Rehabilitation from substance abuse

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Rehabilitation from substance abuse

08 October, 2021Articles, News

After some trauma and time, either you or a loved one has admitted that they need rehabilitation from substance abuse and now you find yourself in a situation where you need to choose a recovery centre. Choosing a recovery centre for substance abuse can be daunting. There are many different types of treatment centres : faith based programmes, 12-step programmes, SMART recovery programmes, cognitive therapy, dual diagnosis clinics, client-centred approaches, relapse prevention programmes….the choice can be overwhelming and confusing. Below we discuss how Crossroads manages rehabilitation from substance abuse.

Crossroads, Johannesburg is a primary care, rehabilitation from substance abuse centre, offering short-term treatment, (28 days to 84 months). It offers a client-centred approach, built around the 12-step model. Treatment is residential, meaning we offer an in-patient recovery programme, where food, individual counselling, group therapy, family counselling and detoxification are all included in our treatment fee. Although most of our clients come to us for problems with substance abuse, we also treat other forms of addictions, such as : gambling, food, and sex. We do work with most major medical aids, this means that we can manage the authorisations on your behalf before you check-in which minimises some of the stress for you.

As part of the individual therapy, we offer both trauma counselling and 12-Step counselling. Trauma can be defined as a deep psychological wound, one that has a profound impact on the emotional well-being and everyday functioning of the sufferer. Trauma counselling provides an outlet where people can discuss their experiences and develop strategies for dealing with the ongoing difficulties they face as a result. Trauma counselling is done to heal the wounds of the past and to aid the clients in achieving a successful recovery from substance abuse.

All of our counsellors at Crossroads Recovery Centre, Johannesburg have experience in working and living the 12-steps of recovery. Some of our counsellors have over 20 years experience in dealing with substance abuse. In the 12-step process, written step-work is used to inform a large part of the individual counselling process. Through processing step-work with a counsellor, our clients gain insight into their own addiction and how to live successfully once they leave treatment. The integration of the 12-steps in the counselling process means that the clients who leave Crossroads Recovery Centre, adjust well to a supportive, non-professional environment, such as the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.

Although we are primarily as 12-step based centre for the rehabilitation from substance abuse, we also make use of other therapy models such as : process groups, gender groups, exposure groups, life story groups, planning and objectives groups and spiritual groups. A bit about these groups is explained below :

1. Process Groups

The process group is the most common type of therapeutic group given at Crossroads Recovery Centre. An addictions counsellor is present and facilitates the running of the group while each client is asked to participate. Group therapy is an intensive process, clients are asked to be vulnerable and give feedback to one another. This process is incredibly beneficial as it is the best way for clients to bring the issues they may have to light and start to deal with them in a supportive environment.

2. Gender Groups

In gender groups men and women are separated. This gives each client space to address any gender-specific problems they may have. A counsellor facilitates the group and prepares topics for discussion and reflection. We find that separating the genders gives our clients an opportunity to talk about issues and concerns that they may feel uncomfortable addressing in front of members of the opposite sex. It is a format which encourages a deeper discussion about issues that may be gender-specific and gender-sensitive, for example; sexual abuse, love and sex addiction, marriage problems, sexual dysfunction and expectations set by gender roles.

3. Spiritual Groups

Spirituality is a cornerstone of a 12-step recovery programme. In these groups counsellors address a number of issues related to spirituality. These include topics such as meditation, spiritual principles and finding new ways to connect with a higher power of your own understanding. Though topics and thoughts from certain religions may be brought up, Crossroads Recovery Centre, prides itself on being inclusive of all religions and faiths, or lack thereof. These topics encourage discussion and exploration of new ideas related to each individuals spiritual practice so that they may gain a better understating of the 12 steps as a whole.

4. Planning and Objectives

Many people come into recovery lacking direction and discipline. Weekly planning and objective groups are structured in a way that encourages our clients to set meaningful, attainable, short-term goals in order to work up to achieving long-term objectives. Each week the clients give a report on whether they achieved their goals or not. They are then held accountable by their peers. This continuous process of goal-setting and reporting back, helps our clients learn how to go forward with planning and structure once they leave our facility.

