Busting Addiction and Its Myths
The purpose of our podcast is to help families learn the truth about addiction and alcoholism so that they can take the right action to help the addict they love and to help themselves at this critical time in their lives. Exposing the truth about addiction and alcoholism also requires that we bust the myths surrounding both addiction/alcoholism and the recovery process.
Mini Series 6 - Myth: Addiction is the addict's problem
In this podcast... we confront and smash the following myth:
Myth: Addiction is the addict's problem.
Mini Series 6 - Myth: The Twelve Steps are all about God
In this podcast... we confront and smash the following myth:
Myth: The Twelve Steps are all about God.
Mini Series 6 - Myth: AA meetings are secret
In this podcast... we confront and smash the following myth:
Myth: AA meetings are secret.
Mini Series 6 - Myth: Rehabs are all work and no play
In this podcast... we confront and smash the following myth:
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Myth: Rehabs are all work and no play.
Mini Series 6 - Myth: You are to blame for their addiction
In this podcast... we confront and smash the following myth:
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Myth: You are to blame for their addiction.
Mini Series 6 - Myth: All an addict needs to do is just say no
In this podcast... we confront and smash the following myth:
Myth: All an addict has to do is just say no.
Mini Series 5 - Be honest, do rehabs genuinely offer an aftercare service?
In this podcast, we answer the question... Be honest, do rehabs genuinely offer an aftercare service?
There is a big difference between offering an aftercare service and actually having one in place that fully supports the person who has gone back home and is now faced with the challenge of dealing with the "real world".
There isn't a single rehab that doesn't mention "aftercare" in their narrative.
Some simply say something like: "And we offer the best aftercare program to help clients stay clean and sober", without giving away any...
Mini Series 5 - Is commitment to recovery a make-or-break deal after leaving treatment?
In this podcast, we answer the question... Is commitment to recovery a make-or-break deal after leaving treatment?
By all means, yes.
Those of us who have been practitioners of the principles of recovery pay attention to the wisdom expressed in the literature and read at the AA and NA meetings.
A good example:
"Some of us tried to hold onto our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely".
The "old ideas" that this passage refers to is the absurd notion that an alcoholic can get and...
Mini Series 5 - How important are Anonymous meetings?
In this podcast, we answer the question... How important are Anonymous meetings?
One of the myths about the AA or NA programs is that they are just about staying clean and sober. The programs are built around the 12-Steps, and only the first step mentions alcohol or drugs.
The rest of the steps are all about character development that will make us better people. To quote an AA speaker: "We came in as spiritually bankrupt people. We had violated virtually every norm that guides our society to think and act in an honest and compassionate...
Mini Series 5 - Will the treatment program prepare me for life after rehab?
In this podcast, we answer the question... Will the treatment program prepare me for life after rehab?
This is a question that is often asked by the family but is less frequently asked by the potential client.
The client is looking for an end to their suffering; they want to know what you can do for them now. The family is looking at a bigger picture beyond today. The last thing they need is for Johnny to relapse after all that worry, time, and money have been expended on his behalf.We at SafeHouse Rehab strongly...Mini Series 5 - Can you explain why a longer treatment program is recommended?
In this podcast, we answer the question... Can you explain in more detail why a longer treatment program is recommended?
Our experience and data clearly show that the odds of clients staying sober for a longer period (five years or more) rise with the length of treatment.Said another way, relapses are less likely to happen the longer one stays in some form of treatment, either primary or secondary.The fact is that not all clients are the same. They come in with a variety of emotional issues that drive their addiction; each client's issues need to be...Mini Series 5 - How long does a typical treatment program last?
In this podcast, we answer the question... How long does a typical treatment program last and what is recommended?
Most treatments do not last as long as they should, either for practical reasons such as work, or because families and clients underestimate the amount of work that still needs to be done to make a full course-correction.Clients may come into treatment believing that treatment is a quick fix to their problem when in fact it is just the beginning of a life-long endeavour to stay sober and grow as human beings.SafeHouse Rehab recommends a minimum of...Mini Series 4 - Are treatment programs all about hard work?
In this podcast, we answer the question... Are treatment programs all about hard work?
Treatment programs take their charter seriously, so one should expect work to be an essential part of the treatment process.
