A "Total Person Approach" to Chemical Dependency
Founder Judis Andrews has joined the TRS Team to work on reducing substance abuse and the 85% recidivism rates that reflect the results of substance abuse relapses.
By Judis Andrews
Most rehabilitation centers offer this form of recovery, however it is temporary and superficial. Today's person is a complex being, constantly adjusting to a complex world. In pursuit of a lasting, more fulfilling recovery for this "new millennium person", we offer the Total Person Approach to chemical dependency.
The disease of addiction, regardless of whether there is a drug involved or some other fixation, affects the mind, body, and spirit of the addict. Physical detoxification is reasonably easy to accomplish, however as every addict knows, getting off of drugs is not the problem, staying off is.
The process begins when we look at the history of a person's drug use, where it began, and where it has brought them. It is important for addicts to do this process without denial or blame while accepting responsibility for the hell they have created. If they accept responsibility for the past, they can empower themselves to create the future.
taking up a hobby, exploring new career choices, and embracing one's spirituality. With new experiences come new challenge. Even sober people have issues. Maintenance of sobriety demands structure and discipline. TPA recommend attending 12-step meetings, committing to volunteer work, and becoming an active part of the community. In these ways, the person takes their energy from negative pursuits toward positive action. They recognize the rewards this new lifestyle provides, and the desire to return to their previous existence dissipates toward the attainment of long-term sobriety.
Drug use and addiction has evolved, and by necessity, so has recovery. Make no mistake: addiction is a beast eating away at the fabric of our country. It affects over 40 million people in one form or another, and less than 20% of persons recovering from addictions achieve lasting sobriety. The Total Person Approach looks at recovery from the "inside-out". The focus is on the individual gifts and strengths of each person, empowering them, and motivating them towards a lasting recovery. The principle idea is that each personal success reinforces a commitment to sobriety, and a structured life plan maintains it. Sobriety is not a goal. It is a life journey.
"New Beginnings"
In Phase One of TPA, the principle idea
is you must empty out the person before you can put something new into them.
While in recovery, it is important to learn to recognize the past behaviors
that lead to drug abuse, and begin the journey of discovery towards the changes
necessary to live a meaningful and purposeful life.
Phase Two involves action- the
implementation of life changes. One of my life philosophies is, "Live your
life as if you are already where you want to be."
A positive life structure designed to
create the lifestyle the addict was seeking has been developed in Phase One,
and now in Phase Two, they begin to live it.
TPA emphasizes, "Practice makes
habit." To that end, a daily regime of exercise, 90 meetings in 90 days,
and a regular prayer and meditation schedule is implemented.
One technique used in TPA is to have
every person in the program wear a watch. Sounds like a simple thing, but the addict
who is caught up in his addiction can count on one hand the number of times he
has been on time anywhere other than the dope house. Not wearing a watch has
always been a reliable excuse, and we are done with excuses. The watch becomes
a symbol of sobriety. From this day forth, the recovering addict becomes
responsible for his life, destiny, and sobriety. In TPA, old habits aren't
broken; they are replaced with new, positive, constructive ones.
Let's talk relationships. Addicts tend to
surround themselves with other addicts and enablers. The old adage, "Birds
of a feather flock together" applies double for the addict. So the
recovering addict must ask, "Are my associations and relationships
conducive to recovery?" "Is my environment safe, supported, and
secure?" Here is some reality. It is difficult to see how dysfunctional
your situation is if chaos and confusion, abuse and insanity is all you've ever
known. If you are slapped and beaten by your parents, you think this is love.
You think everyone lives this way, until the day you realize everyone doesn't
live this way, and you don't have to either. If your parents are addicts, you
don't have to live as one- you have the power to choose. You can choose your
environment, your friends, relationships, and your future. You have the power
to choose.
My favorite poem is "
We want to reconnect the addict to his
dreams and ambitions in life. Addiction creates this overwhelming sense of
hopelessness. A deep painful despair within that devours the spirit. Being sober
gives the recovering addict the power to dream again, and to aspire to even
greater heights. The foundation to a lasting sobriety and achieving new
aspirations begins with career choice.
A job is not a career. A job pays the
bills, keeps food on the table, and keeps the lights on. A career can define
and give purpose and meaning to life. An important aspect of the TPA program
is the focus on career choices. Your career choice should not only give you a
reason to get up in the morning, but it should motivate you to stay sober.
A career assessment profile is a useful
tool at this point to help define vocational strengths and weaknesses, and to
recognize one's true potential. A career choice is a goal and any attainable
goal needs a realistic plan. Often to achieve your goal you will need to
reeducate or gain training in your chosen area. College, vocational school, or
some sort of formal training may be necessary. Volunteering in your chosen
field will give you valuable exposure to the new way of life you seek.
When a person sees the fruit of their
sobriety, they become motivated to stay the course. It is not unusual for a
person to be skeptical of a recovery program. Most have tried rehab, 12-step
programs, faith-based programs, S.M.A.R.T.; you name it, so why should this be
any different? Recovery calls for positive reinforcement. To move past the
skepticism and commit to a program a person will need to see tangible results.
The process of developing new
associations, healthy relationships, and a fulfilling career is accomplished
through "sober networking". The miracle of recovery is that as one
works towards developing a positive and constructive life-style,
"angels" will appear in the person's life helping them to achieve
success. Positive energy draws positive energy. Or as I like to say, "God
is moving in your life." Whatever "floats your boat", it works.
