spirituality

Holistic Recovery

December 10, 2017 // by Aton Center

The holistic approach to recovery addresses the needs of the whole person.

In order to successfully treat the whole person, AToN Center focuses on a person’s physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and social needs. The way we address physical needs is through possible detoxification, medication, nutrition, sleep/rest as well as an understanding of what the body will go through during the different phases of recovery.

Emotional needs are nurtured through learning to identify feelings and communicate them honestly as they arise. Recovery is a learning process and mental health returns as coping skills build. Spiritual growth is achieved through spiritual practices and explorations of beliefs and is the inner strength that fuels our success. AToN Center addresses social needs by encouraging regular interaction with others, especially people who are also in the early stages of recovery.

AToN Center offers our residents four holistic sessions a week and have an array of holistic services to choose from. AToN Center strives to encourage the connection between the physical body as well as the emotional and spiritual components of self.

Kate Judd

CD Counselor

AToN Center 888-535-1516

Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome

November 27, 2017 // by Aton Center

When residents enter into treatment, often they fear the physical withdrawal symptoms and forget about the emotional and psychological withdrawal symptoms that can make long-term sobriety so difficult.

These emotional and psychological symptoms comprise the second stage of withdrawal, called “Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome” or P.A.W.S. There is no set length of time that these symptoms may linger. It depends on variables such as age, length and type of substance misuse, environment, and recovery program.

Post Acute Withdrawal symptoms may include the following:

Lethargy
Anhedonia
Emotional Lability
Stress Sensitivity
Memory Problems
Sleep Disturbances
Physical Coordination Problems

At AToN Center, we teach you how to manage P.A.W.S symptoms by providing recovery study groups, mindfulness exercises and developing healthy habits with emphasis on the following:

Stabilization and Awareness (Mindfulness)
Nutrition
Exercise
Relaxation
Spirituality
Balanced Living

While there is no short- term “cure” for Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome, AToN Center focuses on developing the ability to accept and manage the uncomfortable symptoms. Recovery from addiction is a process that requires learning new coping skills and developing a healthy support group to be maintained long after leaving AToN Center.

Kate Judd M.S., CADC-II
CD Counselor

AToN Center 888-525-1516

CD Counselor

Is The Serenity Prayer Useful?

June 18, 2017 // by Aton Center

On the walls of thousands of AA meeting rooms, in any of a variety of languages, this invocation can be seen: God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, The courage to change the things we can, And the wisdom to know the difference.

These few sentences are often a source of contention for those seeking help who are not religious and/or do not subscribe to God. Although this mantra can be very powerful to others, there are some individuals who just can’t buy into the message because of the religious content.

Increasingly there are other acceptable philosophies of treatment beyond traditional 12-Step programs. In fact a quick search online shows that many more secular organizations and even private individuals have re-written this “prayer” to meet their own needs. Many delete the word God and fill in whatever suits them. Others focus on their perception of how to attain serenity.

Google defines serenity as “the state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled.” Virtually anyone can get on board with striving for serenity, we all just may have different opinions on how to achieve that goal. Whether you believe that serenity is achievable through God or your own personal life experience or hard work, the important message is that it is achievable.

And AToN Center can help you get there! 888-535-1516

The Three Pillars of Human Spirituality

June 10, 2017 // by Aton Center

The shamans, healers, sages, and wisdom keepers of all times, all continents, and all peoples, in their ageless wisdom, say that human spirituality is composed of three aspects: relationships, values, and life purpose. These three components are so tightly integrated that it may be hard to separate them from each other. But if this were possible, take a moment to reflect on each aspect of human spirituality to determine the status of your spiritual well-being. This will be a monthly, three part series, beginning with relationships.

Relationships:

In simple terms, there are two categories of relationships: internal (your domestic policy)—how you deal with yourself, how you nurture the relationship with yourself and your higher self—and external (your foreign policy)—how you relate, support, and interact with those people (and all living entities) in your environment.

How would you evaluate your internal relationship and what steps could you take to cultivate it?

Moving from the aspect of domestic policy to foreign policy, how would you evaluate your external relationships?

Paul Aguirre
CD Counselor

AToN Center 888-535-1516

Three Pillars of Spirituality Part 3: A Meaningful Purpose in Life

September 4, 2014 // by Aton Center

Perhaps the two most important questions you can ever ask yourself are: “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?”. These two questions, ubiquitous in every culture, are the catalysts for profound thought. The question, “Why am I here?” speaks to the heart of finding a meaningful purpose in life, and while it may appear that the answer changes over time, there is an underlying purpose to everything we do as well. As a teenager, it may seem like the purpose in life is to have fun. Later on, it may be to raise a family or care for family members. While all of these are valid reasons for living, philosophers speak of greater meaning in life such as learning to love. Viktor Frankl, in his classic book, Man’s Search for Meaning, speaks of a purposeful meaning as being the most important aspect on the spiritual journey. It was Frankl’s observation from his time spent in a Nazi concentration camp that people who had found meaning in their lives found a reason to live through the horrors of the Holocaust, whereas those who had lost meaning succumbed to death.It was Frankl’s opinion that suffering arises when meaning seems to evaporate, yet we can always find a new meaning in life (8). In the words of Carl Jung, “As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.”(9) From The Art of Peace and Relaxation Workbook by Brian Luke Seaward

Paul Aguirre

CD Counselor

Three Pillars of Spirituality Part 2

August 6, 2014 // by Aton Center

Part 1 discussed relationship as the first pillar of Spirituality.

Part 2 focuses on “Your Personal Value System.”

We each have a value system composed of core supporting values. Core Values (about four to six) are those that form the foundation of our personal belief systems. Supporting values support the core values. Intangible core values (eg., love, honesty, freedom) and supporting values (eg., education, creativity, and integrity) are often symbolized in material possession. Quite regularly, our personal value system tends to go through a reorganization process; particularly when there are conflicts in our values. What are your core supporting values?

You can list them 1-5 Core Values and 1-5 Supporting Values

Next segment will conclude with all Three Pillars of Spirituality.

Paul Aguirre
CD Counselor

Alternative Treatment Modalities

October 25, 2013 // by Aton Center

Alternative Treatment Modalities

Many of the residents who enter treatment at AToN express a desire to explore alternate paths for achieving and sustaining recovery. At AToN we encourage residents in this endeavor by having them examine all aspects of self; physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. This spiritual aspect can be mysterious or elusive.

During our week-end spirituality groups I offer the idea of spirituality as a means of connecting. While this might mean connecting to something larger such as the universe or a higher power, it can be as simple as connecting with our true and more authentic self. The wisdom we receive from simply taking the time to listen mindfully can be astonishingly revealing about the path towards recovery.

Joshua Persoff, CADC-II
AToN Center 888-535-1516

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