5. Exposure Groups

From time-to-time it becomes apparent that a person may not be doing as well as expected in treatment. This may be for several reasons. It could be holding on to old ideas, refusing to participate, being dishonest or breaking rules in the facility. For whatever reason, the person may be confronted in a group therapy session. In this type of group, several counsellors may participate, and the clients’ peers are given an opportunity to address them directly. We have found that this type of confrontation can be very powerful in addressing problematic behaviours. Subjects of a sensitive or confidential matter are not handled in this type of confrontation.

6. Life Story Groups

As part of the therapeutic process at Crossroads Recovery Centre, all clients are asked to write a life story. This is presented to the group as well as the counsellors. The life story reveals past behaviour patterns and thinking, this combined with behaviour that has occurred in their time at Crossroads Recovery Centre, is processed and feedback is given. The client has an opportunity to hear what their peers and counsellors think. This feedback helps them in their recovery from substance abuse moving forwards, and often reveals what attitudes and behaviours may prove problematic in the long run. From this point our client can move forward with a better understanding of how they can better help themselves.

All of these groups have the primary aim of rebuilding an individual and getting them towards a place where they are able to reintegrate into society and function within their families, social circles and workplaces, harnessing their maximum potential.

The road to rehabilitation from substance abuse is not always an easy one but getting yourself or your loved one the best care from the team at Crossroads Recovery Centre, provides you with a map to sober, healthy living. No matter how bad things seem, there is hope and it’s just a phone call away. If you or anyone close to you needs help with an addiction to sex, gambling, substances, alcohol or food, please contact us for a free assessment.

www.crossroadsrecovery.co.za

074 89 51043 JHB

012 450 5033 PTA

No Obligation Addiction Assessment

Book a No Obligation Confidential Assessment at your nearest Treatment Centre Today.

Johannesburg Admissions: +27 74 895 1043

Pretoria Admissions: +27 82 653 3311

Stories of Recovery

The encouragement, love and support from the team at Crossroads allowed me to eventually see that I was worth something - that my life could be turned around and that I could accomplish the things that had long been a forgotten dream.
Oliver VG
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On the last day of my stint at Crossroads I could only express gratitude towards all who works there. A wise councillor once commented on my question when one is ready for rehab by explaining that when one is ready for rehab, rehab is ready for you.
Johan B
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I was lost and my soul was broken until I ended up at Crossroads and was introduced to the Twelve Steps. With the help of their excellent staff and amazing support I have recently been clean for 18 months, I could not have done it without them!
Carla S
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"Just for today I am more than three years in recovery. I have Cross Roads to thank for this wonderful gift. Cross Roads helped me to set a firm foundation in my recovery on which I can continue to build."
Angelique J
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Rehabilitation from Substance Abuse

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Home / Posts tagged "Rehabs in Gauteng"

Rehabilitation from Substance Abuse

28 April, 2021Articles, News

Although substance abuse has been a part of human history for the longest time, effective methods of how to treat it have varied over the ages (Miller, 2014). Methods of treating substance abuse have not always been as humane as they are today (Townsend et al, 2016). As such this article discusses the link between rehabilitation from substance abuse and how it reflects a restoration to humanity using sociology as a reference point (Miller, 2014).

Society has many institutions of socialization, thus, when individuals fail to conform to one, they may land up in a less favourable institution (Moleko and Visser, 2012). Prisons and lock-up facilities were the places where substance abusers were sent when their behaviour was considered “out of hand” (Moleko & Visser, 2012). This was the case as there were few options at the time that were available for individuals to understand as well as address their problem of substance abuse (Miller, 2014).

In the early nineteenth century, psychology became recognised as a formal field of study and new insights emerged to explain why human beings behaved the way they did (Townsend et al, 2016). Although there have been previous methods to do so in the past, psychology represented the refinement of knowledge and techniques as well as methodologies to better understand mental illnesses (Townsend et al, 2016). Even so, the methods that were employed when dealing with mental illnesses were in a lot of cases inhumane in nature and focused more on eliminating the problem as opposed to developing an understanding of it (Miller, 2014).

