The purpose was not to traverse vast areas or to accomplish a long set goal.  This little band of hikers simply wanted to enjoy the sunshine and spend some time together.  Our holy grail was the search for the illusive lifestyle balance.  The morning walk was a welcome relief from the hard efforts by the residents of Reunion San Diego, a 6 bed, private drug and alcohol rehab.

“The best way to avoid relapses or new addiction is by living a full life with a number of diverse interests and friends.”  (SMART Recovery handbook)  Our short hike was just one activity on the sampler plate of outings introducing residents to the many options for a healthy lifestyle.  The pristine white shoes of one resident were finally dusty, jackets pulled off as we grew sweaty, and the notion of smoking a cigarette on the trail, dismissed.   The great outdoors may not be for everyone.  In fact, a latter was foremost on the mind of one resident, but hell, the walk wasn’t all that bad.

“30 minutes of brisk walking at least five days a week is a scientifically validated method to reverse depression!” I chirped happily on the way down the hill.  Science added to lifestyle balance equals great hope for the future!

-Chris O’Connor is the Therapeutic Activities Director at Reunion San Diego, a 6 bed residential addiction treatment center in San Diego

At the end of their stay, a resident has a celebration to acknowledge the progress and work we have all noticed, each in our own way.  The whole group of us, therapists, resident assistants, the chef, (they always say the kitchen is the center of any group!) other residents who have been an active part of the journey, and me, the yoga instructor, share our observations of their stay.

We hold a journal in our hands, one that we have each written an entry, and share aloud our thoughts of the journey we have witnessed.  For me, it is the small subtle changes that stand out.  I have been a companion as the door of opportunity has opened to holistic health practices.  Our facility offers yoga, energy healing, and many other alternative approaches to healing.  The therapists applaud the transformation they have witnessed from beginning to end. Resident Assistants have spent countless hours during a resident’s “down time” and hold a special connection with them.

Acknowledging the positive progress and hopes for the future sets the tone for the new chapter they are ready to begin.  With every discharge we celebrate a small victory. Another person has found a path towards a life worth living.  It’s not too late to enjoy your life.

-Chris O’Connor is the Therapeutic Activities Director at Reunion San Diego, a 6 bed residential addiction treatment center in San Diego

Reunion San Diego, is a part of Practical Recovery, a collaborative approach to addiction treatment.  We have a residential addiction treatment facility, a sober living facility, an outpatient office, and, opening in February, a new residential men’s program.   Practical Recovery offers self-empowering, non 12-step, treatment for addiction.  The focus of our care is underlying problems, basic life skills, motivation, craving, relationships, and lifestyle balance.

Dr. Chaudhri had some ideas that surprised me.  Not only do the holidays affect people with depression and sadness, but those feeling happiness can fall into difficulties with addiction issues.  In other words, the common denominator is emotions.  Dr. A. Thomas Horvath, Program Director at Reunion explained further, “Some individuals may dismiss emotions as meaningless, or not as important as logic and reason. However, our emotions can be thought of as a powerful form of communication, both to others, and to ourselves.  We may believe that we have been mistreated by someone. When we feel the anger that may accompany that belief, we experience that belief at a much deeper level. Similarly, when someone can see the anger on my face, the experience is much more powerful than a merely verbal communication. Emotions are the road to knowing others and ourselves better.”

The easy access to resources on addiction treatment was a continuing theme of the interview.  Early intervention could help prevent more problems in the future.  Online sites, such as practicalrecovery.com and smartrecovery.org are helpful to people wanting privacy while seeking information.  A phone call to the Practical Recovery intake coordinator at (800) 977-6110 could help answer questions you may have.

For those seeking help for addiction problems during the holidays, or anytime throughout the year, Reunion and Practical Recovery offers a variety of services for an individualized approach to your care.

-Chris O’Connor is our Therapeutic Activities Director at Reunion San Diego

The speaker for The Loop event hosted by Practical Recovery is Doug Braun-Harvey, MFT, CGP, CST.  His dynamic approach eases the anxiousness when the subject of sexual health is brought up.  Oh hell, anything sexual.  We all look straight ahead as he says the word pornographic, start squirming when he says genitals, become downright mortified hearing orgasm, but his direct and upbeat manner starts to soften our anxiety and soon we find ourselves laughing at our own discomfort.

