Family counseling: for addicts and their family members

Written by Tim Stoddart on August 22, 2019. Posted in Addiction Recovery, Uncategorized.

The focus of our Orange County Rehab and Detox is about the long-term recovery and success of our patients. No one becomes addicted because their life is too perfect. Addiction is an illness habitually responding to the overwhelming pressures, expectations, and anxieties of our life. The most important aspect of curing addiction isn’t simply taking the drugs and alcohol out of our life because these substances are ubiquitous. Drugs and alcohol will always be shown in television, music, advertisements, and our social circles. To truly overcome addiction means to change ourselves and our environment so we can learn to love ourselves and feel good without them. For many, that journey starts with loving yourself as you are and culminate with acceptance and encouragement from family.

Addiction is an Illness That Can Be Treated

Addicted individuals suffer through illness. They often feel pessimistic and blame themselves for not healing properly. The fault is never on the victim, yet these harmful feelings are pervasive among people just starting rehab and recovery. One study found that belief in our ability to change is often lowest at the start of rehab. However, people who entered rehab with these low self-expectations, or self-efficacy, often have tremendous rates of recovery as they discover what they’re capable of with the right support and family counseling. Sometimes that means overcoming long-held beliefs that were shaped by negative life and family experiences.

Addiction Often Starts at Home

A strict or toxic home environment can usually breed addiction. If you think about prohibition, the banning of all alcohol didn’t cure alcoholism. Some would say it caused it to become worse.

Much the same way, families that demonize drugs and alcohol often miss a significant point. We become addicted when substances seem to fill a void in us that we can’t understand, let alone overcome. It’s like the substances manage to scratch an itch that’s been deep in our chest for years. Storytellers call this a “shard of glass,” an invisible, but always a present source of pain and frustration from a traumatic event or other negative emotion slowly clawing its way to our core.

Family Counseling

Many families miss this important conversation. The US wouldn’t be in an addiction epidemic if everyone’s life was going perfectly. Rather, the narrative has been that addiction itself is the problem, and the only solution is abstinence. However, abstinence simply leaves us dwelling with our shard of glass. Because this false narrative is perpetuated in public conversation, we pass it down from spouse to spouse and parent to child. In many cases, this can cause disconnect or even resentment between parents and children when it comes to addiction.

Family counseling is a critical tool to bridging these disconnects. Many people in rehab feel like they burned bridges with loved ones, but that’s not often the case. Families are hurt by the addiction, in themselves and their loved ones, and that pain can be expressed in unhealthy ways. Helping families work together to understand the disease, to repair the consequences of addiction, and to address their many shards of glass is the true path to recovery.

If you or your loved ones are considering rehab or if addiction has left a strong, negative impact on your family, we urge you to consider family drug counseling for addiction at our Orange County Rehab. Call us as soon as you can at (714)782-3973.

What to Expect from Experience Recovery Outpatient Alcohol Treatment

What is PHP Treatment and How Does it Help People Recover from Addiction?

Written by Tim Stoddart on October 10, 2018. Posted in Uncategorized.

What is PHP Treatment?

One of the key tenants of addiction treatment is that all people are different—and thus, what works in one person’s case may not work as well for someone else. That’s why addiction treatment centers, like Experience Recovery, provide a full spectrum of treatment options. When you meet with one of our addiction treatment specialists, you can find out which protocol is the best option for you and your recovery needs.

One option we offer is partial hospitalization, also known as PHP. But what is PHP, exactly? And how might it help you recover from addiction? Here’s an overview of what this treatment model looks like.

It’s often assumed that all addiction recovery is done on an inpatient basis—but that’s not necessarily true. While residential treatment is common, some individuals do better with an outpatient approach. That’s what PHP is. When you’re in PHP treatment, you’re in the addiction treatment center for a big chunk of time each day—often around six hours, five days a week. At the end of the day, however, you get to go back to your home or to a transitional living community.

You may wonder what makes PHP different from other outpatient care models, such as intensive outpatient treatment (IOP). It’s really a matter of the time commitment; IOP will usually require a smaller chunk of time and is designed for those who are just looking to stabilize and return to “regular life.”

How Does PHP Help with Recovery?

When you’re in PHP treatment, you spend some intensive hours each day in treatment. This might mean individual sessions with a therapist. It might mean group therapy. It might mean experiential treatments or the development of life skills and coping mechanisms. The ultimate goal is to provide you with the tools you need to enter your “regular” life again, recovery intact—and to stay strong against temptations or stressors that come your way.

