In the United States Army, he was an E-4 Specialist with the 42 INF Div., serving in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  As a private person, Michael Hooper was a man struggling with alcohol abuse and depression.  He didn’t know where to get help until he called the Veteran’s Crisis Hotline.  From there Michael was introduced to SMART Recovery through the VA Hospital.  He knew from the first meeting it was “going to be a life changer,” but it wasn’t until a four-month intensive, inpatient program, that Michael realized how valuable the SMART Recovery program was for his survival. 

The program was effective for Michael because there was a direct sense of purpose and self-empowerment, which resonated with his military training.  After completing the facilitator training, he felt compelled to pay it forward and started facilitating his own meetings to share SMART with more people in his Hackensack, New Jersey, community. 

Now, in his new role as the State Outreach Director for Ohio, Michael will bring his authenticity, passion and lived experiences to new audiences that might otherwise never hear of SMART.  He says, “having grown up in a minority neighborhood, the need for non-profit services in these communities is great.  The individuals suffering in these communities deserve the same opportunities as everyone else.” He hopes to get more communities involved with meetings and available resources.  Michael will also continue to expand outreach within the VAs, schools, and prison systems in Ohio.  This is a “boots on the ground position,” he says, that will take him where he is needed because “outreach is here to help save lives.” 

Anil Seth is a neuroscientist whose main research interest is consciousness – a vast topic beyond the intent of this writing. I once attended a conference lecture Anil gave on consciousness during which Anil described a phenomenon I found very striking and I have never forgotten.

To skip my verbal description of what Anil showed us, jump down to “Try it yourself!”, watch the brief video clip, and then resume reading.

In the demonstration, without saying a word, Anil presented a video of a flat checkerboard of dark gray and light gray squares. Toward the top right corner was a cylinder sitting upright. The cylinder cast a shadow toward the bottom left corner.

Anil then claimed that the shadow was not making the light gray squares in the shadow seem darker. He said our minds were deceiving us. He said the light gray squares inside the shadow were the same color as the darker gray squares outside of the shadow. He claimed the lighter color of the squares in the shadow was placed upon those squares by our expectations, and that the squares were the same color.

I was totally confused because the shadow was so obvious to see and the shadow clearly made the light gray squares it fell on look darker. Anil said the squares were not lighter, our minds that made them look lighter because the shadow was there, and he could prove it.

Anil’s claim seemed silly. When he asked the audience if we thought he was very wrong we all agreed he was very wrong.

Then he produced a second checkerboard and slid a gray color stripe overlaying the gray squares in the shadow across the second board, and onto the first. As he slid it into place on the first board, the gray squares inside the shadow on the first checkerboard became the same color as the darker squares outside the shadow, and the shadow vanished. If he slid that stripe out of the way again the shadow suddenly returned, and the squares inside the shadow again looked lighter.

It was truly puzzling.

Try it yourself!

You can hear a minute of explanation and watch the demonstration here.  If you have an extra minute, let it run and watch the next demonstration too.  The second one is important because it has to do with what we hear, instead of what we see.

Anil explained we have enough experience in our lives with such images that our brain makes us perceive what our brain expects is there, instead of showing us what is there.

For example, when you read the title of this blog post you might have read part of it as “One-Size-Fits-All” instead of what it actually says.

During the presentation I attended, he explained that the difference with this phenomenon involving the checkerboard is that no matter what you do with your eyes or mind, or what anyone says, you cannot see anything except the color difference that is not there.  You are stuck seeing it incorrectly. Anil went on to say that type of error in perception results in what is called an “impenetrable cognition” where the person just can’t be convinced otherwise.

How does this apply to our efforts?

When I heard Anil describe all of this, I immediately wondered if some instances of what some people call “denial” are this phenomenon of impenetrable cognition instead. And I wondered if there are experiences that could be helpful — instead of things that cannot work in these instances, like attempts at verbal convincing?

In other words, as Norm Hoffmann sorts diagnostically using the Big 5, so we could sort therapeutically by the presence or absence of impenetrable cognition. 

Perhaps one day cognitive neuroscience and our field will have unified research inquiries toward helpful clinical methods where we are currently stuck.