Positive results will motivate persons in recovery to stay the course.
The Total Person Approach is not just
about recovery or sobriety. It is about fulfillment. Today as a person in
recovery, you have the opportunity to reinvent yourself. In Phase One, we empty
the person out of all the negative images, behaviors, and concepts that
addiction feeds on. Phase Two enacts a new positive and constructive way of
life, reconnecting with what is good in a person. Finally, in Phase Three, a
support system and maintenance program is developed that will promote growth
and long-term sobriety.
Here is a simple truth. Goals, dreams,
aspirations cannot co-exist with an addiction. One or the other must go. Choose
the life that you want. Choose life, choose sobriety, and choose you!
End of Phase Two
Phase Three of The total Person Approach to Recovery
Phase Three of TPA is the transitional
phase, the re- integration of a person into society. The old destructive habits
and behaviors no longer exist and are replaced with a constructive, productive,
and positive lifestyle. Phase three is about leaving the rest, and taking one's
proper place in society. Beyond that, a person seeks to establish a positive
social network, and design a program to sustain a lasting sobriety.
The issue of addiction and chemical
dependence can be a sensitive subject to a person in recovery. In the
beginning, the sobriety feels "good", and as any addict will tell
you, we tend to mess up anything that is "good". It becomes a
self-fulfilling prophecy because when one expects something bad to happen, it
usually does. The biggest obstacle to maintaining sobriety is the failure of an
addict to believe they deserve anything good or decent, let alone any kind of
success, especially when recalling all the people who have been harmed by their
addiction. No program in the world can be effective if it cannot instill a
belief that everyone deserves happiness, and that every person has the power
within to achieve success and happiness. In Phase Two, positive thoughts and
actions were shown to produce positive results.
TPA helped develop the tools and values
necessary to succeed, but the recovering person did the work by taking
responsibility for their life, and with their desire to succeed brought
sobriety and positive life-change to fruition.
The philosophy in Phase Three is,
"success breeds success". If the recovering person continues a
positive, constructive lifestyle, they will continue to receive constructive,
positive results. By the time Phase Three is reached, a physical transformation
has taken place. Better nutrition and increased exercise has allowed the body
to repair itself creating an excitement about the positive change. When a
person begins to look good, they feel good. Success breeds success.
Psychologically, life begins to make sense
again. One can finally "see the light" and the possibility of a life
free from addiction. That is huge. Life may not be all sunshine and lollipops,
but it is manageable, and it is real.
Spiritually, a simple truth has been
learned, we exist for a reason. We were born to succeed and we are each gifted
with unlimited potential. We all have the resources and the power within to
create an incredible life. All we must do is choose the destination. When we
have finally gotten in touch with our true power, that part of God within, from
that day forth we will move with a purpose through life.
Identifying, acknowledging, and honoring
one's purpose is the most important element of long-term recovery. We must
value ourselves, taking the time to learn and understand what we were created
to do and be. Once we have defined our purpose, we must pursue it with every
part of our being. No longer will it be necessary to drift aimlessly from job
to job, relationship to relationship, city to city, place to place. Now we can
move with purpose, and every action should be an expression of that purpose. If
something does not fit in with one's purpose, we just don't do it ... period.
Career wise and vocationally, the
recovering person now begins to create the life they want on the path towards
fulfillment, doing what they were always meant to do. They will now have solid
work habits, and an excitement about the future will create a motivation to
work even harder toward achievement of career goals.
An essential part of Phase Three is a
commitment to service. Volunteering reinforces sobriety. "You have to give
it away to keep it." Serving a bowl of soup to a homeless person, or
helping mentor homeless kids provides a feeling of fulfillment and enrichment.
More importantly the selfish, self-centered thinking of a chemically dependent
addict is replaced with the positive, generous spirit of a sober individual who
is no longer a part of the problem, but a part of the solution.
Now that the recovering addict has
transitioned back into society, they are not only working a job, but also
building a career while maintaining checking and savings accounts, and paying
bills and rent just like the rest of society. As they continue to attend
meetings, network with clean and sober people and volunteer time regularly to help the less fortunate,
long-term recovery is established creating a life fully lived.
There are many different types of recovery
programs, and I am sure you see bits and pieces of them all here. Like any
12-step program, there is the element of spirituality. Always remember,
spirituality is about one's relationship with God, oneself, and the world we
live in. Courage, faith, and commitment to a greater purpose are essential for
recovery. A conscience, a desire to do better, and to be better is the starting
point of recovery from addiction. Doing what is best not only for oneself, but
for everyone while maintaining a commitment towards righteous conduct is what
will keep a person sober.
Behavioral modification plays a big role
in TPA. "As a man thinketh so is he". To rebuild a life, a person
must change their habits, thoughts, goals, desires, priorities, wants, and
needs. In essence, rebuilding begins from within.
Our goal when we developed TPA was to
create a program, which will help the ex-felon with substance abuse issues to
effectively address them, and give them the skills to successfully transition
back into society. Experience has shown that drugs and alcohol play a major role
in the recidivism rate of ex-offenders, and with the epidemic number of first
time drug offenders, we as a society must do more than attempt to force
sobriety on an ex-offender, using mandatory drug testing, mandatory meetings,
and the threat of incarceration.
We have to do more, or we lose not only
millions of Americans to drug abuse and prison, we will lose our collective
spirit.
TPA will provide the opportunity for
substance abusers to choose to define themselves, to choose the promise of
life, fulfillment and sobriety.