Program
Following detox,
the patient and his or her counselor will plan a customized treatment program.
Together, they will determine what elements of treatment will be most beneficial
for the patient.
During the patient’s treatment, his or her body will undergo many changes. Clarity will return. Attentiveness will be sharper. As a result, the patient will become better able to participate in additional aspects of the treatment program. These elements include:
- group and/or one-on-one therapy
- workshops on stress management and relapse prevention
- nutritional guidance
- creating an exercise program
- yoga classes
- meditation instruction
Individual or group counseling can allow the patient to grasp the extent of his or her substance abuse-related destructive behavior. Once denial is replaced with acceptance, a foundation is laid for rebuilding the patient’s sense of self-esteem, without the need for self-medication.
The goals of counseling
will evolve along with the patient’s progress. There may be added
focus on life skills training, such as methods of coping with situations
that resulted in drinking or drug using. In the group setting, stress reduction
and stress management techniques can be practiced (or “role modeled”).
Ultimately, the objective is to provide each patient with an individualized “tool belt” of information and new behaviors. These tools will allow the patient to return to the “outside world” ready to face life’s challenges, armed with the knowledge and ability to live a drug and alcohol free life.
Patients also receive an introduction to the 12 Step model of recovery, first developed by Alcoholics Anonymous in the 1930s. By examining how these early members of the program achieved sobriety, the founders of A.A. were able to develop these Steps, as a blueprint for others to follow.
Because this program has proven so effective in helping alcoholics stop drinking, it has been adapted to deal with other addictions. The same principles remain at the core of newer peer-support programs such as Narcotics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous and Crystal Meth Anonymous.
Patients who have completed their programs at Corporate Recovery Retreat find that the ongoing support they receive by attending these meetings is essential to maintaining their sobriety.