Now Available in Spanish: Adult Drug Court Best Practice Standards

NADCP is thrilled to announce the Spanish-language translation of our groundbreaking Adult Drug Court Best Practice Standards! Produced in partnership with the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), part of the Organization of American States (OAS), these new publications will dramatically expand access to the more than 30 years of empirical research on drug treatment courts distilled in the standards.

A result of deliberate and thoughtful collaboration, the Spanish-language translation reflects that certain aspects of the U.S. drug treatment court model do not apply in other legal and cultural contexts. As such, this translation recognizes and respects the differences between the U.S. justice system and the various Latin American systems, with their different traditions and norms. It was reviewed extensively by a bilingual multinational committee of six experts in the various aspects of drug treatment courts to ensure that the translation is both faithful to the original and useful in the legal, social, and cultural context of the Spanish-speaking world. It is our hope that as the drug treatment court model and its principles of the dignity and value inherent in every human life continue to spread across the world, this translation will serve as a reference to help Spanish-speaking practitioners develop and implement their own evidence-based best practices for their courtrooms, treatment centers, and social reintegration programs, suited to their nations’ particular contexts.

Ahora disponible en español: los Estándares de Mejores Prácticas de los Tribunales de Tratamiento para Adultos

A la NADCP nos complace anunciar la traducción en español de nuestros innovadores Estándares de Mejores Prácticas de los Tribunales de Tratamiento para Adultos. Generados en colaboración con la Comisión Interamericana del Control de Abuso de Drogas (CICAD), que pertenece a la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA), estas nuevas publicaciones aumentarán, de manera contundente, el acceso a más de 30 años de investigación empírica de los tribunales de tratamiento que se sintetizan en los estándares.

Como resultado de una cooperación intencionada y reflexiva, la traducción en español establece y entiende que ciertos aspectos del modelo de los tribunales de tratamiento de los Estados Unidos no se aplican en otros contextos jurídicos y culturales. Asimismo, la traducción reconoce y respeta las diferencias entre el sistema de justicia penal estadunidense y los de los países de América Latina, con sus distintas tradiciones y normas. Fue revisada a profundidad por un comité multinacional bilingüe de seis expertos en los diversos aspectos de los tribunales de tratamiento para asegurar que se mantiene fiel a su versión original y útil en el contexto jurídico, social y cultural del mundo hispanohablante. Esperamos que, a medida que el modelo de los tribunales de tratamiento y sus principios de la dignidad y valor inherentes en cada vida humana continúen extendiéndose por el mundo, esta traducción sirva como referencia para ayudar a operadores hispanohablantes a desarrollar e implementar sus propias mejores prácticas basadas en evidencia para sus tribunales, centros de tratamiento y programas de reintegración social, idóneas para el contexto particular de sus respectivas naciones.

The post Now Available in Spanish: Adult Drug Court Best Practice Standards appeared first on NADCP.org.

We are pleased to announce the release of our newest Tips & Tools for Recovery that Works! video Unconditional Life Acceptance.

In this next episode of the Unconditional Acceptance series, we learn that while we may not have the ability to change our life circumstances immediately, we have the power to change the negative ways we think about them, learn what we can and cannot reasonably control, and how to work towards acceptance.

Click here to watch this helpful video on our YouTube channel.

Learn more about Unconditional Other Acceptance

Learn more about Unconditional Self Acceptance

Subscribe to the SMART Recovery YouTube Channel

Video storytelling is a powerful tool in recovery, and we are proud to share our SMART Recovery content free-of-charge, available anywhere, on any device. Our videos hope to inform, entertain, and inspire anyone in the recovery community.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel and be notified every time we release a new video.

Learning How to Play Again: 5 Tips for Safe & Sober Fun

“Even though you’re growing up, you should never stop having fun.” – Nina Dobrev

What does the word fun mean to you? In the past, you may have convinced yourself that “fun” was a term exclusively associated with substances and/or alcohol. One of the many challenges of recovery is the complete overhaul that is necessary in regard to the way that you have previously perceived socializing, leisure, and “fun” time.

Believe it or not, you can have a great time, you can be social, out-going, likeable, and most importantly–you can enjoy yourself without the lubrication of drugs or alcohol.

