The elite recovery facilities often boast of having a 97% success rates or higher. How can this be verified? If I advertised that we had such a high success rate, it would be a lie. Nationwide people new to recovery have a 60% relapse rate in the first year. What is important is for these people is to catch their slips quickly, learn from them, and keep on pushing forward. Why do people relapse? Well, people are different and one approach might not work for everyone. We all have our unique history, way of dealing with problems, so treatment programs need many approaches and tool to teach their customers so if one thing fails, they can turn to another.

I will say that our high success rate is much better then the 60% mark. People who do well in recovery are the ones motivated to change. These types are better able to withstand the intense cravings or desire to use substances, willing to push through frustration and their own doubts, and have a more positive point of view. People in recovery are my heroes. They are taking the time to change themselves and willing to talk about what they are dealing with while they push on. So, I guess my job as a therapist is to support them in the process and share my personal journey in hopes to provide some hope.

I was there. I was a drug addict, some 40 years ago – which ended me onto the street. Those of us that have been there and gotten through it make the best healers – though to a point. If someone is hell bent on using substances, they will use substances. And we’ve had those in our facility. Maybe the courts or their spouse, or a family member got them to go through treatment, but they weren’t ready for the commitment, the responsibility of addressing issues in their life they’d rather hide from, or simply have glorified their substance use that it has become their primary relationship they just don’t want to part from. We’ve had some pretty intimate group discussions, after people have let down their guard down and have talked honestly and not just about what they think the counselor wants to hear. It turns out that each person has a tale to tell and when they are able to be listened to – without judgment and the fear of ridicule, a huge release takes place.

We don’t do regular treatment according to the 12 Steps model. Ours is a psychological program that addresses issues deep at the root. There are reasons why people use substances and we try to explore the root cause and show them numerous ways in which to process through it. Transformational? Oh yes!

Think of our program as a miniature counseling school. We teach people counseling approaches and various tools to process through the difficulties and heal once and for all. Some lofty claim? Please read our unsolicited reviews.

Just so you know, therapists are not in control of others. We are here to honor each person, help them perfect the tools provided, and offer praise. I started using this approach in residential treatment from 2013, and a few nights ago one of the original participants called me just to say hi and tell me how their life had forever changed. This is because once given the proper tools, people heal.

In residential treatment, people were stuck there. They had no access to the substances, and had to deal with the emotions as they surfaced. At that time I didn’t have a life of my own. Running a recovery facility meant being available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And having to live, eat, and sleep therapy. Although I liked what I did, balance is the key for longevity in this industry. Let’s just say that that this burned me out. Outpatient treatment is much more advantageous for both client and therapist. First, for the therapist, in taking care of yourself you, you are more available to care for others. Second, for the client, away from locked doors, you are in the environment where you were using. Suddenly the sessions become more real and can be dealt with in real time.

Bottom line, people are in charge of their own healing. You might think the counselor, your parent, your partner, a friend, the doctor, or even the government is going to fix you. The 12 Steps wants to teach that it is some force beyond you – “Your Higher Power” that is going to restore you to sanity. Spiritual Psychology believes God meets us at our point of action. We are the ones that will restore ourselves to sanity and God will be there to support us.

After 30 years in the industry I chuckle when clients come in to sessions to educate me on chemistry, Dopamine, and Seratonin. They believe that once their neurotransmitters are operating normally they will be perfect. So, they put all their faith in doctors and remedies. Iowaska was the big trend I heard a lot about a few years ago and for some it worked on the physical level. However this focus on physical level remedies is only 1/4^th of the quotient. We also have to address our thoughts, feelings, and spirituality. Yes, diet and exercise are great – taking care of medical problems a must, though this is one part – not the only part that keeps us at our optimum.

AND THAT’S IT! I have been searching for a term for a decade that wasn’t the word sober! Sober has started to feel like a 4 letter word to me. I’ve heard it thrown out so many times. “You’ve got to be sober.” It was used like a threat. Being at our optimum feels more precise. I love it!

Okay, so I get a little excited, but these little gifts keep pushing me on in this industry. But that’s just me. How about you? What pushes you on? And to me that is the ultimate question in achieving your optimum. (Your Optimum – I’m loving this.)

