(MUSIC)
DRUG AND ALCOHOL ADDICTION.
IT CAN EFFECT THOSE FROM ALL WALKS
OF LIFE.
MEN, WOMEN, TEENS, RICH, POOR AND EVERYONE IN
BETWEEN.
TODAY WE CONTINUE OUR VERY SPECIAL MINI SERIES RECLAIM
YOUR LIFE, RELEARN TO RELIVE IN A WAY YOU'VE NEVER LIVED BEFORE.
WITH THE HOLIDAYS HERE IT'S AN ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT TIME FOR
THOSE WITH ADDICTION.
DR.
MAUREEN ESPOSITO, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF CLINICAL SERVICES
AT TRANSFORMATIONS TREATMENT CENTER IS BACK TO HELP US
UNDERSTAND THAT HOLIDAY DYNAMIC.
GOOD MORNING.
VERY NICE TO BE BACK.
I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE.
DOCTOR BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT ADDICTION
AND THE HOLIDAYS I'D LIKE TO AT LEAST TALK FIRST ABOUT WHAT THE
HOLIDAYS TO MEAN AND WHAT IT REALLY SHOULD MEAN ABOUT SHARING
THAT WITH YOUR CHILDREN, PASSING ALONG THOSE MEMORIES.
WE GO TO DISNEY WORLD EVERY DECEMBER AND
I REALLY HOPE THOSE MEMORIES LIVE ON THRU MY CHILDREN.
I THINK THE HOLIDAYS ARE A PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT TIME OF
YEAR FOR THE ALCOHOLIC AND ADDICT.
AS GENERAL STRESS, PEOPLE ARE SHOPPING MORE, YOU'RE
PREPARING HOLIDAYS YOUR WAITING FOR RELATIVES TO COME IN.
AND WE ARE THE BUILDERS OF MEMORIES FOR
OUR CHILDREN AND JUST AS YOU LIKE TO SET THE STAGE AND TAKE
THEM TO UM DISNEY WORLD, THOSE MEMORIES WILL BE LASTING.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT ADDICTION MANY
TIMES ADDICTION BRINGS ALOT OF BAD MEMORIES.
UMMHMM.
AND AS MOTHERS, AS WOMEN, AS FATHERS WE'RE CREATING MEMORIES
FOR OUR CHILDREN THAT WE WANT TO BE POSITIVE.
IF THEY HAVE NEGATIVE MEMORIES BECAUSE OF AN
ADDICTION DESTROYING THE FAMILY OR INTERFERING WITH THE
HAPPINESS OF THE FAMILY THIS LEAVES A LONG AND LASTING
UNFORTUNATE UNHAPPY MEMORY.
AND FOR SOMEONE WHO IS UNFORTUNATELY FIGHTING AN
ADDICTION AND THE HOLIDAYS ARE HERE, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
COPING MECHANISMS YOU TEACH AT THE TRANSFORMATION TREATMENT
CENTER?
WHEN OUR CLIENTS COME INTO TREATMENT, AGAIN WE PRESENT A
VERY POSITIVE ATTITUDE.
THEY'RE COMING IN VERY DEJECTED, MAYBE
FEELING GUILTY, VERY SHAMEFUL AND UPSET AND AGAIN WE PRESENT A
FACILITY THAT WILL TREAT THEM VERY INDIVIDUALLY AND UNDERSTAND
WHAT THEY'RE REALLY GOING THRU.
THERE'S NO SHAME, THERE'S NO BLAME, WE INVITE THEM TO COME
AND BE WHO THEY ARE.
MANY TIMES THEY'VE HAD VERY DIFFICULT LIVES
AND THIS IS THE PLACE TO REALLY REST AND REALLY LEARN ABOUT
ADDICTION AND LEARN ABOUT HOW TO HAVE A HAPPY LIFE.
EXACTLY.
AND I ACTUALLY SAW THAT AT THE TRANSFORMATION TREATMENT
CENTER WHEN WE VISITED AND I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING
US TO GO IN THERE.
WE ALSO HAD THE HONOR OF SPEAKING WITH A FEW
OF YOUR CLIENTS WHO OPENED UP AND SHARED THEIR ADDICTION AND
WHAT THEY'RE GOING THRU.
GOOD.
I'D LIKE OUR VIEWERS TO SEE THAT.
CAN WE DO THAT?
LET'S TAKE A LISTEN.
NEVER REALLY HAD GOOD HOLIDAYS.
THOSE WERE USUALY THE WORST TIMES.
UMM I'M SURE ALOT OF PEOPLE MY AGE CAN RELATE TO THIS
THAT THEY WOULD REALLY WAIT FOR THE MONEY TO COME FROM THEIR
FAMILIES SO THEY COULD RUN OUT THE DOOR AND USE.
IN HOLIDAYS PAST IT WAS ALL ABOUT YOU KNOW, GETTING
INTOXICATED AND EATING ALOT OF FOOD.
MY FIRST HOLIDAY SOBER WAS AT SEVEN MONTHS CLEAN.
I GOT TO SPEND TIME WITH MY FAMILY AND I
GOT TO ACTUALLY BE THERE.
I GOT TO BE SOBER.
