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Core Treatment Concepts
An effective treatment for addiction must address each area of the victim's
life eroded by the persistent onslaught of the disease. The component's of
treatment must form a seamless whole that allows the addict to experience
sober living and acquire a set of skills to prevent the very real danger of
relapse. At Lakeside each modality of primary treatment is shaped by:
Focus on physical health: As addiction progresses, the
body begins to suffer from the intake of drugs and the dysfunction of the
brain. In the inpatient program every patient receives a medical evaluation
and blood work to assess the effects. The patient's primary physician is
invited to discuss the findings and continue any necessary treatment. Our
patients are informed of the eventual medical consequences of consuming
psychoactive drugs, both illicit and prescribed, and urged to secure an
evaluation from their primary physician.
Comprehensive education of the disease: All pateints
enter treatment with little or no understanding of their disease and
what recovery entails. Ignorance fosters denial, the primary symptom
of the early and middle stages of addiction. Knowledge begins to shrink
denial and brings a willingness to try the tools of the program offered at
Lakeside.
The power of group counseling: Regardless of their appearance to
their family and friends, addicts are full of fear and live in ever
increasing isolation. Fear grows as the victim tries to stop drug abuse
to no avail. Isolation deepens as the addiction controls all social
interactions and destroy's intimacy. In a group the addict is asked to
risk being honest and disclose the story of his/ her addiction. The power
of the group lies in the collective ability to lift each other up and find
strength of purpose.
Changing destructive patterns of thinking: Over time the addict's
mind develops a defensive strategy against the world - a set of irrational
beliefs that justify the disturbing and distrubed emotions that rule his/ her
actions. The dysfunction of the neurotransmission system only magnifies the
mood swings. In early recovery the patient must learn to examine these beliefs,
form safer beliefs and thereby modulate the emotional see-saw. Rational
Emotive Therapy (RET) is woven into group process to help patients stop and
think before reacting to unsettling events and people.
A plan for each patient: Much of the work of treatment is breaking down
the form of denial that allows and addict to think "I'm different from those people."
The common vulnerabilities give way to collective strength. But each patient also
comes with problems that he/ she must also reaolve in order to stay on the road of
recovery. The counselor and patient determine these potential sticking points and
arrive at workable plans to address them. There may be legal or financial areas
that can't be ignored, relationships that must be mended or simply self-esteem
eroded that must be restored. The plan follows each patient through the entire
course of treatment.
Ongoing recovery requires a continual focus on moving forward while avoiding past
patterns of living that form the addict's old lifestyle. 12 step programs enable
an addict to the memory of pain of addiction "green" while working a program to
nourish the spirit. During treatment the purpose and structure of 12 step programs
are explained patients are encouraged to attend meetings frequently.
Finally at LMRC we have always believed as research has now shown that the longer the
treatment the more successful the outcome. Continuing care gives patients a chance
to share their experience of early recovery while continuing to learn new skills to
avoid relapse. Weekly groups at convenient times are led by case managers familiar
with each patient's course of treatment and treatment plan. The case managers can
also assess the need for other services in the community if needed.
Contact us now at Lakeside-Milam Recovery Centers for FREE Drug & Alcohol evaluations...
Call local: (425) 823-3116 or toll free: (800) 231-4303
or email us confidentially
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