Here are 5 Tips for having Clean, Safe, Sober Fun (even while Social Distancing!):

ESTABLISH A NEW CIRCLE 

It’s an old adage, but there’s truth to the saying, you’re only as strong as your weakest friend. Changes in social circles and friendships are common for those in recovery. As you rebuild your life and grow after treatment, you may notice yourself pulling away from old friendships and relationships that no longer serve you. It is crucial to establish your support network inside and outside of the rooms. This doesn’t mean everyone you’re around has to also be in recovery–but it is imperative that those around you respect and support your journey in sobriety and wellness

BE THE LIFE OF THE PARTY

Excitement and fun don’t stop where your wellness begins. We’re living in an age that allows you to host an event from your bedroom with nothing more than a laptop and a web camera. Begin to re-imagine the way that you socialize with others, but start slow and ease your way into your new status quo. Begin with small groups of close friends while you work to rebuild your social confidence in your sobriety. If you’re hosting in-person, replace cocktails and alcoholic beverages with fun treats and deserts.  If you’re hosting a Zoom or web-based meeting, plan group activities that will keep you and guests entertained. Streaming parties for online music events, movies, and shows are a great way to feel connected and bond while Social Distancing.

GET TO KNOW YOURSELF 

The absence of drugs and alcohol creates space and time in your life again. You don’t have to fill these gaps with mundane activities. Tap into your passions, whether they are preexisting or brand new–music, crafting, painting, cooking, exercising, reading, building, volunteering–the list of possibilities is infinite. Find what excites you and then use this interest to connect with others! The internet and social media allow friendships within niche groups of interest to thrive. Private groups, forums, online classes and meetings exist around the clock and around the globe, and can be found with a simple web search. If you can’t find a group that interests you, take charge and start your own.

CHANGE YOUR PERCEPTION OF FUN BY GIVING BACK

Having fun is something that is associated with positive feelings, disregarding the passage of time, and being present in a moment. There are countless ways to access these feel-good emotions, including through service. Volunteering your time can allow you to connect with others on a basis in which you are giving back. Acts of selflessness such as volunteering can help you meet others in a safe environment, while also boosting your own self-esteem.

BE PATIENT

You will hear it repeated throughout your recovery–you didn’t get sick overnight, so don’t expect yourself to get well overnight. Clean, safe fun is  crucial to your successful long-term recovery, and to your new, lively, fulfilling life. It takes time to unlearn and break old habits, and trying new things can be scary. That is okay. You’re not alone in these feelings. Talk to a home group that you trust, a counselor, a sponsor, or a close friend that supports your recovery about the challenges that you may face.

While “fun” may look different or require more courage now than it did in the past, clean, sober, safe fun fosters genuine bonding, relationship building, memory making, and laughter in a way that “fun” under the influences of substances simply could never. Use these tips to your advantage and start building your new social life one day at a time.

At Fellowship Hall, we’re working to constantly provide support and care both on-campus and digitally those in recovery. For more information, resources, and encouragement, ‘like’ the Fellowship Hall Facebook page and follow us on Instagram at @FellowshipHallNC.

About Fellowship Hall

Fellowship Hall is a 99-bed, private, not-for-profit alcohol and drug treatment center located on 120 tranquil acres in Greensboro, N.C. We provide treatment and evidence-based programs built upon the Twelve-Step model of recovery. We have been accredited by The Joint Commission since 1974 as a specialty hospital and are a member of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers. We are committed to providing exceptional, compassionate care to every individual we serve.

Provided by Roxie Jo, guest contributor

Due to the global pandemic, services and care centers have become less accessible to individuals recovering from substance and behavioral addiction. Rehabilitation centers have limited the number of admissions and some clinics have even shut down to prevent the spread of the virus. This has caused significant disruption to the daily routines of those recovering from addiction; many families may be unsure of how to support their loved ones. Some medical professionals and institutions have adopted telemedicine as a treatment method during these times, which can help mitigate consequences such as relapses and overdoses. Despite limitations, online and remote resources such as virtual meetings can help provide some much-needed support to affected communities.

