music Recovery Maintenance Emotional Behavioral Therapy Stress Reduction Workshops Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Developing Support Systems Substance Abuse Group Counseling State of the Art Bio-Feedback Therapy Learn more about the types of services offered WAY-BEYOND ( ) waybeyonddetox.com To Advertise, Call

18 THE MOONEY FAMILY STORY By Dr. Al J. Mooney My name is Al Mooney, and I am not an alcoholic or addict, but many others in my family are my parents, my brothers, Jimmy and Bobby, and our sister, Carol Lind. Drinking and using drugs are more than just a challenging medical problem to me. They are personal. Very personal. When I was growing up in Statesboro, Georgia, alcohol and drugs were in charge of our family. My father, John Mooney, was a wonderful physician and an addict and alcoholic. He did not want to treat any patients when he had been drinking, so during office hours he used pills, alternating between uppers and downers. At night, he broke out the bottles. He thought he was doing a good job of hiding it from his patients. My mother, Dot Mooney, was doing her best to be a good mom, but she popped codeine for her hangover headaches, tranquilizers for depression, and barbiturates so she could sleep (with an M.D. for a husband, it wasn t hard to get hold of all the drug samples she wanted). Like Dad, she was also doing her best to cover up her drinking and drug use. She would drive us to Sunday school every week, and then hide in the back of the room so no one could smell the liquor on her breath. Eventually her mind got so foggy that she was afraid to take us anywhere especially after she dropped my little brother Jimmy at the library and forgot to pick him up. One night in our living room, my father went into a convulsion from an overdose. That started him on a series of visits to psychiatric hospitals to dry out. Each time, my mother tried to cover up his absence by telling us kids -- and his patients -- that he was at a medical conference. The kids believed it for a while, but I am not sure if anyone else did. Like so many first born children of alcoholic/addict parents, I felt I had no choice but to do what I could to keep the family going covering up for Dad s absences, getting the kids up for school in the morning, poking Mom awake when the car she was driving was drifting off the road and telling her where to turn so she wouldn t keep driving until she ran out of gas. I remember one time in particular when I was helping her to drive I was so young, I could barely see over the dashboard. Nevertheless, there I was, telling her, Mom, turn left now! Relatives and family friends complimented me on being the little man in the family in that and dozens of other out-of-control situations, and I acquired a lot of self-confidence running rescue operations anytime the Mooney family train ran off the tracks. I should have been just a kid playing in the backyard, but that wasn t the way my family worked. It all finally turned around when my father, who had written himself hundreds of phony prescriptions, was sent to prison for six months. It was a big wake-up call for him, as well as a blessing. With the help of an AA member who visited him there, by the time he was released from prison, he was finally ready for sobriety. Back home, after a few months of solid sobriety, an interesting thing happened. Dad s doctor friends started asking him to care for their alcoholic patients. It turned out he was pretty good at it. Mom, who by then had also sworn off anything stronger than coffee, helped out. As their reputations grew, more people began coming to them for help. Several hundred people were treated at our big old house on Lee Street; the dining room was set aside for detox. Eventually, however, their good works outgrew the house (and the patience of our neighbors). So, Mom and Dad built an addiction treatment hospital in Statesboro. My mother named it Willingway. Today it is a successful, fully accredited, 40-bed treatment facility. My parents worked there for the rest of their lives, helping countless people. Despite our family s difficult early years, I will always remember them not as hopeless addicts but as wise teachers and wonderful parents. 18 As a young adult, I always knew I wanted to be a doctor like my dad, but I was not at all sure I wanted to work with addicts and alcoholics. I had seen far too much of that world already. I was set on being a surgeon. Ironically, it was my surgical rotation in medical school that changed my mind. While stitching up trauma patients, I realized that it did not matter whether the person on the table was there because of a stabbing, a car accident, or family violence. In nearly every case, the root cause was alcoholism or addiction. I realized I could do more good helping people to turn their lives around before they ended up in surgery. I returned to Statesboro and eventually served as the medical director of Willingway. Given my family s history, all my life I have done everything I could to avoid alcohol and mood-altering drugs. Addiction is a disease that runs in families, for both genetic and environmental reasons. I kept to the only sure way I knew of to prevent it from taking control of me total abstinence. You might think that, seeing the mess alcohol and drugs had made of our parents lives, my siblings would have done the same. No such luck. All of them spent a few years in active addiction. Eventually, however, everyone in the family found recovery and a way to help others find it, carrying on the legacy of our parents. Jimmy, Bobby, and Carol Lind have all had wonderful careers helping people: working at Willingway, running a women s halfway house, working with a drug court program, and more. Each one has also now enjoyed decades of personal sobriety. The Mooney family story was rooted in active addiction for a very long time. Though it often seemed like an impossible dream, every member of our family was able to finally change their own lives and find a content, purposeful and peaceful life in recovery. I truly believe that such a peaceful life is possible for every person with addiction and every family member who is struggling alongside them. Al J. Mooney, M.D., currently the Director of Addiction Medicine and Recovery at Willingway, lectures internationally on the latest science and treatments for recovery. He also speaks as a recovery activist at venues around the world. Most recently, he has been instrumental in establishing recovery programs and awareness in Egypt, Bosnia, and Ghana. He is the author of The Recovery Book (Workman Publishing) which was recently revised and updated in a second edition.

