Addiction
Chances the Dog: A Symbol of Recovery and Second Chances
From being abused as a puppy by her original owners and being attacked by other dogs to surviving a handful of car accidents and two bouts of cancer, Chances, the lovable, often scarf-clad Boxer mix you’ve likely seen around Promises Treatment Centers, has been through a lot. But Patricia Meyers, Chances’ owner and Clinical Director of Admissions at Promises, knows that Chances is a survivor, and is here to help clients recovering at Promises.
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Supervision of Methadone Prescriptions Reduces Number of Related Deaths
Although the heroin substitute is known to effectively reduce heroin-related deaths among heroin addicts and facilitate better recovery during rehabilitation, use of methadone itself has raised concerns due to its potential for abuse, dependency, and overdose when misused by vulnerable patients. Because trends in heroin abuse and methadone prescribing among the UK population have continued to rise in recent years, Professor John Strang at the National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry in King’s College London and colleagues assessed the relationships between methadone-related deaths and the use of supervised methadone prescribing among the Scottish and English populations during 1993 to 2008.
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Addiction-Related Trauma
The consequences of an active and unchecked addictive disorder can be far reaching and devastatingly impactful as every aspect of an individual’s life becomes vulnerable to the effects of problematic substance use. Losses occur across the spectrum of daily life—in relationships, finances, physical health, mental and emotional stability, self-esteem, self-image, spirituality, motivation and confidence. The possibility of these types of significant loss increases with the progression of addiction. Furthermore, the cumulative effects of multiple losses and the grief that attends them can become overwhelming.
Writers In Treatment Hosts Second Annual Reel Recovery Film Festival
The Los Angeles-based nonprofit recovery organization for writers affected by alcoholism or substance abuse, Writers In Treatment (WIT), will be hosting its second annual Reel Recovery Film Festival from October 27–30 in Hollywood, California, and November 11–14 in Nashville, Tennessee. After its successful debut in 2009, the Reel Recovery Film Festival is continuing to celebrate prevention, intervention, and recovery from life-debilitating substance addictions and the preservation of natural creativity.
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Video Game Addiction Growing in England
London’s The Evening Post reported that an increasing number of young people in England are seeking treatment for addiction to video games. Young addicts are skipping meals, stealing money from their parents to buy games, and ditching school—all in the name of playing video games. An expert warned that for some teens, playing games for two hours can produce the same high as using cocaine.
Resilience Factor Low in Mice with Depression
Scientists have discovered a mechanism that helps to explain resilience to stress, vulnerability to depression and how antidepressants work. The new findings, in the reward circuit of mouse and human brains, have spurred a high tech dragnet for compounds that boost the action of a key gene regulator there, called deltaFosB.
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Celebrity Deaths Highlight Power of Addiction
Addiction is hard to get over, no matter the drug of choice. The recent overdose and death of actor Corey Haim demonstrates the impact addition and drug use can have on a life, no matter what path the individual has taken.
ABC News posted a recent piece, highlighting the impact addiction can have even on an individual who claimed to be clean. Haim had struggled with a cocaine and Valium addiction and was reportedly admitted to rehab centers more than 15 times. In recent years, he had claimed he was clean.
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An Interview with Kimberly Mitchell: Residential Manager at Promises
“This is the first time in my life that I actually enjoy going to work every day,” said Kimberly Mitchell, Residential Manager of Promises in West Los Angeles. “I get to move around and help people, and every day I’m inspired by the staff and the clients,” she added.
Nearly four years ago, Kimberly was working at an architectural firm and realized that her career wasn’t fulfilling to her because she wasn’t helping people in need. Her boss agreed that she needed to switch careers, so they searched for jobs together, which led her to apply for an office manager position at Promises. When she interviewed, she was recommended for a different position—a Tech (short for Rehabilitation Technician) —because she would be more hands-on with the clients. After working as a Tech for about two years, Kimberly was promoted to Residential Manager, and she now supervises a team of about 17 Techs.
“A Tech gives support and direction to the clients at all times, making sure they’re following the rules and upholding the integrity of the program,” Kimberly explained. “Techs are the eyes and ears of the clinical team, always reporting back the events of the day; they also spend the most amount of time with the clients, and they are always there to fulfill any need.”
Kimberly explained that in her role as Residential Manager, she ensures that the Techs are completing their assignments, that the clients are monitored properly during detox, and that the simple things—like having coffee available first thing in the morning—are taken care of. “Part of my role is not only managing Techs and clients but also making sure that clients are getting their needs met,” she said. “I also help the clinical team individualize treatment plans, making sure clients are getting exactly what they need.”
When asked to describe a typical day for clients, Kimberly said that clients perform morning chores, attend a meditation group, go to the gym, and attend group and individual meetings and therapy sessions, followed by a 12-step meeting and a 10-step meeting at the end of the day.
“Clients are asked to think of an intention every morning, which is a goal for the day, such as maintaining a positive attitude,” Kimberly explained. “At the end of the day in 10th-step, clients talk about how they did with their intention—did they follow through, or did they struggle? Clients talk about any resentment they felt throughout the day and write them down, and they also write a gratitude list to remind them that although they may have had a rough day, they have many things in their lives to be thankful for,” she said.