Regular check-ins can provide a sense of structure

Staying connected with others has a positive impact on overall mood and well-being. Connection is even more vital for those recovering from addictive behaviors. Stress related to work and environmental instability can trigger a return to pre-treatment attitudes. Providing a sense of routine can help bring those in recovery back out of the shadows and reduce the likelihood of temptation. Scheduling regular check-ups through voice or video calls can bring back some structure and ease some mental health challenges. Encouraging individuals to set aside time for work and play, even if they’re at home, can also improve the process of recovery.

Access to educational tools can boost awareness

For families who are new to the process, there are plenty of online resources that provide a background on the factors linked to addictive behavior and help guide individuals through the process of recovery. With video conferencing, families gain a deeper understanding from professionals as they lean on the skills these practitioners learned at university. Most graduates who entered the field studied human development and family studies in college, equipping them with the ability to communicate and support individuals going through the complex process of treatment and recovery. Learning about the psychological principles behind addiction from skilled professionals will instill a greater sense of confidence in family members and friends.

Smartphone apps can build a sense of community

While online resources do have limited accessibility for some, connecting with like-minded individuals through apps can provide significant aid to those in vulnerable situations. Many of these apps have been developed in response to the pandemic and have a series of useful features that add value to the recovery process. Some apps include social media features, 24/7 access to licensed therapists, and the ability to join virtual group meetings specific to your area. Other apps also collect and analyze behavior patterns, which can provide personalized insights into the process of long-term recovery. For many individuals, having the ability to take their healing in their own hands can be a powerful tool.

Many resources are economical and easily accessible for newcomers

For those who are taking the first step towards seeking behavioral help for addiction, many online resources are free to sign up for or require a minimal fee to join the program. Some individuals might suffer from social anxiety or other factors that can prevent them from seeking in-person aid. Online chat rooms and group meetings can provide a greater sense of anonymity for some. In addition, these allow newcomers to seek guidance at all hours of the day as opposed to in-person forms of treatment. However, all individuals should be mindful of any information found on online communities and verify whether it is backed up by scientific research.

During this pandemic, families and individuals are especially vulnerable to the unpredictable nature of events. However, there are plenty of online resources that can provide remote aid for those on the path to recovery. Setting a regular schedule, joining online meetings, and making use of online forums are all great ways to prevent the rise of addictive behaviors. Family & Friends meetings can teach affected families key skills on self-protection and non-confrontational communication to help their addicted loved one through this process.

About SMART Recovery Family & Friends

SMART Recovery Family & Friends helps those who are affected by substance abuse, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, or other addictions of a loved one. Our program is a science-based, secular alternative to Al-Anon and the Johnson Intervention, and our method is based on the tools of SMART Recovery and CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training). CRAFT aims to teach family and friends self-protection and non-confrontational communication skills to help their addicted loved one find recovery.

You can find Family & Friends meetings in-person and online.

If you are interested in starting a Family & Friends meeting in your local area, we would love to hear from you. Please click here to learn more about starting a Family & Friends meeting.

Click here to read more about SMART Recovery Family & Friends.

Strengthening and supporting long term recovery for diverse communities across multiple pathways of recovery is a goal that would reap huge benefits for our entire society. As I have written about before, the single most important focus of substance use treatment and recovery policy in the United States should be on getting as many people as possible into long term, stable recovery.  As I noted in a Statnews piece in January, few Americans get anywhere near 90 days of care, which is the minimum effective dose for the average person. Within the confines of existing insurance networks, short-term treatment of 28 days or less is all that most Americans are offered — if they can get any help at all. It is an inadequate care system designed to deliver less than what people need because we still moralize addiction and do not value people who have substance use disorders. These dynamics has created fragmented care with large gaps. We are not properly focused on the ultimate goal, achieving and sustaining long term recovery for all persons who are addicted. One way to look at how this has unfolded is to view it in terms of a tragedy of the commons.

