If you have an addiction, putting down a drink or drug is one of the most difficult things you will ever do in your life. The power of these brain (and hence mood) altering substances is so strong that it leads one to compromise every value that is important to them and ultimately march them towards death.
Yet to be sober, not drinking or drugging is not enough. Let me be clear here; abstinence (not drinking or drugging) is a phenomenal first step. Being abstinent will oftentimes lead to symptom relief. That is, there will be a physical and cognitive improvement. However, what abstinence alone fails to address is the spiritual component that one finds in sobriety and which truly represents a life of recovery.
… THE BEST PART OF ALL, SOBRIETY IS THERE FOR EVERYONE THAT WANTS IT.
For many of you, the term “spiritual” can take on a pejorative meaning. Let me describe what active addiction looks like using spiritual language and see if some of these words and concepts resonate: selfish, distrustful, dishonest, impatient, intolerant, angry, entitled, grandiose, hurtful, dismissive, fear-based, and controlling. Now let’s look at what sobriety looks like in spiritual terms: selfless, trustworthy, honest, patient, tolerant, gracious, loving, vulnerable, humble, grateful, helpful, inclusive, accepting, and surrendered. What a huge difference!
The reality is that active addiction slowly erodes the very spiritual essence of an individual until they are spiritually bankrupt. It is a horrific place to be; to act in ways that are counter to the very principles that you espouse. Sobriety is the answer to this, however, to rebuild yourself spiritually takes time and hard work. It is built not over days and a few weeks but in weeks, months, and ultimately years. And here is the best part of all, sobriety is there for everyone who wants it.
Sobriety is Much More than Not Drinking / Drugging
/in News /by adminIf you have an addiction, putting down a drink or drug is one of the most difficult things you will ever do in your life. The power of these brain (and hence mood) altering substances is so strong that it leads one to compromise every value that is important to them and ultimately march them towards death.
Yet to be sober, not drinking or drugging is not enough. Let me be clear here; abstinence (not drinking or drugging) is a phenomenal first step. Being abstinent will oftentimes lead to symptom relief. That is, there will be a physical and cognitive improvement. However, what abstinence alone fails to address is the spiritual component that one finds in sobriety and which truly represents a life of recovery.
For many of you, the term “spiritual” can take on a pejorative meaning. Let me describe what active addiction looks like using spiritual language and see if some of these words and concepts resonate: selfish, distrustful, dishonest, impatient, intolerant, angry, entitled, grandiose, hurtful, dismissive, fear-based, and controlling. Now let’s look at what sobriety looks like in spiritual terms: selfless, trustworthy, honest, patient, tolerant, gracious, loving, vulnerable, humble, grateful, helpful, inclusive, accepting, and surrendered. What a huge difference!
The reality is that active addiction slowly erodes the very spiritual essence of an individual until they are spiritually bankrupt. It is a horrific place to be; to act in ways that are counter to the very principles that you espouse. Sobriety is the answer to this, however, to rebuild yourself spiritually takes time and hard work. It is built not over days and a few weeks but in weeks, months, and ultimately years. And here is the best part of all, sobriety is there for everyone who wants it.
The Value of Peer Support in Long-Term Treatment is Finally Being Recognized
/in News /by adminWhat ASCENT Recovery Residences executive director Teddy Steen has known for years about peer support in the treatment of addiction issues is now being supported by evidence.
Both ASCENT and 12-step programs use peers to help addicts in their long-term recovery. Now, the treatment world is starting to see the value and incorporate peer support in its programs.
“Peer support and treatment contribute to long-term sobriety,” Steen said. “Clinically-focused treatment educates about the disease and provides the tools for people to build a recovery foundation. Peer support is about talking to someone about the process of maintaining long-term sobriety. Peers are like a mentor. They develop relationships with people, help find the resources needed after treatment and walk with the person.through their journey.”
The Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) definition of peer support is:
Peer support encompasses a range of activities and interactions between people who share similar experiences of being diagnosed with mental health conditions, substance use disorders or both. This mutuality-often called peerness-between a peer support worker and person in or seeking recovery promotes connection and inspires hope. Peer support offers a level of acceptance, understanding, and validation not found in many other professional relationships. By sharing their own lived experience and practical guidance, peer support workers help people to develop their own goals, create strategies for self-empowerment and take concrete steps towards building fulfilling, self-determined lives for themselves.
Peer support is part of the recovery-oriented system of care which supports the idea that many pathways to recovery exist. Treatment is not confined to one method.
“It’s a whole system,” Steen said. “One thing is not the end-all, be-all treatment. Drug court helps a person to stay sober. Connecting to a peer or group can help a person to not get off-base.”
The advantages of peer support are becoming so important that this year the Missouri Department of Mental Health put a line item in its budget for recovery support. Developing research is showing that peer support is successful in supporting recovery. Peer support workers complement the roles of therapists, case managers and other members of a treatment team. What peer support workers do is share their personal knowledge of what it is like to have lived with a disorder and subsequently how to thrive.
Below is a list from SAMHSA what peer support can do for those in recovery:
“AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) and 12-step programs have been doing grassroots (peer support) all along,” Steen said. The Certified Peer Specialist are equipped with the knowledge and tools to take it to the next level and they are bound by a code of ethics, it is extremely valuable.