recovery program

Being Open

April 27, 2018 // by Aton Center

Sometimes you don’t even know that you’re stuck. Sometimes you think things are going along quite well and then suddenly, as if out of nowhere, you get a big jolt of reality. You fail to meet an expectation, the numbers are not what they “should” be or you get confusing feedback when you thought everything was just fine.

Being open means having an attitude of acceptance to feedback. Being open means that you let go of the “my way” approach and listen to others who might have a new perspective. It is often hard to let go of ego, pride and things that worked in the past.

Being open means being humble, calm and seeing things from a new perspective. If it’s possible that your way just isn’t working and the results are not what you want, let go and try something new.

Chad K. Cox PsyD

AToN Center 888-535-1516

Staying Sober After Residential Treatment

February 6, 2018 // by Aton Center

While staying sober can be a daunting task, there are things you can do to increase your chances of staying sober after residential treatment. However, staying sober after residential treatment actually requires a lot of effort while you are still IN residential treatment!

The most important thing you can do while you are still in residential treatment is to create a solid and structured discharge plan. This includes not underestimating the strength of your addiction; therefore following your treatment provider’s recommendations regarding the level of structure and treatment you need upon discharge is key. At AToN Center, each resident’s discharge plan is individualized – based on your home environment, the level of enabling identified in your family system, the strength of your addiction, etc. You may not like the discharge recommendations, but they are made with your best interests at heart!

Once you have your identified discharge plan, ensure that all of your appointments are scheduled within several days of your discharge. Accessing your support system is essential to assisting you with the bridge from residential treatment to outpatient treatment. Identify which community support meetings you will attend – specifically the dates and times of these meetings! Whether you are attending SMART Recovery, LifeRing, Refuge, 12 Step, or another type of meeting, you have many options available to you for support in a pinch!

During treatment, it is also imperative that you think carefully about your internal and external triggers and identify coping skills for each. Additionally, be vigilant about learning about your relapse warning signs so you can catch yourself slipping early in the process. Talk with your friends and loved ones about what support you need from them and have plans in place in an emergency.

Once you have discharged, you MUST show up to these scheduled appointments! Even if you feel strong, just go! Residential treatment is an important foundation for your recovery, but your work is not yet done . . . the most positive growth we at AToN have seen is from individuals who have immersed themselves in their Aftercare support, built sober relationships, continued to seek treatment and have continued introspection about the current status of their recovery.

Here at AToN we wish you all of the best and hope for your continued growth and happiness.

Cassandra Cannon, Ph.D. – PSY24315
Clinical Director
AToN Center 888-535-1516

Rock Bottom?

January 17, 2018 // by Aton Center

There is a long-held belief in the field of addiction services that people need to “bottom out” before treatment can and will help. The idea assumes that, unless someone “hits rock bottom,” then he or she will never experience the life-altering realization needed to change. Like many of the phrases and slogans borrowed in addiction treatment, the notion that someone must hit rock bottom to change lacks merit. While undoubtedly, some people will stop after a near catastrophic event in their lives – an overdose, a car accident, the loss of a marriage, a career.

For most, though, such events can undermine motivation to change, and actually limit the likelihood of a successful treatment outcome.¹If rock bottom ends with the loss of the only person that someone has ever trusted, who will help manage the panic that often derails rehab admissions? Or if rock bottom ends with a serious injury and chronic pain, why would someone stop using the pills and alcohol that provides them relief?

The problem with the rock bottom approach is that, sometimes, a lot of the time, people end up without a reason to change. Damage or deprive someone to an extreme, and what will serve as their motivation? What will be left to strive for? Keep in mind, as well, that the longer the delay in seeking treatment, the greater someone will cognitively and physically deteriorate, to the point that change becomes even more challenging to achieve.

Like many of the canons in the field of addiction treatment, the “rock bottom” explanation gives license to providers, to avoid their own helplessness in treating addictions. The concept of rock bottom enables a clinician to cast blame solely on the so-called addict when a treatment episode flounders. It’s not that the provider failed to use the right interventions, or to aptly facilitate those interventions, treatment failed simply because someone needs to suffer more, until he or she can admit that they need help. It’s a rather archaic approach to treatment that stems from the pre-modern practice of repentance.

Repentance – as the antecedent to the word penitentiary – prescribes misery as the only remedy to moral failings. In a nutshell, then, the concept of rock bottom concludes that those with addictions must suffer, must be punished, they must atone to be saved. It’s a conclusion that assumes a harsh life lesson will help shape a morally correct choice. It’s a conclusion very much at odds with current research into addictive disorders. It’s the type of conclusion that continues to stall the evolution of addiction treatment in this country.