Another important item is with our wording. Words are powerful and it is important to use our power in the proper direction. I ask people at intake what they want. Often they answer with what they don’t want. “I don’t want to be angry. I don’t want to drink,” unfortunately our brain cancels out the word “don’t”. “Don’t think about a black horse,” they told us this in grad school. Why did I picture that black horse each time they said it? That is because we focus on the subject of the sentence. Optimum or Optimalisation – or am I just getting out of hand now. To be optimum focus on what you do want. “I want to be happy, joyful, and at my optimum. Shit – now I am becoming obsessed.

Let’s face it. With substance dependence there are many factors that attack us at one time. There is the physical aspect – our body gets used to the substance, prepares for it, and anticipates the use. When we don’t use the substance there is a build up of enzymes ready to break it down. Psychologically we get used to using out of habit. When we use during celebrations, concerts, social activities, we go on automatic and light up that joint, have that drink, or smoke a cigarette. We’ve done this for years, but no, suddenly it is not in the mix and deep down we want our “blankie” back. Emotionally the substance got us through the stress and uncomfortable feelings we drag with us. Drag means we have unresolved issues and we’d rather numb them out than deal with them. Unfortunately, nobody showed us how to process through the unresolved, or we are too afraid to take an honest look within.

I guess our program must be a shock for many people who never wanted to take a look inside. Our problems are our problems and nobody gave them to us. We hold them close – like a banner – I AM AN ALCOHOLIC! Are you? When was your last drink? I DON”T KNOW, FIVE WEEKS AGO. To me you are not actively doing alcoholic behaviors. You don’t need to drag that label with you. This is what we do in treatment. We are know for digging into the traumatic issues from the past and process through them so we don’t have to drag that “Baggage” with you.

In doing this work we address anger and anxiety that is common with most ailments. But, when you heal this out… The pain and upset is gone. What would your life be like if you had no anger, anxiety, and no substance addiction? For many that would be unheard of and scary – because if there wasn’t any problem to focus on what would they do? So many relapse because they are unfamiliar with peace, joy, and love. We say, keep breathing, talk about this in therapy, and that the enlightened journey has just begun.

Spiritual Psychology is one of the newer psychological approaches. It balances both spirituality and psychology. It takes into account the unseen forces, like energy, emotion, and attitude. We are physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. The best odds for being at our optimum is balancing all these levels. Can it be done? Absolutely.

I can’t emphasize enough that the key ingredient in your healing – and remaining healthy – is you. You are comprised of your biology – the gene pool from your parents, environmental factors from the area you live, work, go to school, etc. You also are a sum of your history, what you’ve learned, and what you have done that has gotten you through life. These experiences we tend to repeat, if they have worked for you in the past. When our strategies for getting through difficulties don’t work, we need to make adjustments. If you don’t make adjustments, you are destined to continue to deal with the same problems – like I did with my past substance addiction. I knew it didn’t work for me, but it was all I had – or that’s what I thought. When I decided to go through therapy, I learned other solutions that were better for me – obviously.

To be transparent, in therapy I learned that I could love myself. I am sure that is weird to read, but if you don’t love you, who will. Our relationships are a reflection of who we are. If we are loving and upbeat, your relationship will be that way. No, you don’t have to be perfect, nobody is, but do you have a working relationship with you? To improve it, make incremental steps forward each day. Do something for yourself that shows you care. The easiest is with diet, exercise and getting good sleep. The rest is just cherries on the top.

Change takes place one step at a time. First, set a goal – “I want to be happy” for example. For some this may sound absurd. To them there is no such thing and it is only available to a chosen few. That kind of thinking blocks us from experiencing something good. Why not you? Have you done something so horrible that you believe you are damned for the rest of your life? I ask you, why are you damning you? That mindset is created by you. I’d rather focus on healing each and every day. I let others focus on the worst things that can happen. They didn’t work for me.

If you truly want something with all of your heart, you can achieve it. Here is where being stubborn pays off. Hold tight to obtaining optimum health. You may actually achieve it.