I WAS AH ABLE TO REMEMBER THE HOLIDAYS WHICH IS
REALLY NICE SO.
TO NOW I REALLY ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS YOU KNOW I'M ALBE TO BE
PRESENT I'M ABLE TO BE THERE WITH MY FAMILY.
WHERE WHEN I WAS PHYSICALLY THERE IN THE PAST, I
WASN'T REALLY I WASN'T REALLY THERE SO IT CAN BE DIFFICULT
EARLY ON BUT IT THERE MUCH BETTER NOW.
(MUSIC) COMPELLING STORIES FROM PEOPLE
WHO ARE REALLY TRYING TO GET BACK ON TRACK.
UHH WOULD YOU SAY THE HOLIDAYS ARE THE BUSIEST
TIME FOR YOU.
WE SEE ALOT OF PEOPLE COMING IN AT THE END OF
THE YEAR LOOKING TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES.
AND SO WHEN YOU SEE OUR CLIENTS THAT HAVE COME THRU THE
FACILITY AS A CLINICIAN IT'S ONE OF THE MOST WONDERFUL THINGS TO
SEE.
WE SEE PEOPLE COMING IN VERY UPSET, DEPRESSED, ANGRY,
LONELY HAVING DESTROYED RELATIONSHIPS.
AND THRU THE TREATMENT THEY REALLY LEARN TO
LOVE THEMSELVES AGAIN.
SO THERE'S ALOT OF FORGIVENESS
GOING ON AND SO THE RESULT FOR AN CLINICIAN IS WONDERFUL TO SEE
BECAUSE THEY'RE HAPPY.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT ALSO THAT THEY FEEL THAT SUPPORT BECAUSE
THEY'RE LACKING THAT SUPPORT I WOULD ASSUME WHERE THEY ARE AND
WHERE THEY'VE BEEN.
WELL MANY OF THE CLIENTS MAY HAVE SUPPORT BUT THEY DON'T
RECOGNIZE IT.
THEY'VE ALIENATED THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS.
THEY MAY BE ISOLATING AND GETTING INTO
TROUBLE SO WHEN THEY COME INTO TRANSFORMATIONS NOT ONLY WELL
THEY HAVE THE SUPPORT OF A VERY LOVING NURTURING STAFF BUT WE
INCLUDE THE FAMILIES SO THAT THE FAMILY REPAIR WORK NEEDS TO BE
DONE AND MANY TIMES WE ARE ABLE TO HELP THOSE PEOPLE REKINDLE
THEIR RELATIONSHIPS AND START AGAIN.
AND HOW DO YOU APPROACH LET'S SAY SOMEONE WHO COMES IN WITH A
DRUG ADDICTION AS OPPOSED TO SOMEONE THAT COMES IN WITH AND
ALCOHOL ADDICTION.
WELL WE TREAT EVERYONE INDIVIDUALLY.
AND MOST PEOPLE COME IN THINKING I'M AN HEROIN
ADDICT, I JUST DRINK.
BUT THE RESULTS ARE USUALLY THE SAME.
THE RESULTS REALLY WILL BE ALIENATION FROM FAMILY MEMBERS,
MAYBE LOSE OF A JOB, MAYBE A DIVORCE, MAYBE MEDICAL PROBLEMS.
YOU KNOW ALCOHOL CAN GIVE YOU LIVER PROBLEMS, HEROIN CAN
CERTAINLY REAK HAVOK WITH YOUR HEALTH.
SO WE HAVE THE PRINCIPLES OF RECOVERY AND
EVERYONE LEARNS THAT, BUT EVERYONE IS VERY VERY
INDIVIDUAL.
FOR ANYBODY OUT THERE THAT MAY BE STRUGGLING WHO DOESN'T FEEL
THAT SUPPORT OR IS ASHAMED.
WHAT MESSAGE OF HOPE WOULD YOU GIVE
THEM TODAY?
WHEN THEY DECIDE TO MAKE THAT FIRST STEP WHICH IS THE MOST
DIFFICULT STEP TO MAKE.
YES.
THEY RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM.
THEY CAN SORT OF RELAX A LITTLE BIT AND KNOW THAT THE
SUPPORT IS ALL AROUND THEM.
THEY CAN REALLY MAKE AMENDS DOWN THE
ROAD OF PIECE WITH THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS AND REALY BEGIN A NEW
LIFE.
SO THE MESSAGE OF HOPE IS ESPECIALLY AT THIS MOST
IMPORTANT HOLIDAY SEASON FOR EVERYONE IS THAT THERE IS HOPE
THERE, PEOPLE CAN CHANGE AND RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE.
AND WHERE CAN THEY GO FOR MORE INFORMATION?
THEY CAN CERTAINLY GO TO OUR WEBSITE,
TRANSFORMATIONSTREATMENT.ORG AND THEY'LL BE ABLE TO GET ALOT OF
INFORMATION ABOUT ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE.
GOD BLESS YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO AND EVERYBODY AT THE
TRANSFORMATION TREATMENT CENTER.
AND IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE, LOG ONTO OUR WEBSITE.
IT'S THEBALANCINGACT.COM THAT'S
THEBALANCINGACT.COM.
YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND
TWITTER.
(MUSIC)