Welcome Home: Preventing Relapse after Inpatient Treatment

By: Tammy M. Bolles, MSW, LCSW I once heard a client’s family member refer to their loved one’s inpatient addiction treatment as a sort of summer camp. The family member made this pronouncement with what sounded like envy; they wished they too could have some “time away.” The thought intrigued me as a therapist. Soon […]

Strengths and Weaknesses As A Spiritual Role In Recovery

By Nancy Greenlee, LPC, The Meadows Therapist Once a month, the Workshop team is treated to a consultation from Pia Mellody, the creator of the Survivors workshop treatment model. She makes herself available, both to consult on clinical cases, answer and process questions and to inspire us with her wise adages for the spirituality of […]

The Dis-equilibrating Dynamics of an Addicted Family System

Visit the living room of the average family that is “living with,” or should I say “drowning in,” addiction and you are likely to find a family that is functioning in emotional extremes. Where feelings can explode and get very big, very fast or implode and disappear into “nowhere” with equal velocity. Where what doesn’t […]

Inpatient, Outpatient, or IOP?

Most psychiatrists and behavioral health professionals agree that addiction is a complex disorder caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors. It can also vary in intensity; The DSM-5 defines addiction as a spectrum disorder that can be categorized as “mild,” “moderate,” or “severe.” Many other mental health disorders, like depression and anxiety, […]

Don’t Neglect Ongoing Recovery

Recovery is so much more than the one-time act of escaping the clutches of substance abuse. It’s a way of life. It’s about learning to think and behave differently and adopting a lifestyle of emotional growth and healing. Sobriety is the beginning stage of something much bigger and more positive than you ever could’ve imagined. […]

Relapse Prevention: 7 Tips to Help You Stay on Track

If there had been an episode of a sitcom created to encapsulate the pandemic year-plus, it probably would’ve been titled, “The Time When Absolutely Nothing Went According to Plan.”  Whether it was work, school, social engagements, or routine errands such as grocery shopping, dental appointments, or your car’s oil change, everything was the opposite of […]