Kevin Murphy, Psy.D
Psychologist
AToN Center 888-535-1516

Regular Physical Exercise is a key Component to a Healthy Lifestyle

November 14, 2017 // by Aton Center

For a lot of people, part of their recovery plan is focusing on holistic health: mind, heart and body. Regular physical exercise is a key component to a healthy lifestyle, because it works on both mind and body. According to the CDC, regular exercise helps to reduce your risk of some diseases, maintain a healthy weight, increase longevity, keep you active into your later years, and improve your mood and mental health.

Regular exercise can lower your blood pressure, which can help to reduce anxiety. It pumps oxygen to your brain, lowers your stress hormones, and even helps your brain to make new connections – which improves memory and learning. It also increases the “anti-depressant” chemicals in your brain like serotonin and endorphins, making exercise the best non-medication therapy for your heart and mind.

At AToN addiction treatment center, staff and alumni are participating this weekend in the Heroes in Recovery 6K in Mission Bay. This is a great way to either jump-start a more active lifestyle, or to keep that activity going – and a chance to do it while having a good time with good company!

Kirsten Helgager, PsyD
Psychologist
AToN Center 888-535-1516

Community Meetings

October 29, 2017 // by Aton Center

Social support in early recovery has been proven to be a huge help in a transition from a life of addiction to a life of recovery. Bonds with other people in recovery can help bolster confidence and conviction that a life fueled by alcohol and drugs leads to despair and misery. Relationships with like- minded people who can truly empathize with what it feels like to be in recovery and quell the loneliness and uncertainty of a sober lifestyle are invaluable.

At AToN Center, we require residents to attend at least one community support meeting per week to encourage the forming of social bonds in recovery. It has been shown that this requirements aids in the continuity between residential treatment and aftercare. AToN Center does not favor any one particular self- help meeting, in fact, we provide a variety of self-help meetings so that the resident can determine what resonates with them. The following is a list and brief description of some of the self- help meetings we offer on a weekly basis:

Refuge Recovery: According to founder, Noah Levine, it’s a Buddhist path to recovery. It is a practice, a process, a set of tools, a treatment and a path to healing addiction and the suffering caused by addiction.

Alcoholics Anonymous: An international mutual aid fellowship founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr Bob Smith. Its primary purpose is to help alcoholics stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety. This self- help meeting utilizes the 12 Step approach where participants give their will and life over to a higher power, take a fearless moral inventory, and commit to helping the alcoholic that still suffers.

Life Ring: A secular, non- profit organization providing peer run addiction recovery groups. The organization provides support and assistance to people seeking to recover from alcohol or drug addiction, and also provides support for their family members.

SMART Recovery: Self- Management and Recovery Training is an international non- profit organization which provides assistance to individuals seeking abstinence from addiction behaviors. The approach used is secular and scientifically based using non- confrontational motivational, behavioral and cognitive methods.

*Definitions of meetings from Wikepedia

Kate Judd MS, CADC II
CD Counselor
AToN Center 888-535-1516

Sexual Compulsion and Methamphetamine Addiction

October 25, 2017 // by Aton Center

Many people believe that treatment for substance use disorders means that a person simply learns to discontinue the illicit use of a drug or alcohol. However, it is often much more complicated than that. Substance use may be linked to other process addictions such as sexual compulsion. Due to the fact that substance use disorders and process addictions feed each other, they should ideally be addressed at the same time. Methamphetamine addiction and sexual compulsion often go hand in hand.

According to Elements Behavioral Health 87% of male sex addicts are also addicted to a drug. Use of methamphetamines increases sex drive and can lead to obsessive sexual activity. It decreases inhibitions and increases energy levels of users so that sexual activity lasts longer and involves more risk. The use of methamphetamines to engage in sex increases the likelihood of contracting HIV and other STDs. It also increases the likelihood of engaging in risky sexual behavior where the safety of the participant takes a back seat to the compulsion and thrill.

It is thought that chemical and process addictions are the result of traumatic experiences and the subsequent belief system that these experiences create. Processing abuse, shame, and other adverse experiences is paramount to recovery. At AToN Center, we offer trauma therapy such as EMDR, DBT, CBT, ACT, holistic therapies and Biofeedback to address these traumatic experiences, learn coping mechanisms and facilitate corrective experiences.

The most difficult aspect of this work for a person struggling with methamphetamine addiction and sexual compulsion is to openly discuss these behavioral patterns for fear of judgment and ridicule. Behaviors exhibited while under the influence of meth are often a departure from the person’s value system and inspire a feeling of tremendous humiliation.

The courage and tenacity that recovery from methamphetamine abuse and sexual compulsion requires are not taken for granted at AToN Center. People willing to confront this co-occurring condition are brave and are treated with the utmost respect and positive regard from AToN clinicians and staff. We welcome all those who want to live by their own unique value system.