One of the things Kimberly likes most about working at Promises is the staff. “It can be scary to be a new client, but the staff is so warm and welcoming that we make the transition easier for them,” she said. “It’s also great when clients come back—for instance, we just had someone who was here as a patient three years ago apply to work for Promises. Her experience at Promises was so great that she wanted to continue to be a part of it,” she continued. “I also love the clients. I’m a recovering addict with a little over 8 years of sobriety, so I’ve been in their shoes, and I think they’re amazing.”
“We have a client who has only been here for three days, and he’s already telling people that Promises is the best place to be. When asked why, he says that whenever you turn around there’s a staff member, so your needs are always met, and that the atmosphere is amazingly warm and welcoming,” she recounted.
“It’s all about the staff; we do what we say we’re going to do,” Kimberly said when asked what makes Promises stand out from other treatment centers. “The majority of people who work here have been in similar situations as the clients, so we have a better understanding of what they’re going through,” she said.
“I don’t think there’s one person at Promises who is just here to collect a paycheck—everyone here loves what they do. It’s about helping clients get back on their feet, helping them to be children, friends, husbands, and wives again.”
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An Interview with Susanne Tarleton, Director of Outpatient Services
By Meghan O’Dell
With nearly 24 years of experience working in the addiction treatment field, Susanne Tarleton brings a wealth of knowledge, creativity, and heart to her job as the Director of Outpatient Services at Promises Treatment Centers. A licensed clinical psychologist with a doctorate in clinical psychology and a certification in drug and alcohol counseling, Susanne has been an integral part of the Promises treatment team for 11 years.
After working as a clinical psychologist at St. John’s Hospital and Cedars-Sinai, Susanne was introduced to the founder of Promises, Richard Rogg, and was asked to be the Clinical Director of Promises in Malibu, a position she held for ten years. “I could do things at Promises that I couldn’t do in hospitals, and that was very inspiring for me,” she said, explaining that she also developed the equine therapy program at Promises, which was the first in the region. “We started the equine therapy phenomenon, and now it’s standard treatment at many treatment centers.”
One of the reasons Susanne became a psychologist is that she started seeing so many other symptoms in addition to substance abuse, such as depression and anxiety. She wanted to learn more, which led her to specializing in dual diagnosis. Susanne also trained in trauma work, including EMDR and somatic experiencing. Many people who suffer from addiction have experienced trauma and turn to alcohol and drugs to self-medicate, so identifying trauma is an integral part of treatment.
Last year, Susanne was presented with the opportunity to become the Director of Outpatient Services in West Los Angeles. “They wanted the program to have a strong clinical foundation, so I was excited to accept,” she said, explaining that she’s been in this position since July 2009. “We recently moved into a wonderfully spacious building, which is very conducive to giving clients the space they need to recover. I think the environment has so much to do with how people heal,” she added.
In Outpatient Services, clients experience the next stage of recovery—the transition back to work, home, and life in general. They are taught life skills and can participate in yoga, a nutrition group, and a life coaching program. “We are preparing people for what comes next,” Susanne explained. “Clients are assigned a primary clinician just as they are in residential treatment, and they also have a family therapist,” she added. “We’ve really expanded family therapy, as addiction doesn’t just affect the individual—family members need to be just as involved in treatment.”
Susanne notes that the most important element is the client’s connection with the individual therapist. “While group is also important, clients form a connection with their therapist or counselor and that connection is what helps them throughout the program,” she explained, adding that feedback surveys show that the clients agree. “But the connection with peers and the 12-step community is also very important,” she added. “Our mission is to help people connect with ongoing recovery, because as they step down, they need to be more engaged with the outside world. They need to build a life outside of meetings, but they also need to integrate the 12-step model into their lives and use the resources we equip them with.”
Many times clients want to extend their time in the outpatient program. “They form a connection and a bond, and I think it’s because we treat the individual and give special attention to their specific needs,” Susanne said. “The staff is like a family, and the way we communicate and interact is key to helping clients. It also makes clients feel supported and comfortable. The clients know that the staff is very skilled and professional, but they’re also very human and accessible,” she added, noting that Promises provides a great deal of structure without being rigid. “That compassionate understanding is very attractive, and people will tell us Promises is like no other place they’ve been,” she said, adding that the creative, individualized treatment at Promises makes it stand out among other treatment centers.
Susanne noted that the outpatient program doesn’t just treat Promises clients—people from the community or those who have been through other treatment programs are welcomed with open arms. “Some people think we are simply the next phase of treatment for Promises patients, but we’re much more than that,” she explained. “We also have a lot of fun—we take recovery very seriously but we also know that life needs to be fun; it needs to be celebrated.”
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Tracing the Pattern of Drug Use to Drug Dependence
What makes the difference between a casual drink and alcohol dependence? How do you know when someone goes from trying marijuana now and then to having a serious abuse problem? Scientists still do not know how all of the factors involved in substance abuse work together, but a series of studies provides insight into how age plays a factor in going from using a substance to abusing it.
Three studies provide related information with a glimpse at the patterns of drug abuse. In 1994, Anthony, Warner and Kessler provided information showing probabilities for drug use and drug dependence. A 2002 study by Wagner and Anthony compared the time difference between a first experimentation with a drug or alcohol and the progression to drug dependence. In 2007 Wagner & Anthony explored the gender differences in these patterns. All three studies used data from the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS) from 1990-1992.
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