The tragedy of the commons originally focused on environmental concerns and the dilemma created by the pitting of short term self-interest against long term whole community interests. In more recent years the concept of tragedy of the commons has been applied to decision making processes and social policy. They are problems that generally transcend solutions using the tools at hand using the systems in place. Long term recovery is well within the tragedy of the commons as achieving it benefits all institutions but individual, short term interests prevent us from focusing on these needs. A related concept is the free rider problem, in which individual interests are to take advantage of work done to strengthen community resources but to not be contributive towards those ends. An example of a free rider problem in respect to substance use treatment is the tendency for private insurance entities to provide minimal care and shift costs to the public system as the person loses their job because their drug use begins to interfere with job performance. As noted by Griffiths and Kickul “there are two practical ways to try to overcome any Free Rider problem: compulsory participation (taxation) – a form of regulation, and secondly, linking the public good to a desirable private good (getting people to pay voluntarily).” We may well need to develop policy that strengthens addiction recovery and support that benefits the commons of long-term recovery that assist us in navigating around the tragedy of the commons.

We have an existing support fellowship model historically set up intentionally to avoid these dynamics. Mutual aid support groups such as AA focus on the needs of the commons by design. They are decentralized, autonomous and focused on the common goals of the community through group consensus. In reflection, the development of these mutual aid societies, while now ubiquitous were nothing short of miraculous to have occurred here in America considering our highly individualistic culture. As noted by Ernie Kurtz in his interview with Bill White on the history of AA. “AA, I think could have only come out of the American 1930s—after the crash of 1929 and the Great Depression taking effect. For the first time, this “go get ‘em” optimistic American culture hit bottom. Some people who had been titans of business and were doing very well—suddenly they were rummaging through garbage pails outside of restaurants….People who had been used to controlling things learned that they were powerless, and I think that it was in this clash that some first discovered AA . . . that level of business-people who had to confront their powerlessness…AA could have only come out of the American 1930s.” Mutual aid rose out of an era in which the tools of self interest were not working that well even for the most privileged and as a result there was a heightened sense of communal need.

What is “in the commons” in respect to long term recovery?

• Long term, whole person recovery focused research that examines recovery over the long term in order to understand what works for whom and under what conditions.
• Focused effort to reorienting our entire addiction care system to fully create and sustain the five year recovery care model as the research is showing us is that this is the point at which 85% of persons will remain in recovery for life.
• Full inclusion of persons in recovery in the design, implementation, delivery and evaluation of services in order to ensure that care meets the needs across the full spectrum of diverse persons seeking help.
• Tools to hold our care systems accountable when disparate, short term care is provided to ensure that applicable laws around access and duration of services are consistent with applicable laws.

Developing the commons of long-term recovery services has not as successful as we had hoped. We have made progress in some areas, but even the gains made tend to degrade back to baseline over time. Non-Government Organizations who have attempted to focus on developing the infrastructure to support long term recovery quite often end up suffering from mission creep away from holistic strategies focused on long term recovery into more narrowly focused goals. This occurs because grant funding and foundation money tends to have more narrowly focused goals and focus skips from funding source to funding source in ways that reduce the development of a cohesive system. They can also get trapped in fee for service models that make it difficult to achieve the goals that were originally envisioned. Over time, pursuit of these resources moves organizations away from their holistic focus on long term recovery.

So how do we move forward with the work of long-term recovery in ways that stay true to the vision of developing an infrastructure to support long term recovery in America?  Government has traditionally been a resource for developing and sustaining the commons. For it to work, there needs to be the vision and inclusiveness over the long term to develop it. Fundamental to achieving that end, it is necessary for governmental institutions to possess deep understanding about recovery and a commitment for inclusion of communities of recovery. History also shows us that private interests and politics can interfere with these dynamics as they have more narrow interests.

Despite all of the challenges, the vision of a long-term care and support system is well worth the effort. It would have dramatic benefits for our entire society. Benefits to pursing a long-term recovery care and support model include reducing social costs like incarceration, reducing healthcare expenses and slashing social service demands. This could happen if, our era is in some ways parallel to the dynamics of 1930s in which there is recognition that our traditional models of responses are not working and more community wide solutions are needed. As we collectively work to build out long term care and support infrastructure, we need to pay attention to building out and protecting the commons. We will need to consider how are actions and efforts are contributive to the larger goal and work with each other to build out a cohesive, multiple pathway care system that supports recovery for all communities across the nation.  Lets do this and support a recovery commons that ensures that recovery is the probable outcome for the next generation!

“What I try to tell young people is that if you come together with a mission, and its grounded with love and a sense of community, you can make the impossible possible.” – John Lewis

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