There are a number of benefits to this approach, and one of them is that it offers some flexibility. While PHP does come with a big time commitment, it still leaves some time for things like work, school, and family responsibilities. And for those who are comforted by the thought of returning home each day, it’s an obvious choice.

Understanding the PHP Process

So what does it look like to enroll in PHP? The first step is calling an addiction treatment center, like Experience Recovery in Orange County. Following a brief evaluation, we’ll be able to recommend the appropriate course of treatment.

PHP can last for a few weeks or even a few months; it varies according to your addiction and any related mental health concerns you’re dealing with. Following PHP, you may step down into IOP or a transitional living program. Again, this is all depending on your need.

The ultimate goal is for you to be completely free from addiction—ready to live a healthy, happy life.

Learn More About PHP from Experience Recovery

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, we urge you to seek the appropriate care—whether that’s PHP, residential treatment, or something else.

Experience Recovery is proud to offer a full complement of addiction treatment services, always customized to meet the needs of the individual. We proudly serve clients throughout Orange County, California and beyond.

To speak with a member of our admissions team, or to ask any questions you may have about the addiction treatment process, we invite you to contact Experience Recovery today.

Benefits of Engaging in Gender-Responsive Addiction Treatment

Written by Tim Stoddart on August 30, 2018. Posted in Uncategorized.

Addiction does not discriminate. Addiction affects men and women of all ages, races, nationalities, occupations, and socioeconomic classes. However, that does not necessarily mean that addiction affects everyone in the same way. Men and women often begin substance use for different reasons, and their bodies are impacted differently as well. This makes seeking gender-responsive treatment for addiction even more important. To make the most of recovery, each gender needs to be in an environment tailored to their unique needs.

Addiction in Men vs. Women

While women often use drugs or alcohol as a way of trying to forge or cope with relationships, men often use these substances as a way to avoid relationship challenges. Drinking or drug use is used as a means of escaping and forgetting about the world for a while.

It also tends to be more socially acceptable for men to drink, and alcohol use is a sign of masculinity. Men may drink more than they intended to or in greater quantities as a way of proving themselves or competing with peers.

In addition, while women often turn to substance use as a way of avoiding dealing with painful emotions, men look toward what they can gain from drugs or alcohol. They could view benefits as increased confidence, improved energy, or more focus to work longer and harder. However, these perceived benefits are often short-lived and outweighed by less desirable effects.

Both genders are at risk for misuse of drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and hallucinogens, but men are more likely to misuse alcohol and marijuana while women turn to sedatives or prescription medications for anxiety or insomnia.

Why Choose Gender-Responsive Addiction Treatment?

With all of these differences in how addiction affects men and women, it should come as no surprise that there are differences in how it is treated as well. As researchers have learned more about the impact of addiction on each gender, this has led the way to gender-responsive treatment. Instead of treating men and women together using the same approaches and techniques, some rehab facilities have tailored their programs for each gender.

Comfort: This is one reason gender-specific care can be beneficial. When men and women are treated together, they often try to uphold images of how they think they should act or what the other gender expects. When treated separately, they can be themselves and let their guard down engaging in more honest and meaningful discussion.

Men may feel more comfortable talking with other men, especially about sensitive issues related to their addiction. There is less judgment and defensiveness. Men are able to connect with and support one another regarding common issues they face.

Focused Discussion: Treatment can also be tailored to the unique challenges men face. This can make for more productive and meaningful discussion. In co-ed treatment, conversation may become focused on issues that primarily affect women and men may become disinterested or disconnected because they have trouble relating or don’t have anything to add. Being surrounded by all men, they can focus on topics that impact men where they have more to say and a greater connection to issues.

Less Distraction: Men and women can be a distraction to one another, and while in addiction treatment, they may feel especially vulnerable. Gender-responsive treatment helps to remove this distraction and allows men to focus on their recovery and overcoming addiction. There is also less pressure to appear strong and masculine, so men are more apt to be open with their emotions.

Tailored Treatment: In addition, the strategies that work best for women may not be as effective for men. With gender-responsive treatment, care can be tailored using approaches that men respond to more effectively. Men can determine what works best for their needs and recovery.

Addiction is a manageable disease, and recovery is possible with the right treatment and support. It is important for men to find a program like Experience Recovery that focuses on the unique challenges men face when it comes to substance use and recovery. When men feel more comfortable and understood, they can make the most of their treatment and truly focus on building a healthier life. Experience Recovery provides gender-responsive treatment for men and empowers them in their recovery, so don’t put off getting help any longer. Make a change today.