For the first time in a long time, clients are forced to confront their attitudes and their behaviour that got them into treatment in the first place. That takes something they have not done in a long time: work.In treatment, clients learn the value of balance in life, mixing work, play, socialising, fitness, meditation, and sports into their routines just as...Mini Series 4 - Are all treatment programs 12-step based?
In this podcast, we answer the question... Are all treatment programs 12-step based?
The 12-Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other 12-Step programs such as Narcotics (NA) are viewed by many recovering people and professionals as indispensable to life-long recovery.
Opinions differ, however, as to their role in treatment programs, depending on the philosophy of the management.Some rehabs treat 12-Step programs as an option, preferring the more cognitive models, while others lean more heavily on the 12-Steps as an essential component of early recovery.If the goal of treatment is to help prepare clients for...Mini Series 4 - Why is structure so very important in treatment?
In this podcast, we answer the question... Why is structure so very important?
Clients and their families look at the daily schedule of a residential treatment program and remark on the high level of structure that appears to be imposed on clients.
There is a reason for this.
Clients come from a world of self-imposed chaos, a world where they violated every norm and every rule of decent behaviour.Now they enter an environment where the opposite is true, where they are taught that norms and rules do matter and that they are expected...Mini Series 4 - What are the benefits of group sessions?
In this podcast, we answer the question... What are the benefits of group sessions?
There is more power in group therapy than meets the eye. The very fact that recovering people are sitting together and getting honest about their feelings is remarkable in and of itself.
Mini Series 4 - Can you explain more about one-to-one counselling?
In this podcast, we answer the question... Can you explain more about one-to-one counselling?
One-to-one counselling is an opportunity for the counsellor to get to know the client, and vice versa, in a more intimate setting. That way, the client feels safe and comfortable in disclosing essential details of their life.It takes more than one or two sessions for the client to build the trust necessary for the truth to come out.One of the most important tasks in counselling is to have the client examine the flaws in their thinking that allowed them the license to...Mini Series 4 - What's included in a treatment program?
In this podcast, we answer the question... What's included in a treatment program?
We will use SafeHouse Rehab Thailand as a model, as the better treatment programs include:
Best-practice therapies including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Group therapy, one-on-one therapy, etc.Full licensing from the government entities charged with enforcing regulations. SafeHouse Rehab, for example, is fully licensed by the Ministry of Public Health of the Kingdom of Thailand.Licensed treatment counsellors who have earned qualifications and degrees in addictive disease, and licensed clinicians on staff or on call.Comfortable, modern private accommodation, healthy balanced...Mini Series 3 - Is travelling abroad for treatment a major issue?
In this podcast, we ask the question... Is traveling abroad a major issue?
One can imagine the questions that arise when families consider treatment abroad. Not only are they potentially sending their loved ones to an unfamiliar place, but they are also taking an understandable risk in seeking treatment in a foreign country.
The challenges of traveling abroad for treatment depend on what country is chosen as the location for treatment and what experience the client has had with international travel.Safety is the major issue for most families. Safety as to the country itself and...Mini Series 3 - Is detoxing abroad safe?
In this podcast, we ask the question... Is detoxing abroad safe?
Not all incoming clients require detox; a thorough pre and post arrival assessment will determine whether a client requires detox from identified substances.If a family chooses a treatment centre located abroad and if that treatment centre complies with all regulations and best practices, and if it offers detox, then the detox process is likely safe.We at SafeHouse Rehab cannot speak for other treatment facilities, but we can guarantee that our detox process is as safe as any in the world.Our rigorous intake process assures...Mini Series 3 - What are the differences between licensed and unlicensed facilities in Thailand?
In this podcast, we ask the question... What are the differences between licensed and unlicensed facilities in Thailand?
SafeHouse Rehab Thailand is fully licensed and complies with all the regulations set by all the governing bodies for our type of business.
Even though a rehab may comply with the rules governing immigration or business licenses, if it does not have a license from the Ministry of Public Health Thailand, then it has no business doing business in our space in Thailand. The governing bodies and their regulations are as follows:
The Ministry of Immigration...Mini Series 3 - Why choose treatment in Thailand?
In this podcast, we ask the question... Why choose treatment in Thailand?
Families seeking treatment abroad should familiarise themselves with Thailand and all that it has to offer as a destination and as a preferred location for treatment.