After a short introduction, he handed out a questionnaire for us to fill out.  Agree or disagree:  I have secrets that involve sex.  (agree)  Sex helps me express my love to my sexual partner.  (agree)  I enjoy masturbating.  (who doesn’t?)  Opps, that wasn’t an answer choice.  The better question would be, “Who doesn’t feel uncomfortable when we discuss this subject?”

Doug Braun-Harvey wants the word to get out:  These topics should be addressed during addiction treatment in a direct and positive manner.   His work in the field addresses the role of sexual health in the recovery process.  His focus has been on training therapists to have open communication on the subject during therapy.

“For 10 years [Doug Braun-Harvey] has been integrating sexual health approaches with drug and alcohol treatment… Doug has spoken the unspeakable: not only do those in recovery need to get more comfort and skill in dealing with sexuality, so do professionals who treat them. He’s just the one to provide the comfort and skills–and to change the field’s prejudices and philosophy.” -Marty Klein, PhD
2011 Sexual Intelligence Awards

Before we know it, Doug has us in teams to play Family Feud:  Sexual Health Edition.  We are told to decide on the top 10 reasons a man wants to have sex from a list of 15.  (There are 230 in total, just to let you know) All the women in my group are rabid in our belief that affection and love is not top in a man’s mind while contemplating sex.  It turns out that men do have those feelings, just like women.  And it turns out that I am dealing with some gender biases that hinder sexual health.

Bringing up topics such as sexual health is an important element in addiction treatment therapy.  Dr. Tom Horvath, program director at Reunion, San Diego, has said, “Recovery from addiction usually involves re-establishing previously valued rewards, or establishing new ones. There is little in life that is more enjoyable than satisfying sex (except to drug users…). Even if sexual activity is not directly linked to addictive behavior, the enhancement of sexual activity (and/or reduction in shame or guilt about appropriate sexual activity) is a sensible focus for any recovery program.”

What are the top 20 reasons a man wants sex?  I’ll give you a clue:  They are almost the same for a woman.  Why not get a conversation going with friends and find out?

Chris O’Connor is Therapeutic Activities Director at Reunion, San Diego.

Something so simple, yet so beneficial, is right in front of us.

Last week, I knew we needed to do something light-hearted and fun.  I took the residents up to the group room to play a game.  The setting was so familiar to them as a place where countless sessions had taken place.  This was not necessarily a place to unwind on a Friday night.  Then I noticed a plethora of pillows and blankets, and I knew what we had to do.  Build a fort.

The vibe of the evening changed instantly.  There were such feelings of warmth and happiness, and the release of stress that occurred was palpable.  We crawled into our fort and played a game.  It was safe, comfortable and fun.  I think it took us all back to a simpler time.  When I looked at our residents, their eyes told me that at that moment they knew everything would be OK.

One of the residents explained his feelings about the evening playfulness:

“I really enjoyed the spontaneity of building the fort, as we used the resources only available to us in the room we were in, during a moment of boredom.  Playfulness, I believe, is an excellent way to combat boredom, which is often a feeling that can get us, especially me, into trouble.  Anyway, I mostly had feelings of excitement, creativity, and logic at the same time while constructing the fort.  I remember wanting to make it as big as possible to ensure that we would all fit inside while playing Scattergories, so I utilized the items around me to prop up the yoga table to add height and Kristin and I draped blankets to create an allure of height.  That in mind, the group teamwork is what made the experience and we all got immersed in the activity.  The feeling that persisted afterward was one of a sharpness of the mind.  I excelled at scattergories like I had never before and the words just came instantaneously.  Usually I never finish before the timer is up (it’s set for 3:00,) but there were three instances where I finished when the timer had 30+ seconds remaining.  In other words, my mind felt alive, energized, and full of an array of different thoughts.  That is why I used it to my advantage when I completed some paperwork late into the night after we concluded our game.  I just found it easier to access different ideas that I wanted to incorporate into my writing, which is really fascinating.  This overall feeling persisted into the following day for a while as well, especially when relaying to others about having built a fort and enjoying that return to childhood.”

Undergoing rehab is a difficult experience no matter what the circumstances.  It can be further complicated and painful for those whose substance abuse issues are linked to traumatic life experiences, mood disorders, or other medical issues.  Painful events and emotions can leave a person understandably physically, mentally, and emotionally drained.

