At AToN Center, one of our goals is to teach our residents tools that they can continue to use after they have discharged. By the time our residents discharge, they have learned cognitive behavioral therapy, relapse prevention skills and assertiveness techniques.
They have also been exposed to meditation and other stress management tools. Some of our residents participate in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) if determined to be appropriate based on clinical need. In the “Preparation” phase of EMDR, our residents are taught self soothing and calming techniques.
Here is a technique that anyone can use. It is from Francine Shapiro’s book, Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR Therapy. It is called the Spiral Technique (found on page 108).
If you are experiencing upset or discomfort, try the following:
Bring up an image that represents your discomfort.
As you think of the image that represents it, notice where you feel the disturbance in your body.
Now pretend that the feeling is “energy.” If it was a spiral of energy, which direction is it moving in: clockwise or counterclockwise?
Now, with your mind, gently change the direction of the spiral in your body. For instance, if it was originally moving clockwise, gently change it to counterclockwise.
Notice what happens to the feelings in your body. For many people, their feelings will lessen as they change the direction of the spiral. If one direction didn’t work, try the other direction and see if it lessens the disturbance. If this has been helpful, practice this regularly so it becomes a stronger coping skill for you!
As always, please take care of yourselves and maintain contact with your treatment providers!
Cassandra Cannon, Ph.D.
Clinical Director
AToN Center 888-535-1516
February, 2016. I’m in a bus in the jungles of Mexico on my way to Mayan ruins in Bonampak. I’m sitting next to a delightful woman who has lived an adventurous exciting life. She has been scuba diving in the Galapagos Islands and other exotic locations. It’s clear she lives a life filled with joy. She is connected to her family and has friends all over the world. Her energy is infectious and I know we are going to be friends for a long time after this. She asks me what I do for a living, and I explain that I work at AToN Center. She gives the biggest smile and pulls out a 25 year an AA chip with “25 years” stamped on it.
In a relationship affected by substance use, trust is one of the largest casualties. Loved ones often go through significant worry and anxiety while an addicted person is using. Not only that, but they have often been lied to, concealed from, or even had their rights violated. And some have heard vows to get or stay sober before, so these promises can start to become less and less convincing. So then how can trust be rebuilt once an addicted person enters into recovery?
When one transitions from active addiction into recovery there is an amount of loss and gain that is happening. As we allow the loss to take place, we honor all that is lost, make meaning out of the situation, and try not to judge ourselves or our feelings. In doing so, we make room for much to be gained.
Many times people in their addiction stay stuck in the cycle of believing, despite ample evidence to the contrary, that things are going well or at least aren’t going that bad. Staying stuck in original or pre-programmed thinking can further exasperate ongoing problems and leave one in a maladaptive position for environmental and social changes. Stubbornly adhering to previous dogma can be eminently enticing. 