Thailand is recognised as the #1 destination for medical tourism worldwide and is also renowned for its superb tourism infrastructure and welcoming culture.Thailand is proud of its reputation for employing world-class health care professionals, many educated at the best medical schools in the UK and in the USA, and elsewhere.Rehabs in Thailand fall into the medical tourism...Mini Series 3 - Are there benefits to getting treatment abroad?
In this podcast, we ask the question... Are there benefits to getting treatment abroad?
Clients and families considering treatment abroad have already discovered the costs of private, residential treatment in their home countries, and now look to assess whether treatment abroad makes sense for them.The reputable treatment centres abroad offer best-practice treatment, but their price structures vary greatly, from basic to super-luxury.The most important questions to ask, in our opinion, are: which one is the best fit for the client and what is the best ROI, defined by the quality of care for the investment.Even...Mini Series 3 - What are the benefits of getting treatment?
In this podcast, we ask the question... What are the benefits of getting treatment?
Treatment in a residential, in-patient setting takes addicts/alcoholics out of their unhealthy environment, away from the typical triggers.It forces clients to identify unhealthy thinking and behaviour that got them where they are, paving the way for a new mode of thinking and being.Clients no longer feel isolated, as they are now in the company of others who share the same goals - recovery from addictive behaviour.It helps them experience the power of group therapy, while one-on-one sessions address more personal...Mini Series 2 - What is a sponsor and how do I get one?
In this podcast, we ask the question... What is a sponsor and how do I get one?
It is a bewildering experience for newcomers to a 12-step program such as AA. On the one hand, they are sponges for learning about how to stay sober, and on the other, all they may know is they should go to AA meetings and find a sponsor. So, what is the role of the sponsor in AA?
The principal role of a sponsor is like that of a tour guide who takes the newcomer through the basics of the...Mini Series 2 - Is AA a Cult?
In this podcast, we ask the question... Is AA a cult?
This is one of the favourite myths that we take pleasure in blowing up.
1. Let's start with the characteristics of a cult, starting with secrecy. There are two types of AA meetings - closed meetings where privacy (not secrecy) is valued since there is still a stigma associated with alcoholism, hence the original Alcoholics Anonymous. I am free to disclose my membership, but I am obliged to not disclose yours.
2. Then there are meetings that the public is invited to attend. These...
Mini Series 2 - Am I helping or am I making things worse?
In this podcast, we ask the question... Am I helping or am I making things worse?
This is one of those questions that is based on the myth that one can change the course of an addict's disorder at all.
It is said that "people who try to change other people are sick people". That is not meant to be unkind, rather it is said to get the attention of family members who believe they can change their loved one to become "normal".The presence of addiction in the home uses up most of the available...Mini Series 2 - Do I call an intervention, and how?
In this podcast, we ask the question... Do I call an intervention, and how do I do that?
There are two main types of interventions, the professional type, and the do-it-yourself type. Both can succeed or both can fail.
Starting with the professional intervention. We may have seen the Reality TV version of the professional intervention which is a compressed version of the real thing. There always seems to be a happy ending, which is not the case in our experience.The process between the two types is essentially the same. The critical aspect is: "Do...Mini Series 2 - What free help is available?
In this podcast, we ask the question... What free help is available?
We have observed that family members who have a "big" problem on their hands become paralysed by the fear and anxiety that comes with chaos imposed by the disorder.
There is much help to be had once they overcome the unjustified shame that they feel as they awaken to unpleasant truths.
Education is the key that unlocks the door to getting the help they need and deserve. First, we suggest family members consult the major books on the topic, such as ...Mini Series 2 - When is the right time?
In this podcast, we ask the question... When is the right time to encourage the addict to seek help?
It seems that there is never a good time for those who love an addict or alcoholic (who is clearly out of control) to intervene, as the addict will always find a way to evade the truth.
One of his favourite dodges is to verbally attack the responsible family member - usually a mum - and have her defend her position while the addict makes his getaway.The alcoholic/addict thinks differently than you and me. You...Mini Series 1 - The next right thing?
In this podcast, we ask the question... What does it mean to do "The next right thing?"
While they were drinking and using to excess, addicts ended up violating all the values they once held dear: honesty, kindness, integrity, hard work, playing by the rules, regard for others and for society as a whole.
