Dr Cassandra Cannon

A Message to Families of Substance Abusers

April 8, 2018 // by Aton Center

Many of you may have heard that Jackie Chan, who is a Narcotics Control Ambassador for the Chinese police, and is an anti-drug advocate, has been struggling with some recent events. It has become known that his son, Jaycee, has been arrested for drug related charges. Per RTE Ten news, the elder Chan stated, “With regards to the incident involving my son Jaycee, I am very angry and shocked. As a public figure, I am ashamed. As a father, I am very sad and his mother is heartbroken. I told Jaycee: if you have done something wrong, you must bear the consequences. As your father, I am willing to face the road ahead with you.”

I think many of us can relate to the Chan family – conflicting emotions, including anger, confusion, and sometimes self-blame can be experienced when drug use comes to light. I think we can learn from the Chan’s response, which includes acknowledging natural emotions, encouraging loved ones to experience the natural and logical consequences of their behaviors, and finally to “share the road ahead,” during the difficult process of recovery. At the AToN Center, our residents participate in family work, which includes acknowledgement of how use has affected the family, how the family can assist in recovery, and creating expectations and guidelines for the resident after discharge. Sometimes, additional family sessions are held when necessary.

Ultimately, the AToN Clinical Team hopes to assist the families in whatever way may be needed; sometimes that includes education on enabling, or problem solving current or potential issues that may arise. All in all – the AToN Clinical Team recommends that families receive their own support; whether that be from their own individual therapy, attending SMART Friends and Family, or Al-Anon.

Cassandra Cannon, Ph.D.

Clinical Director

AToN Center 888-535-1516

Support that Recovery Residents Give to Each Other

January 1, 2018 // by Aton Center

One of the most common things I notice here at AToN Center is the support that our residents give to each other. When a new resident walks into our doors, they have been in isolation; hiding their use, lying to themselves and others, and frightened about the new chapter to come: Recovery. Very quickly the new resident is welcomed by staff and veteran residents. The new addition to the AToN Family often feels safe, welcome and understood.

Our residents become close to one another as they share and participate in each other’s recovery. It is a unique and cherished experience that our residents have here. Often, they are excited yet nervous to leave the safe and supportive environment at AToN.

Residents who tend to excel after exiting our doors are the residents who build a new support system. They attend support meetings consistently and they attend other levels of treatment such as sober living and intensive outpatient programming. Please do not neglect this vital aspect of your recovery. Get support, and be supportive – it will be a safeguard to your recovery.

Cassandra Cannon, Ph.D.
Clinical Director
AToN Center 888-535-1516

Live With a Higher Purpose

November 5, 2017 // by Aton Center

Lately I have found myself asking our residents the following question: “What do you do that brings you self fulfillment and joy?” This question is often met with a shrug of the shoulders or a blank stare.

One of AToN‘s Foundations for Recovery is, “Live with a higher purpose.” I think this foundation is important in pointing all of us toward personal growth and happiness.

At times our lives give us opportunities to reinvent ourselves – and recovery is a perfect opportunity to look within ourselves and find a higher purpose. This higher purpose can bring increase life satisfaction and propel us through the “lows” in life. So take some time to contemplate how you can enrich your life.

You can start by volunteering, taking a new class, begin a new hobby or explore your spiritual side. If you have any suggestions for how YOU have enriched your life, please feel free to comment!

Cassandra Cannon, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Health Psychologist
AToN Center 888-535-1516

Manage Emotions In Recovery

July 5, 2017 // by Aton Center

One of the foundations of recovery as taught at AToN Center is the importance of managing emotions. This seems to be a stumbling block that can be overcome when we have realistic expectations regarding emotional health. One of the biggest misconceptions about emotions is that one should be happy “all the time.” This can set us up for failure when we have this expectation. In fact, much of the time the average person experiences neutral emotions a large portion of the time.

I encourage our residents to be appreciative of the joyful moments – and when the sorrowful periods of life come your way, to employ some basic emotion management strategies.

First – remind yourself that uncomfortable emotions are temporary. They will not last forever.
Second – do not try to hide from your emotions, rather sit with them and experience them.
Next – practice healthy self care strategies such as appropriate nutrition, exercise and sleep.
Finally – be patient with yourself and congratulate yourself for getting through uncomfortable feelings without sabotaging your recovery!

Dr. Cassandra Cannon
Clinical Director
Licensed Psychologist
AToN Center 888-535-1516

Do I Have a Problem with Addiction?

June 26, 2017 // by Aton Center

It can be difficult to look in the mirror and admit it. How do you admit that you’ve got a problem that seems so overwhelming? The stigma of the word, “addiction,” is enough to bury your head in the sand.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

Does my drinking/drug use interfere with my job? My family and relationships? Do I have legal problems because of this?

A common questionnaire is the “CAGE Questionnaire,” which is used internationally as a screening tool:

Have you felt you ought to cut down on your drinking or drug use?

Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking or drug use?

Have you felt bad or guilty about your drinking or drug use?

Have you ever had a drink or used drugs first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover (eye opener)?

If you have answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may benefit from at least checking out a SMART Recovery and/or a 12 Step meeting. Remember, there is a whole community of individuals who are willing to reach out and assist you in your time of need.

Cassandra Cannon, Ph.D.
Clinical Director
AToN Center 888-535-1516

Approach Coping Responses

June 9, 2017 // by Aton Center

At AToN Center, a large portion of treatment is focusing on developing positive coping responses to life’s stressors that can precipitate relapse. So an important question to ask is: “What are the best types of coping responses?”

Recent research suggests that the most positive and beneficial coping responses are called “Approach Coping Responses.” These responses to distress are problem focused and reflect cognitive and behavioral efforts to master or resolve life stressors. There are four specific types of approach coping responses: Logical analysis, positive reappraisal, seeking guidance and support and problem solving.