Mental illness often carries a stigma. This stigma sometimes handicaps mental health care professionals especially when attempting to reform deviant behaviour associated with mental illness and as such it became more favourable for these professionals to conform to the social norm of stigma towards mental illnesses (Miller, 2014).

Substance abusers were perhaps the least understood- the methods of dealing with them were more directed at punishment than they were towards healing (Miller, 2014). In the mid 1930’s a revolutionary movement started up in Akron Ohio, in the USA. This method heralded an effective and humane approach to treating alcoholism as well as other forms of substance abuse (Miller, 2014). Although its origin was questionable amongst health care professionals, its effectiveness was not (Miller, 2014). This was when 12-step based substance abuse treatment programmes started up and soon afterwards became recognised as official methods of treating substance abuse by the American Psychological Association (Miller, 2014). This holistic programme restored individuals to humanity from the inside out, spiritually, mentally, and eventually their physical well-being as well (Miller, 2014).

A 12-step society sprung up before it was recognised as a formal basis for rehabilitation from substance abuse (Miller, 2014). With this the social aspect of the movement grew and the stigma towards those suffering from substance abuse began to dissipate (Miller, 2014). Some stigma still exists today, however many countries have begun to include such 12-step treatment models in their scopes for addressing substance abuse and as such there is a growth in the humane treatment of those afflicted by substance abuse and mental health disorders in general (Miller, 2014).

The 12-step programme is known not only for its effectiveness with substance abuse. It can be applied to various contexts, with only its initial step needing to be tailored to the specific obsessive-compulsive manifestation of the addiction it addresses (Miller, 2014). This wide range of application has made this form of rehabilitation increasingly popular amongst professionals as well as the layman (Miller, 2014). Its ability to be applied to such a wide variety of situations demonstrates that this method introduces healing and effective coping strategies into multiple areas of an individual’s life (Miller, 2014). Restoring each one to a state of wholeness that has not been known before (Miller, 2014).

Even so the rehabilitation process is done to help establish an individual within the community together with the resources associated with their recovery (Miller, 2014). In many ways rehabilitation is perceived as an event and the process of establishing a new lifestyle to match the changes in attitude is often neglected (Miller, 2014). Rehabilitation is both the end of something and the beginning of another – one of the major difficulties is that individuals going through this process are not able to distinguish between the two (Miller, 2014).

There is a sense of loss and bereavement associated with rehabilitation from substance abuse. Individuals are often not ready to part with their former lifestyles without the necessary social support (Miller, 2014). An individual’s capacity to be rehabilitated hinges on their willingness to accept change and as a result many experts are dubious of an individual’s capacity to recover unless that person is in a state of desperation (Miller, 2014). This state of cognitive dissonance renders individuals most susceptible to the change that the 12-step approach to substance abuse treatment entails (Baron and Branscombe, 2017), and places greater emphasis on the sociological element of rehabilitation (Baron & Branscombe, 2017).

Conclusion

In closing, rehabilitation from substance abuse is not just a therapeutic method but also a social movement. The only way to restore an individual is to employ a method that helps them solidify their recovery by ensuring that their behaviour contributes to the healing of others.

If you or a loved one needs rehabilitation from substance abuse – know that help is readily available. The road to recovery is not always an easy one but getting yourself or your loved one the best possible care from the team at Crossroads Recovery Centre, provides you with a map to sober, healthy living. No matter how bad things seem, there is hope and it’s only a phone call away. If you or anyone close to you needs help with an addiction to sex, gambling, substances, alcohol or food, please contact us for a free assessment.

References

Baron, R., & Branscombe, N. (2017). Social psychology (14th ed.). UK: Pearson Education.

Miller, G. A. (2014). Learning the language of addiction counseling (4th ed.). Wiley

Moleko, A., & Visser, M. (2012). Community psychology in South Africa. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers.

Townsend, L., O’Neill, V., Swarts, L., De la Rey, C., & Duncan, N. (2016). Psychology: An introduction. South Africa. Oxford University Press.