Now comes the easy part for those who really want to stop the abuse - putting down the substance.
The hard part is to change the thinking, for as we hear in AA meetings: "We don't have a drinking...
Mini Series 1 - Anxiety and Fear
In this podcast, we ask the question... What role do anxiety and fear play in recovery?
Those who enter into treatment and start to uncover their motives come to understand the dominant, even domineering, role that fear has played in their lives.
Fear was the subconscious thread that motivated much of what they did or avoided doing. There are two types of what might be called irrational fears - fears not supported by evidence such as "a truck is about to hit my car".
The first type of fear is the fear of losing...Mini Series 1 - Addiction…Disease or Weakness?
In this podcast, we answer the question... Is addiction a disease or is it a weakness?
Even today, when we as a society are supposed to be enlightened, many fine citizens will insist that it is just a matter of willpower by an individual to just quit drinking alcohol or using drugs.
You might recall back in the day Nancy Reagan's campaign which she proudly called "Just Say No". That suggested that it was simply a matter of personal choice to not drink or use. That might actually have been true before the addiction took...
Mini Series 1 - How is the family affected?
In this podcast, we answer the question... How is the family affected by addiction?
In the same way that "no man is an island", so too, is the addict or alcoholic part of a family seriously affected by his disease.
It is true and proven that addiction is a family disease, a concept often denied by family members themselves.
Here is the background to that idea and how it plays itself out:
The rooms of Al-Anon, a 12-step program created over 50 years ago to help families themselves recover, are full of people...Mini Series 1 - Does treatment work?
In this podcast, we answer the question... Does treatment work?
One of the myths out there is that paying for treatment is throwing good money after bad. There are just so many stories of addicts and alcoholics relapsing after treatment at even the most expensive facilities, it is indeed hard not to conclude that treatment does no good.
It is also true that the vast majority - our estimate is 90% - of those who achieve long-term success at sobriety have relapsed at least once on their way home. Many have relapsed three times or more...
Mini Series 1 - What are the odds of long-term success?
In this podcast, we answer the question... What are the odds of achieving long-term sobriety?
We are often asked what the odds are of long-term sobriety after a period of treatment.
That question of "odds" is second only to the question “can you help Johnny get clean and sober?" that we get asked over and over.
We don't ever want to look like we are evading the issue by saying simply "it depends". But the fact is that "it" - the odds of long-term success - does indeed depend on several factors which fa...
Fentanyl: The Most Deadly Poison!
In this podcast, we re-examine the dangers of fentanyl and what we can do about reducing both supply and demand.
We learn that:
Fentanyl is by far the most dangerous “new” drug to infiltrate society in recent decades. Far more dangerous than heroin or cocaine or meth. It only takes 2 milligrams of it to overdose and probably die. That’s two thousands of one gram.It is easy to distribute because it is very light and easy to disguise in shipments through the mail or inside freight containers crossing land borders into the US.It also kills...Don’t Tell Me I’m A Sex Addict, Too!
In this podcast, we discuss the nature of sex and love addiction and its power over individuals afflicted with it.
We learn that:
Sex and love addiction are as real as any other behaviour that is out of control and causes harm.What is different is that each person gets to define what constitutes his or her bottom-line actions that define addictive behaviour.It’s impossible to wake up and become a sex and love addict. It takes (often) years of behaving in a certain pattern that involves obsession and acting out.It is only by co...US Doctors Were Untrained to Diagnose Addiction – Until Now!
In this podcast, we discuss the importance of the MATE Act, passed in the US recently on the impact it will have on educating medical professionals on the treatment of addictive disorders.
We learn that:
Even to this day, three-quarters of medical professionals get no training in addictive disorders.The MATE Act as passed recently in the US will require all medical schools to include substantial training in identifying and treating addictive disorders, including alcoholism.This does not mean that anyone looking for help from a medical professional will automatically get help from someone trained in...What’s With the Serenity Prayer, Anyway?
In this podcast, Bruno J. discusses the true meaning of the popular Serenity Prayer.
We learn that:
Yes, there are things you absolutely must accept, such as the fact that there is no hope of a better past.Or the fact that you have no real idea of what the future holds. You can plan for the future, but you do not have to live there, for it can be a fearful place.One should make a conscious effort to strive for the insight that helps you understand what you can do something about. Much of...