19 Our core residential treatment program empowers you to develop the knowledge, motivation and skills needed for lifelong recovery. With a combination of intensive therapy, attention to past trauma, education about triggers and development of coping skills, you ll be prepared to face recovery challenges head on. Three Strands is a comprehensive, non-denominational faith-centered program. You ll participate in intensive therapy, Christian support groups, worship at local churches, and relapse prevention planning, among other approaches. We provide the tools you need to rebuild your life, within the embrace of a faith-based, accepting community. This one-of-a-kind program is designed for young adults ages 18 to 25 who are at high risk of relapse. Using innovative approaches, we help young people maintain their recovery through hands-on skill-building and intensive relapse prevention. A Family Member of Elements Behavioral Health TM Recovery Place ad Sober World MagaIne.5 page colorscape.indd 1 2/20/2015 7:26:08 AM To Advertise, Call Recovery Place ad Sober World MagaIne.5 page colorscape.indd 2 2/20/2015 7:26:10 AM 19

20 SELF-CARE: MINDFULLY RECLAIMING YOUR TIME By Emily Keefer, LMSW, LCDCI There s something about the topic of self-care that seemingly allows people to mentally distance themselves from personalization. Sure, people need self-care, but me? I don t have time. I m fine. And I don t want to be too indulgent. As with most ambiguities, self-care can be seen as confusing, unnecessary, and even slightly threatening. Incorporating self-care into your daily routine doesn t have to mean that you re weak, too touchyfeely, or self-centered. Incorporating time for self-care means that you value your emotional, psychological, physical and spiritual well-being. You want to work at actively bettering your life through activities that make you happy. Any healthy activity that when done results in you feeling better can be defined as self-care. Make time for your needs, because no one can do it but you. Why do we need self-care? Self-care helps improve our mental health baseline. Regardless of other methods used for fostering sound mental health, be it attending therapy, medication management, or working a 12- Step program, self-care is a readily available, tangible tactic that will unquestionably increase your well-being and can easily be added to any existing practice. Self-care is a free tactic that can be employed at any point without others even being aware of its use. It s a skill at your disposal ready to be utilized. And like any skill, self-care has to be practiced in order for it to be easily incorporated, improved and become routine. When we re making cognizant use of activities that make us happy, our mental health baseline is being raised. As we learn to increase our baseline, suddenly the lows don t seem as low. We re more able to sit with discomfort when we re doing better. Start finding time to incorporate life-enhancing activities into your daily schedule, so that when the rough days roll around and you re in need of inner strength; you already have a healthy schedule in place. When feeling stressed or anxious, we often go into fight, flight, or freeze mode, which then results in tunnel vision. When we re triggered, it s easy to forget that beneficial options for coping and making ourselves feel better are available. Because of our ingrained, parochial view of and reaction to stressful situations, making self-care a habit becomes even more imperative. The times when we re in the most need of self-care, also tend to be the times when planning pleasurable, nourishing activities are the least likely. When we re truly stressed out, it s more probable that we isolate ourselves from our support system, mentally detach and work through the pain, instead of mindfully checking in with our bodies and processing the overwhelming feelings with someone whom we feel close. Stress is unavoidable, meaning that changing the way that we view and experience it is essential for minimizing resistance and amplifying prolonged vitality. What does self-care look like for you? Chances are you are already incorporating self-care into your routine without even noticing. Whether it s taking a three minute break at work to walk around the building, booking an appointment for a massage, deciding to eat lunch outside instead of at your desk, or taking sixty seconds to regroup and settle your mind before walking into a new environment, options for self-care are endless. If you need some ideas for figuring out your personalized self-care routine, ask yourself the following questions: What activities do you do that result in you feeling better after than before you started? After a conversation with friends or family, from whom do you walk away from the interaction feeling lighter and more energetic? What activities result in feelings of appreciation and gratitude? What have you always wanted to try, but never had to courage to do? 20 Which of the five senses do you relish in the most, and what can you do to integrate more of that sense into your routine? Are there specific times during the day or week where you feel more drained and exhausted than others? Plan ahead to make time for vitality by increasing activities during those specific periods. What do you look forward to each day? Each week? Each month? Make certain to not miss or skimp on those gems of enjoyment. The importance of a realistic routine Try to plan for different types of self-care activities. It s easy to dismiss pleasurable relaxation by rationalizing that you don t have time, or cannot afford out of the ordinary activities. Devise realistic, free, daily pursuits, so that your inner dialogue cannot nix your idea before you even start. No matter how busy you are, you can always manage a one to two minute mental break where you get up and stretch, practice deep breathing to quell anxiety and center yourself, or mindfully take a few bites of your favorite snack. Be careful not to let the idea of taking care of yourself morph into something that seems unattainable or stresses you out. If booking a facial isn t in your budget or not within your time constraints, don t do it. If the idea of joining a gym is resulting in negative self-talk and feelings of guilt, is it really self-care? Break down your goal into smaller, more attainable steps. You might try going on a ten minute walk after dinner or buy yourself an at-home facial mask. Figure out what s realistic for you. Often times, our bodies send signals that we need a break, long before our brains pick up on the ques. Learn to listen to your body and appreciate its knowing signals. Find that you re having trouble concentrating, or that you re developing a headache that feels like it came out of nowhere? Maybe you re feeling strangely agitated and tense, but cannot figure out the cause, making discounting your experience even easier. Take a break. And truly convince yourself that it s okay to take a break. After listening to your body s request for momentary relief, you ll find that your productivity levels flourish when you re centered and feeling your best. Working yourself to and through exhaustion can work, but it is not a long-term solution. You deserve to live your life to its fullest extent, appreciating hidden moments of delight and experiencing gratification at every turn. Each day is a new adventure, ready for you to reap the benefits of heightened appreciation for the everyday joys of life. Emily Keefer is an LMSW and LCDCI, working as a dual diagnosis therapist at Sage Recovery & Wellness Center in Austin, TX. She is continually working to fine-tune her own self-care routine, so that she can live a more mindful, fun-loving life and better serve her clients and profession.