Kate Judd MS, CADC II
CD Counselor
AToN Center 888-535-1516

Early Recovery: Making New Friends

October 12, 2017 // by Aton Center

All your friends were once strangers. A slightly intimidating dynamic can come into your life in early recovery: Making new friends. In our work with residents at the AToN center we highly encourage participation in community based recovery groups. The can be 12-step, SMART recovery or any of the various available alternatives. Spending time in rooms where others are openly discussing and working on recovery can be an invaluable asset. However, this also means getting through the nerves that can come from going to a place where you don’t know anyone and they may already have an established social dynamic. Here are a few tops to get the ball rolling on building new social support in your new recovery.

Try many meetings – Sometimes you will have to attend a number of different meetings at different times and at different locations in order to find one that works for you. To be honest there are bad meetings out there but don’t let those few experiences generalize to all of the meetings out there.

Go multiple times – Meetings can take on different vibes on different weeks depending on the attendees. If you are consistent in attending on meeting for a few weeks you will start to get a better feel for who the consistent participants are and their approach to recovery.

Small talk – If you aren’t ready to make disclosures about big picture struggles in your life you may want to start with something less intimidating. You can talk about movies, local restaurants, music, TV shows, pets, where you have lived, clothes, sports, etc. Sometimes the small talk will lead to the “big” talks.

Make time – Working your schedule so you can show up early and leave late will give you the breathing room to have the “meeting after the meeting.”

Ask for connection – During the meeting if you take a moment to disclose to the group that you are looking to build more support and find good meetings others will very often take the time to approach you after session.

These are just a few tips that will help you develop your own “recovery family” that will provide you with a crucial safety net throughout your recovery.

Chad K. Cox PsyD
AToN Center 888-535-1516

SMART Recovery as a Treatment Model

September 11, 2017 // by Aton Center

SMART Recovery, as a treatment model, incorporates parts of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with mindfulness training and what is referred to as the SENs. The emphasis on Sleep, Exercise, and Nutrition highlights the SMART emphasis on lifestyle balance as a key component in recovery. Philosophically, the SMART-model approaches addiction from a client-centered perspective, with the fundamental assumption that change-talk more than any other variable predicts long-term recovery.

The model is very much aligned with the principles of Motivational Interviewing. In a nutshell, the more change-talk that a therapist can nurture early on in treatment, the more likely an ambivalent client will continue with therapy. Change-talk, it is argued, helps to internalize motivation to quit, and to underscore the reasons why someone may need to quit. All the while, it enhances a client’s confidence in his or her ability to actually change the course of his or her life.

The SMART-approach relies on the client’s wisdom, assuming as it does that the individual already possesses the answers and skills needed to stop. Since the SMART-model stresses self-control and collaboration with clients, while promoting the idea that recovery may not necessarily be a life-long struggle, it’s a treatment modality better suited for those who identify themselves as independent-minded.

If you shy away from meetings, for the sake of your individuality, then the SMART-model may be an alternative approach to help you or a loved-one quit.

Kevin Murphy, PsyD
Licensed Psychologist
AToN Center 888-535-1516

Relapse Rates Are Comparable to Other Chronic Diseases

September 1, 2017 // by Aton Center

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, addiction’s relapse rates are comparable to other chronic diseases – such as diabetes, hypertension and asthma. According to:

This is one of the reasons that continued support is vital for those seeking to maintain a sober lifestyle. AToN Center not only recommends our residents continue treatment at the next level of care upon discharge, but we also seek to foster an active and healthy sober support system for our Alumni. Each resident who completes treatment at AToN is afforded lifetime privileges in our Aftercare Program. This includes a weekly phone call from a clinician and weekly support groups on Saturdays on AToN Campus.

AToN hosts quarterly events for our Alumni, including New Years Day celebrations, a 6K walk/run and other events. Additionally, our AToN Alumni Committee is active in reaching out to each other and to new Alums to create added support. Many of our Alums are eager to assist those on their new path to recovery and to share the joy they have found themselves in this new lifestyle.

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

Coping with Panic Attacks, Mindfully

June 29, 2017 // by Aton Center

Panics attack may come suddenly and feel terrifying. They often leave us feeling very alone, isolated and very afraid. Panic attacks may be caused by perceived fear, worry or trauma. For those in recovery from addiction it is essential to be extremely cautious when responding to increased anxiety, depression or panic attacks.

Mindfulness practices offer the person in recovery a protocol to turn to when feeling a panic attack. This article from Mindful (https://www.mindful.org/4-ways-curb-panic-attack/) offers Four Mindfulness Tips for healthy coping skills when feeling overwhelmed by a panic attack. Included in this article is a free, 5-Minute Guided Breathing Meditation.

At AToN Center, residents learn and practice Mindfulness coping skills to use when the effects of guilt, shame, anxiety, fear or panic are recognized. Using coping skills like these help the suffering individual deal effectively with their feelings while remaining sober.

Chris McDuffie, RADT-1
Chemical Dependency Counselor
AToN Center 888-535-1516

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