Logical Analysis – attempts to understand and prepare mentally for a stressor and its consequences. An example of this would be brainstorming different ways to manage a problem, or taking a step back from the situation in an effort to be more objective.

Positive Reappraisal – Cognitive attempts to construe and restructure a problem in a positive way while still accepting the reality of a situation. An example of positive reappraisal would include reframing your thoughts into more rational responses or focusing on the “silver lining” in a situation.

Seeking Guidance and Support – Behavioral attempts to seek information, guidance or support. Examples of utilizing this coping skill would include discussing your problem with close friends or family – or doing research to understand more about your problem.

Problem Solving –Behavioral attempts to take action to deal directly with the problem. Utilizing this coping skill would entail making a plan of action and following it and/or focusing on separating your plan of action into smaller steps and taking things “one day at a time.”

Those who tend to utilize the above coping skills have been shown to have less anxiety, depression and substance use than those who utilize “Avoidance Coping Responses,” which are characterized as attempts to avoid thinking about stressors and avoid emotional responses associated with the stressor.

Please take some time to complete a self inventory and assess your typical responses to life’s difficult times. If you are not using “Approach Coping Responses,” begin incorporating them into your life and you may see improvements in your overall well being.

Cassandra Cannon, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Health Psychologist and Clinical Director
AToN Center 888-535-1516

***A comprehensive review on research and coping responses can be found in the Coping Responses Inventory Professional Manual by Rudolf H. Moos, Ph.D. ***iv>

Relapse Prevention and Abstinence Self–Efficacy

May 14, 2017 // by Aton Center

Some researchers in the field of addictive behaviors have focused on the concept of “Abstinence self–efficacy”, which is defined as the confidence to abstain from using alcohol or drugs in different situations. Multiple research studies have identified increased abstinence self–efficacy as a consistent predictor of positive treatment outcome. Due to these findings, many treatment facilities attempt to increase their resident’s abstinence self–efficacy to further prepare them for success.

AToN Center’s San Diego rehab has been utilizing the Abstinence Self Efficacy Scale to measure abstinence self–efficacy. This scale address four separate domains: negative affect, social/celebratory, cravings/urges and physical discomfort. Negative Affect addresses one’s confidence in maintaining sobriety when experiencing emotional discomfort. Social/Celebratory addresses situations such as parties, vacations, etc. Cravings/Urges addresses confidence in managing triggers, and physical discomfort addresses the domains of pain, detoxification discomfort and other physical symptoms.

Take a moment and identify what your largest area of weakness may be. Use this knowledge to help you be vigilant in your every day life to help you bolster your success in recovery. Focus on increasing your skills and confidence in each area. Remember that AToN Center is here to help you along your path. I wish you success, health and happiness!

Cassandra Cannon, Ph.D., Clinical Health Psychologist – Clinical Director

AToN Center – Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center, California 888-535-1516

Benefits of Meditation in Recovery

February 9, 2017 // by Aton Center

At AToN Center, we strive to educate our residents on how to balance the mind, body and spirit. One important tool that many of our residents utilize is meditation. Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years, and for good reason! It can help with stress reduction and anxiety management.

During a meditative experience, the goal is to focus the mind and let go of competing thoughts that can cause unnecessary distractions. I will often say to our residents, “Notice any sounds that are distracting, let them go, and return your attention back to your breath.” This continued process can result in increased physical, spiritual and emotional well-being.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the emotional benefits of meditation include:

Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations
Building skills to manage your stress Increasing self-awareness
Focusing on the present
Reducing negative emotions

Research also suggests that meditation may be beneficial for physical conditions such as:

Allergies
Asthma
Binge eating
Cancer
Depression
Fatigue
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Pain
Sleep problems
Substance abuse

The most important thing to remember is to not judge your meditation skills! There is no right or wrong way to meditate, what matters is that you are attending to your personal needs by taking a break and practicing self-care.

Cassandra Cannon, Ph.D. – Licensed Clinical Psychologist
AToN Center 888-535-1516

Stress Awareness Month

April 10, 2014 // by Aton Center

April is Stress Awareness Month! Unfortunately, we all have stress in our lives. Some stress we are able to eliminate. When are are not able to eliminate stress, it is important to take good care of our emotional, spiritual and physical health.

Below are some tips from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Be sure to make time for fun and relaxation so you’ll be better able to handle life’s stressors. Carve some time out of your day – even 10 to 15 minutes – to take care of yourself. Also, remember that exercise is an excellent stress reliever. Everyone has different ways they like to relax and unwind.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Take a walk
• Read a book
• Go for a run
• Have a cup of tea
• Play a sport
• Spend time with a friend or loved one
• Meditate (learn how in the sidebar)
• Do yoga

Take care –

Cassandra Cannon, Ph.D. – PSY24315 Licensed Clinical Psychologist Clinical Director

Thoughts

September 12, 2013 // by Aton Center

Our thoughts are powerful, Addiction Recovery Our thoughts are powerful. So powerful, that an entire style of therapy has been centered around how we identify and manage our thoughts. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is an evidenced based treatment for substance dependence, and AToN’s curriculum is centered on this treatment. Our residents learn how to identify their “automatic thoughts” which in turn influence their emotions.

Our private rehab residents not only learn how to identify these thoughts, but they also learn how to modify them into rational thoughts, which in turn can stabilize emotional distress. These techniques, once learned, must be continually utilized for maximum effect.

If you are interested in learning how to utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help you with relapse prevention and mood stabilization, AToN’s private rehab in San diego may be a good fit for you. Don’t hesitate to call AToN when you are ready to make the next step.

Cassandra Cannon, Ph.D.
Clinical Director
AToN Center, Private Rehab in San Diego 888-535-1516

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