Because playfulness and laughter evoke the feelings of delight and serenity, taking the time for it is important part of addiction recovery.  Our involvement with others and the confidence playfulness builds, helps fill our lives with healthy alternatives to past practices that might have been harmful.

Stuart Brown from the Institute of Play has said, “What do most Nobel Laureates, innovative entrepreneurs, artists and performers, well-adjusted children, happy couples and families and the most successfully adapted mammals have in common?  They play enthusiastically throughout their lives.”

Put down whatever you are doing, grab a few friends, and just play!

-Kristen Preiser: Resident Assistant

The quiet earnestness in the room is broken when a young man tells of his anger about being with friends while trying to abstain from alcohol.  Others in the room shared like experiences, words of support, and thoughtful comments.  The approach of SMART Recovery seems to filter through the room; self-empowerment and self-reliance, tools and techniques for self directed change.

I want to cry out “find new friends,” and lean over to the man next to me to say, “Your worth is immeasurable.  When will you realize that?”  But these are truths everyone must find out for themselves.  Each has a story, but the common ground is a focus and effort to abstain from addictive behaviors.  At some point in their path towards a more productive life they will realize that thoughts that undermine confidence hold back recovery.

That is what SMART Recovery is all about.  At some point in this evening’s meeting the four main points of the SMART Recovery plan come up.  At the check in, people volunteer stories of their struggles with coping with urges and enhancing and maintaining change.  Others sitting in the circle give ideas for managing thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

The anguish and sadness is palatable; but as I make my way home I am filled with hope.  We have all connected with one another.  We have extended ourselves with a sense of purpose pure in spirit.  I feel the confidence that with others standing close we can accomplish anything. SMART Recovery has met it goals.

-Chris O’Connor is the Activities Director at Reunion San Diego

Today at Reunion the residents went on a beautiful local hike which everyone found very enjoyable.  Upon return, in preparation for Halloween, we all carved pumpkins and baked pumpkin seeds.  One expressed how he forgot how much fun pumpkin carving was and one had never done it at all! Nevertheless, all turned out wonderful.  Lastly, dinner was a picnic at Torrey Pines beach with take out from Roy’s restaurant.

-Chelsea Hurt: Resident Assistant

I finally found an unconditional friend, available 24/7, who always comes back for more, no matter what I say.  It is my journal.  I’ve scribbled words so angry the imprint can be seen pages after, bad poetry about true love, and dialogued with my nemesis, sleep.  After years of journaling, I have found only one rule for the process—date every entry.  Can’t be that hard!

Oh, but it seems to be, that blank page in front of me, performance anxiety foremost in my mind.  What to write?  Tonight I am explaining to five men how they can begin what might become one of the most meaningful spiritual journeys of their lives.  This group is staying at Reunion San Diego, a residential addiction treatment facility which focuses on a non-disease based, self-empowering approach to addiction treatment. Journal writing is a method to help promote reflection about the therapy sessions they attend during the day.  The techniques available will facilitate critical thought and help clarify issues that might have led to their addiction problems.

Author Kathleen Adams, (Center for Journal Writing) has outlined a few tips to ease into the process and help insure the effort is authentic and rewarding.  She suggests a bit of meditation before starting.  Keep and re-read what you write.  Write quickly and keep writing (no one cares about run on sentences or split infinitives) And most of all, tell yourself the truth.

Tonight at the journaling group, we are listing roles we have played in our lives, listing 100 of anything, (Why is it harder to list 100 good things about ourselves than 100 places we want to visit?) lists from the monumental to the minutia of the daily grind.

Dr. Tom Horvath recognizes the importance of writing thoughts down to help clarify addiction issues.  In his book, Sex, Drugs, Gambling, and Chocolate,  A Workbook for Overcoming Addictions, writing prompts are included concerning cravings, costs to our lives due to the addictive behaviors, ranking the severity of addictions (there’s that listing thing again) and choices we can make for lifestyle balance.  Dr. Horvath has explained,

“Lifestyle balance is a subject worthy of reflection. One might consider times when life has felt balanced, connected, peaceful and productive.  If life does not feel that way now, what changes might be made?”

Just write the date and begin.

Chelsea Hurt: Resident Assistant